Fuji

I climbed Mt. Fuji. Yup, one of my final pre-post-deployment reunion adventures was to leave the kids for four days and climb a mountain. it was early and rainy when we started at 5 am with a 0130 wake up call.

We started at Station 5 (10 total up the mountain, buses stop at 5), and it was a decently quick hike up to station 7, we were optimistic, sun came up (not that we could see it with the clouds), rain was slackening... the sticks we're holding were purchased at the bottom so we could get stamps burned into them as we attained new height.

this is what much of the view on the way up looked like, except that there were only 4 torii, this being the only red one along the way. Torii are markers denoting the path to a Shinto shrine, which there were three of at the top.

Fuji from the side... it was neat being above the clouds.

Here's the top! at least, the shop that I ate at when I got there, the shop owners along the way stay on Fuji the two months that it is accessible for climbing. Thanks for the raamen and warm cocoa!

See, I told you I was there!

And this was the view near the end, sun gone down, mist moved in, 10 feet of visibility! (I do love a good fog)

I'm Home!

Well, after flying from Gardez, Afghanistan to Bagram, Afghanistan to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to Adonna, Turkey to Rammstein, Germany to Baltimore, MD to Charlotte, NC to Fayetteville, NC back to Charlotte, NC, to Denver, CO and finally arriving yesterday in good ole Boise, ID (in about two weeks I get to continue flying going from Boise, ID to San Francisco, CA to Tokyo, Japan to Naha, Okianwa... but for now I am enjoying being out of an air plane).

It's really good to be back. I'm hearing about many fun things that former members of my team are doing as they too seem to be enjoying their return to freedom. I am personally enjoying wearing civilian clothing and not shaving every day. Ah, it's the little things that you come to really appreciate. I'm sure I will be posting more in the coming weeks and months about my time down range, but for now, I'm just going to think about the sandwich I'm going to get for lunch tomorrow at the Brick Oven Bistro!

Odds and Ends

thats right, I can take a good sunset pic every now and then! (Toguchi beach)

excuse me? can I sit there?

dancing with guns?

latest evolution in Coryn's people art... arms and legs and whats that up there? "eyebrows" where did he learn that? "preschool" (I'm purple, Jackson and Coryn are red, Carter is black with "tiny legs")

the new rage in women's summer socks... not fancy hose mind you, socks... they're kind of fanatical about their socks here, you can find toe, yukata, kimono, sandal, summer sandal, ankle strap (as above), toe ankle strap, high heel cushioned ankle strap, high heel cushioned slipper style, and many many other socks. not to mention high heel cushions with an elastic band that has a doodad attached to hide where it hooks onto your toe. amazing!

At the Park

Peek-A-Boo! (Carter)

Not so afraid of the swing, but don't try to push him...

a little help from my friend.

"I'm going to practice my scooter so I can be good at it and then I'll get a skateboard" *gasp with o face*


rooaaaaaar! or... "I'm going to lick you through the floor!"

Baseball... sort of

Go Bumblebees! (not the insect, the transformer (Coryn far left))

He did have some fun...

He liked to hit the ball, and I must say, he's better at it without the tee.

walking calmly to 1st base "thats my spot", and yes, later when he visited the base for a third time that particular hit he cried that someone else was on it.
Carter likes to hit too! (he's better than some of those kids at the tee) :)

Say What?

It is a truck...

send it... me

in the Jr high clothes? maybe even elementary sized... not sure


These last two are not for the faint of stomachs...

signs at the children's zoo
tigers

what? no... surely not

4th of July

Ok, ok, we went back to AmerciaFest! I wasn't going to, but the weather was so great, I don't know, it just kind of happened. This time the kids got to play on the firetrucks.

What do you think? Jealous? Or is he just admiring the kid's shoes? no really, take a close look... they're cars!

Coryn got to play on some more planes, his favorite was "the one with the dead man" meaning, the one that had a stretcher display complete with dummy.

Of course the kids got to ride the rides again, though they still didn't get to go on the trampoline thingies in the back... line was soooo long and Coryn a bit impatient.

and of course, fireworks. nice ones too!