Self-Portrait Wednesday

It was a beautiful day for a walk in the rice fields with the dog. Couldn't ask for more perfect weather- sunny but not hot (the only kind of weather I really like). Many of the neighbors were out harvesting their rice, so the air was filled with the scent of freshly cut rice and the buzzing of tiny Japan-sized combines and trucks hauling the rice to and fro. Both the dog and I were very happy.

Silver Week

We are in the midst of "Silver Week" holidays. Silver Week is not really a week, but 3 days in a row of holidays strategically created by the Japanese government to give all us hard workers a nice break before the very busy Fall and Winter seasons hit us. The 3 days come right after the weekend, giving us a 5-day holiday this month. One other such string of holidays exists which straddles the end of April and the first week of May, and it's called "Golden Week."

I have been enjoying the extra time off by spending extra QT with the dog and kitties: