warmer

palm trees sway back and forth amidst warm trade winds in the mild island winter

a palm tree on the edge of a vast and blue ocean

majestic views of volcanoes surround this four season's golf course

rainbows are common in these here parts where rain falls on more days than not

it all starts with a flight out of a city in the contiguous united states as the sun rises in the eastern winter sky

the view from the hotel - there's not much to see - mostly hotels and apartment buildings sprawling up near the waterfront

but there are some beautiful sights to behold - a bright rainbow arches over a field of grass that stretches almost as far as the horizon following a brief shower

and this beautiful glass of beer - i believe this one is a blonde bock from our friends at gordon biersch

in a remote rural village, a young girl stands still - mesmerized by the glow and cacophony of the fireworks that she has just set off on one fine new years eve

it is quite an impressive sight

meanwhile, back in the hustle and bustle of the main tourist regions, visitors from the mainland and asian countries crowd a downtown shopping mall late into the wee hours

an old house surrounded by palm trees weathers the tropical weather - but not all too well ....

christmas in the wintertime

in this holiday season, there are signs that winter may finally be upon us .....

and in case i forget - best wishes to you on this holiday - i hope you are finding joy surrounded by the warmth and comfort of your families where ever you may be .....

i find that a christmas tree, no matter how small .....

or a string of lights however hastily slung over a window ..... can still bring out the christmas spirit in all of us .... merry christmas !!!

fruit at a roadside concession

took another drive down the central valley - stopped off at a roadside concession and took some pictures of ........

...... apples.....

..... oranges ......

...... grapes ......

...... and personalized piggy banks ......

full moon once more

it is a full moon again - and so soon since the last one that i remember ....
from where i stand, it seems quiet and lonely across our fair valley ....

contemplation

fields of gold ....


.... looking out onto the blue yonder of the pacific ocean


wild grass growing on the cool ocean side of a mountain


btw, you might recognize the last picture from the blog banner

quiet thoughts

leaves on the ground.


on long drives down the central valley as the sun sinks in the west


sitting by oneself at a local japanese restaurant


an old woodprint by a kyoto artisan depicting a traditional street setting

another woodprint showing an everyday life scene from suwon korea

moon, tree, sky, thoughts

autumn

tonight's sky - pleiades in the upper right, orion in the center, taurus just below and to the left of the pleiades - nice to watch but it's getting colder at nights ...... you have to click on the picture to see stars


a row of trees changing colors waiting for the coming winter ....


... with colder days and nights


although it has been said before, autumns and winters are typically mild around these here parts - trees like this yellow ginko stand out in this downtown park

informative signs

it is a common sight in hong kong to see signs showing the exact fine for each minor infraction of municipal laws - in this case, a steep fine for spitting directly into a trash can



i like signs that are slightly cute but still convey their messages accurately - like the two above seen at a construction site in taipei


this one seen in a metropolitan taipei public park suggests that there may not be many things that you are allowed to do


the level of politeness and humble civility seen even in signs is a trait that is somewhat uniquely japanese, as evidenced by this sign in downtown tokyo

i have not been able to figure out the meaning of this sign for quite a long time now

view

autumn comes late and only to selective locations in this part of the world - looked down to see fallen leaves lying wistfully on the grass


in the summertime, speeding past miles and miles of hay stacks along a highway in the central valley


saw a back end of a horse through the trees whilst taking a stroll on a nearby mountain


the inevitable marine fog rolling into our fair city by the bay on a late afternoon


night-time scene from a room with a view

travel food

a bento from the train station in kyoto suitable for lunch


cold noodles from a hotel restaurant in korea


chicken feet - pretty standard dimsum fare in hongkong

some more pics

breadcrumbs on a restaurant table after the dishes had been cleared


along a walk in one of the nearby woods


driving up from the southland, one can see the massive cloud of smoke from the frequent wildfires on the northwest coastal region of la - clouds that can sometimes smother the northward landscape for over a hundred miles


this is another small fire in a grove of tall trees that just started up not too long before this picture was taken