This Almost Never Happens...

Really, this almost never happens...

(I'm drunk...)

Tonight I ended up at our neighborhood summer festival. Total Karate Kid Two, yea! Taiko drums and disgruntled ninjas. Hot chicks in yukata and children catching cicada in small woven baskets.

And while my junior high school-aged child is hanging with his homies and throwing sidewise glances at the girlies, hubby and I imbibe (they sell beer everywhere in Japan), start talking and imbibe some more. We meet various elderly people who encourage our imbibe-y-ness. Pretty soon it's a party.

Here's Soda saying, Is that a beer?

Rewind.

Earlier today I found an old bucket made entirely of wood.

I found a witch's broom. But no witch.

And you know you're having a good day when you see this:
Weeee...look! Two men taking a weeee off the pier. There mothers must be proud.

Yo! And then came the science fiction. What the...!

And more!!

The child and the husband wandered to ocean to collect water.

Because we were in CSI mode. This summer's science project is testing various water sources. I've already learned my drinking water is slightly dangerous. WTF. Grissom is so going to get a phone call about this.

Because it's Too Hot to do Anything...

Yesterday was the first day in weeks that J didn't have school. Despite summer vacation having started a week ago, he's been going daily (Saturdays and Sundays included) for band practice. Once the kids get in junior high you just don't see them anymore.


Since he had the day off, though, we decided to go to our special little river spot to cool off. It runs through a valley of green and tea fields.

We took the pup. This heat has been kicking his ass. He was dragging so bad the other day, he couldn't even muster the strength to bite the water that shot from the hose as I watered the flowers.

Here he is thanking J with a nose kiss.

He made some funny faces.

Is THAT a fish?

J loved his swimming eyes. The last several years he's never really gotten into the swimming thing. This time he dog paddled like a pro.

And here he is being a goof.

The thing we like best is when we pick him up and he continues to dog paddle.

His little feet just keep going.

After a couple hours Cha began to freak out. Is that thunder? Sure enough some dark clouds swept in from over the mountain. We decided to pack up and call it a day.

Thank goodness because half way down the road and the skies opened up.

And today everyone is sunburned and content.