here, there, everywhere

... is a bit more desolate than usual, but still gorgeous: photos are from yesterdays climb to the top, with two of my students - neither of whom had visited Kanuki before! 

There fewer cats and people along the way; I suspect the cats waited in warmer areas till they were certain any visitors had food with them. We didn't, so they left us alone. 

Now that Sari and Kate have headed back to the States, we are settling back into our normal routine, though our weekends have now taken on a faintly urgent pitch - with only two and a half months left, there's suddenly so much to see that we've lazily neglected for our entire time here. Even though the cold outside makes me want to spend all my free time inside knitting in front of our kerosene heater, I'm all too aware that time slips by all too fast here, and so we are definitely trying to get out and explore as much as much as possible before it's time to pack up.

(er, which looked like this, two weeks ago, when the sakura were in bloom). 

At the top, we found a completely empty meadow of trees with a few remaining cherry blossom trees and panoramic views of Numazu. 

Also on top, we found a (slightly more crowded) observation deck (you can see the spires in the second photo above), which offered unobscured views of Senbon beach.

And also views of Mt. Fuji  - or at least, views of the clouds obscuring Mt. Fuji. There's a helpful sculpture that lets you get your bearings, though.

Or, if you're Iain, lets you live out a lifelong Godzilla fantasy. 

Speaking of funny pictures, have you ever seen a dog exude so much shame? Seriously, he is mortified. 

On the way back down, Iain leapt over the fence and ran out onto one of the stone dams that bracket the river on the way going up. He swore the view was amazing, and so, even though there were massive and terrifying drops on either side (which you cannot really appreciate just by looking at this photo, unfortunately) and heights with guard-railings make me shaky and panicky, I ventured out to see what he was talking about. 

It was so worth it!

The hill ties with the beach for places I'm going to try and spend as much time as possible. I know I keep saying this, but I really, honestly cannot believe how lucky we are to live here - the more we find out about it, the luckier I feel.