Photography
I have always worked with Canon equipment. I have been very pleased with the quality that Canon produces. I have also been fortunate to be able to purchase some professional bodies and lenses.
My current equipment includes the following.
- EOS R5 Mirror-less body
- EOS 1D Mark III
- iPhone 14 Pro
The last of these six pictures is a shot taken at the top of the hill in Sengenyama Park, the closest park to our house. So cool to get a great workout and then finish at that display! The other pictures were taken at the Tamacho Cemetery. The Japanese sure know how to make their cemeteries look good!
If you have looked at many of my pictures, you may have noticed that I rarely put the subject right in the middle of the picture. Generally speaking, our eyes prefer to see the subject just to the left or to the right of center. More specifically, if we divide the photo into thirds, the eye wants to see the subject on one of those lines that divides the photo in thirds.
In addition, many photos are more interesting when taken from an angle rather than being taken from a position standing directly in front of the object or person.
I always appreciate feedback, so please let me know what you think!
PERSISTENCE PAYS!
These were all taken at the Kyodo Museum and Park. The Museum is gorgeous! Waterfalls and streams and lots of greenery. It does not get much better than that!
What can get better is my photography! What you do not see are all the bad photos! I rode my bike and transported my professional gear. However, I did not bring my tripod as that would have been too much. I did not do a very good job of getting the water shots in focus, so most of the shots taken with the pro gear did not turn out well. However, fortunately, the first and eighth shots are the exception. I did do quite a bit of editing on both those shots. With that in mind, I think those two turned out very well.
All the other shots were taken with my iPhone 14 Pro. What a camera that phone has!
I wanted to take some Lilly shots but my 100-400 lens did not have enough focal length to bring the Lilly up to a decent size. Next time, I am going to take my EOS R5 mirror-less camera and the 800 lens. I should then have plenty of lens focal length and power!
GOOD FORTUNE, GOOD EXERCISE, GOOD SERVICE!
Let's start with the good fortune! A very nice friend
recommended that I go to the Nogawa Park Nature Observation Garden. When
I told her I would probably go next week, she said that the flowers may
be out of bloom by then. I am very glad that I went today! Thanks so
much to my friend!
All three pictures are from that Garden. Believe it or not, I took 2000+ pictures in 3.5 hours! I was a busy boy! The bird pictured is a Kingfisher. That is definitely my good luck bird! Here is the story. My previous trip to Japan was in 2007. I had the opportunity to do some bird photography close to the same spot as I went to today. Lo and behold, back 16 years ago, there was a Kingfisher that was the star of the photography party. The area was full of those big long lenses! Unfortunately, the shots I took were not that good. I guess I must be doing something right as I really nailed the photo this time around!
Now let's talk about another of my favorite topics, that of exercise! My three favorite machines include the back extension machine, the leg raise machine, and the leg press machine. We now have the first two machines, but the third is expensive and too big for our house. I recently discovered the "sissy squat" machines! These machines are definitely not for those with a fear of a good leg workout! I purchased an inexpensive version of this machine. The link is below. Make sure you check out the inspiring video. If only I could have muscles like those!
And now let's talk about good service! For those who think that good manners and good deeds are a thing of the past, think again. I have included below the link for this wonderful piece of inspiration! Some very thoughtful genius came up with the clever idea of starting a cafe that uses workers who are struggling with dementia. The cafe also employs support workers. My favorite line in the article? "At Japan's dementia cafes, forgotten orders are all part of the service." Just how cool is that? Now if I could just get going with learning the Japanese language, I could volunteer for them. Happiness personified!
All the best to you and your families,
Bob
https://staminaproducts.com/product/stamina-x-4-in-1-strength-training-system-2/
https://news.yahoo.com/japans-dementia-cafes-forgotten-orders-205546836.html
THE AMAZING SHIFTCAM PROGRIP!
