A Lazy Weekend

We had a very laid back, lazy weekend. Ebi-kun developed a cough and sore throat so we didn't go to the playgroup Christmas party as planned, it maybe the season for giving, but giving germs isn't really a nice thing to do. So, Saturday we did a major post office run, I had 13 parcels to sent, some were sold items the rest were gifts. I couldn't send 2 of them because the items hadn't been paid for, oh well. All the Christmas parcels have gone. I have one more but I should be able to just stick it in the post box. I can relax a bit and just spend my time making things for family and friends here. We all got very little sleep Friday night so we took a nap in the afternoon and that was it for the day really!

Sunday was the party but instead of staying in a hot aircon'd room I thought it would be better to get out in the fresh air so we drove over to Enamotobokocho - I have probably spelt that wrong! It is a small dairy farm that allows visitors and sells the best ice-cream. Just what you need for a sore throat :o) Daddy-ebi wanted to get a nice photo of Ebi-kun with a cow, a strange request, I know! Next year is the year of the cow (well, I think it is actually Ox but cow is as close as we can get) so he wanted a good picture to put on our New Years cards. In Japan they send New Years cards rather than Christmas Cards. As we are a bi-cultural family (and cheap) we combine them into Christmas and New year cards and they are bilingual, I will show you when we get round to making them :o). Anyway, back at the farm, they had a cute calf, so here is one of the pictures in for the running....

I grew up next to a dairy farm and have no fear of cows or other farmy type of things and one trick I like to do at this place is to let the calf suck my fingers, if you have never done this, hold out two fingers and they will suck as if they are feeding from their mother. This ALWAYS gets a 'urghhawwgggghhhh' reaction from young Japanese lasses - the best ones to do this to are the ones with designer handbags and high heels - you know, proper farm attire. hahaha, now you know I have an evil sense of humour :o)

After revolting a few ladies we went for a quick walk by the river, it was a beautiful clear day, but cold. We could see Mt. Fuji quite clearly, it might looks small here but it is (I guess) over 120KMs away, as the crow flies.

Mt Fuji facts.

• It is one of Japanese 3 sacred mountains and until the Meiji period women weren't allowed to climb it.
  
• A well-known Japanese saying suggests that anybody would be a fool not to climb Mt. Fuji once--but a fool to do so twice.
  
• The mountain is only open to climb in July and August.
• Mt Fuji is actually an active volcano and last erupted in 1707.
• Mt Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone makes it popular in artwork and photographs and so it can be described as one of Japans national symbols.
• At the top of Mt. Fuji there is a vending machine - I kid you not!
• No, I have never climbed it and have no intention of doing so.