These were all taken at an absolutely beautiful garden we visited in Yokohama. It was a bit dark and I was hand-holding my camera with my chest harness. As a result, a lot of the pictures were quite blurry. But, as I have said to many people, bird photography is partly a numbers game. Take enough pictures and you are bound to get some good ones!
I recorded "A Time For Us" on my Yamaha P-515. Many people know that song as the love theme from "Romeo and Juliet." Another classic song recorded by Andy Williams!
I wanted to share with you some information on a new tool I just purchased, the ShiftCam ProGrip. Here is the link to the web site: https://shiftcam.com/products/progrip-starter-kit-bfcm23
I discovered this wonderful accessory after coming back from our trip to Yokohama. With the exception of the bird photography, all of the photos from that trip were taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. As I was doing all that photography, it occurred to me how easy it would be to accidentally drop that expensive phone while photographing! These phones are definitely not designed for the kind of secure hand-holding we get with traditional cameras.
I found this product on the Apple web site. Given the trust that I have for Apple products, I thought it would be a good investment. The reviews I found were very positive. While it is pretty expensive, I think it is worth every penny for those of us who are using our phones consistently for photography!
Here are the key components.
- It has a clamp system that can securely hold any phone.
- It can be easily rotated from landscape to portrait mode.
- The ProGrip can be put on a desk in a self-standing position. This is great for viewing purposes.
- This mechanism has Bluetooth that is easy to set up. A person can then use the ProGrip shutter button to take pictures.
- This tool is able to wirelessly charge the phone while it is connected with Bluetooth.
- This tool can be charged with a USB "C" cable.
- The tool has a hand-strap that can be adjusted for length. Using the hand-strap and the grip provide for a very secure and firm holding position for taking pictures.
- The grip enables a person to easily avoid having any fingers in front of the lens.
In
short, I think this is a fabulous tool that will make it easier to take
photos with any phone while also providing improved protection. It is
equipment like this that is pushing me to take more and more photos with
a phone rather than with a regular camera.
The joys of modern technology!
Happy Holidays!
BobLET THE RACE BEGIN!
Happy Holidays!
I made this recording of "The Impossible Dream"
back in 2011. That song has always been one of my favorites as it
beautifully captures my life philosophy. In addition, I sang that song
at my dad's funeral service. I miss you dad!
A big thank-you to Tai, one of our wonderful employees at the American School. He warned us about some road closures due to an upcoming bicycle race. I had heard about that race but did not know any of the details. Thanks to the heads-up from Tai, I photographed the race and had a great time!
I am so fortunate as the race passed within a mile or so of our house. How convenient! The first two pictures of the tandem racers were taken with my professional gear and the rest were taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I still cannot believe the capabilities of that iPhone camera!
Speaking of not believing, it was incredible to me that as best as I could tell, the course set-up work was all done the morning of the race. That is an incredible amount of work to be done in such a short period of time!
As seems to be a Japanese tradition, there were hordes of workers monitoring the race course. Heaven help anyone who got on that course!
As a serious cyclist, it was so inspiring for me to see these expert riders in action. In particular, the tandem riders were competing in the "Para" event, an event for those with a visual impairment. How cool is that! What an exciting but scary thrill it must be to ride 20-40 miles per hour with little or no eye sight! I guess you hope the rider in front is really paying attention!
I can hardly wait for my next ride!
All the best,
Bob ReedA CELEBRATION OF HUMANITY AND LIFE!
Happy Holidays!
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season! I made the recording of "With You I'm Born Again" back in 2011 on the grand piano we had in Oregon. What a beautiful song!
I finally got my first group of nice pictures of Mt. Fuji! What a thrill! My friend Stuart and I did a wonderful hike to the top of Mt. Takao. I will never forget when we came through the trees and walked out into the observation area and were presented with this memorable view. What a treat!
While I have had some nice views of Mt. Fuji, this was the first time I had my professional equipment. Nothing like that zoom telephoto lens! I am definitely convinced that I can get better photos with that professional gear. I also just purchased a lightweight tripod for hiking. Using that helped me get the clarity in these photos.
Inspiration is a big part of my life! It is interesting to me how that inspiration shows up. I remember when I was thinking about doing my last blog update. I was tired and really not in the mood to work. However, I then thought about how I had promised a friend that I would get the cycling photos on the blog as soon as possible. That thought then inspired me to get the job done. In the process, I totally forgot about how tired I was. Thank you to all of you for inspiring me!
Marcel Schwantes
makes this point in a different way in the article, "The Ultimate
Measure of Success Comes Down to a Few Simple Words." The web site
address for the article is below.
What are those words?
"Your success depends on the cycle of caring. When you practice care, kindness, and generosity throughout life, it comes back to you ten-fold."
I love those words! One of the commitments I made when moving to Japan was to put more time and energy into developing and maintaining friendships. I realize now that due to how busy I was, that was not a priority for me when I lived in Oregon. With that said, I do feel like I have always done my best to be a caring and kind human being. Ongoing work in progress!
All the best to you and your family and friends,
Bob Reed
I made this recording of Let It Be on my Yamaha P-515. Now if I could only more consistently follow that advice!
This was the trip of many firsts!
- This
was my first major attempt to focus on Mt. Fuji. What a gorgeous sight
it is! I went to the 5 Lakes area and spent 4 days photographing Mt.
Fuji. 1500 photos!
- I cannot ever remember missing a bus for a major trip! I went to the bus stop an hour early. The sign said that the bus stop was "across the street." Given that I was standing "across the street," I thought I was in the right place. However, upon further investigation, what the sign neglected to say was that the bus stop was the other side of the overpass and up the stairs! By then the bus was long gone! Fortunately, Setsuko was able to get me on a later bus.
- This was my first major Japan trip by myself. Quite the adventure when it came to ordering food!
- This was my first major photography trip with a bicycle as transportation. Except for the fact that this mountain bike rental desperately needed a tune-up, the cycling all went well!
- This was my first photo/hiking trip on which I suffered a pretty tough injury. I was almost at the end of a rugged hike on the second day. I was not paying close enough attention and I slipped on a strip of slippery mud. I was wearing running shoes, which did not help. I fell backwards and landed on my photo backpack and my bike helmet. I felt a sharp pain and immediately thought I had ruptured a disk. Alas, it was a bad muscle bruise. I was stiff and sore for the rest of the trip, but still managed to do the photography I wanted to do.
- This was my first time getting kicked off a bus! When I tried to get on the bus to go home, the driver asked for my seat number. Given that my ticket was written in Japanese, I had no idea. The driver then told me to get off the bus! I tried to show him my electronic ticket, but he was adamant! Fortunately, after I left the bus, I found a worker who found my seat number. Homeward bound!
- This was the first time a hotel worker asked to
take my picture. I stayed at the Hotel Camelot, an older place with a
first floor devoted to music rooms and studios. The customer service was
out of this world! As I was getting ready to leave, the hotel front
desk worker asked if they could take my picture. Three staff members and
the owner then joined in for the picture. Very touching!
Happy New Year to all!
BobHappy Spring!
Sorry to be out of touch! It has been a busy spring! Several people have asked me to record my singing. Here we go! Although I certainly am no pro, I have really enjoyed working on my guitar and singing skills. More to come!
The cherry season has come and gone in our area. However, the good news is that I was able to capture some of the incredible beauty of the cherry blossoms. What a treat!
The top photo was taken at Rikugien Garden, a gorgeous garden in the Tokyo area.
The second photo from the top was taken from the entrance to the American School, the school where I work.
The third and fourth photos from the top were taken in the Tama Cemetery. I have the good fortune of walking through that cemetery on my way to work. A real joy!
The three photos at the bottom were taken at the Jindai Botanical Garden, one of my favorite gardens close to our house.
I hope you enjoy the music and the photos.
All the best,
BobI hope you have been having a nice holiday season!
To celebrate a wonderful year in Japan, I am going to do a five part series on this blog. The five parts will include the following:
- Information about our most recent trip.
- Photo focus: animals.
- A summary of the reading I have been doing.
- Photo focus: landscapes.
- An update on my job and my plans for the future.
- Photo focus: Water and sunrises and sunsets.
- My current perspective on climate change and the environment.
- Photo focus: Osaka Castle.
- A summary of the personal development areas that are my current priorities.
- Photo focus: Hikone Castle.
All of the photos for this five part series were taken during our recent trip to Lake Biwako.
It is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, with a circumference of 146 miles.
It is a beautiful lake that offers many interesting sightseeing places. Highlights for us included Hikone Castle, the Prince Hotel in Otsu, the Osaka Castle, Ishiyama-dera Temple, and Nara.
All of the animal pictures were taken with my professional Canon gear. The evening pictures and some others were taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I took close to 4000 pictures in 5 days!
It is not very often that a trip will include all of the different types of photography I enjoy: animals and birds, gardens and landscapes, mountains, sunrises and sunsets, and water. This trip truly had it all!
The first two nights we stayed at the beautiful Otsu Hotel right on Lake Biwako.
The next two nights we stayed at the Hilton Doubletree in Osaka.
The last night we stayed at the Nara Hotel.
I did not realize that Japan is home to two of the largest cities in the world.
- According to Wikipedia, Tokyo is at the top of the list with a population of 37,468,000.
- Osaka is number 10 with a population of 19,281,000.
- Portland, Oregon: 652,503.
- Otsu, Japan: 344,00.
- Eugene, Oregon: 176,654.
- Springfield, Oregon: 61,851.
I do miss the lower population density of Lane County!
Again, Wikipedia lists the following populations for these countries.
- China: 1.4 billion
- India: 1.4 billion
- US: 340 million plus
- Japan: 124 million
All the best,
Bob
This is part three of the five part series. The first part was published on 12/27/28 and part two was published earlier today.
I am fascinated with water! As a photographer, there are so many possibilities when working with water and light and reflections and different objects and shapes. With the exception of the top Osaka Castle photo, the others were all taken at sunrise on Lake Biwako. It was gorgeous!
I recently spent some time estimating how many years of full-time work I have done. My estimate is very rough as there were years when I worked part-time and/or went to school. Ball park estimate? 40 years! I guess I have earned the right to semi-retire, at least when it comes to full-time work!
I have really enjoyed my special education and teaching work. That has included 14 years at North Eugene High School, 1 year at the American School in Japan, and 1 year at the Tokyo International Progressive School. Prior to that, I worked at least part-time as a tennis teacher and coach and administrator and trainer.
Here is a list of most of the other jobs I have had!
- Washing dishes in Alaska and Hartford, Connecticut
- Construction work in Alaska
- Day care work in Alaska
- Restaurant work as a waiter in Alaska
- Lifeguard and swim instructor: Alaska
- New Games specialist: Alaska
- Played piano for a day care center: Alaska
- Teaching skiing in Alaska
- Recreation program director: Alaska
- Newspaper delivery: Alaska and Washington
- Waiting tables at Bob's Big Boy in Washington and Alaska
- Teaching/coaching tennis in Tacoma, Seattle, Anchorage, Olympia, Portland, Eugene, Junction City, Springfield, Creswell, Cottage Grove, Fuchu-Japan
- Directed the Wizard of Oz for homeschoolers: Washington
- Mowing lawns in Washington
- Publicity director: athletic department: The Evergreen State College, Washington
- Basketball and soccer and flag football official: Washington and Oregon
- College resident director: Lewis and Clark College, Oregon
- Personal trainer and fitness specialist: Oregon
The bottom line? Like many who get to my stage in life, I am ready to pursue other pursuits. I promised Setsuko that this would be my last regular consistent year of working. My plan is to be a substitute teacher at the American School, which is just a mile from our house. I am also planning to really go to work on learning Japanese. In addition, I would like to do the 120 hour TEFL certification class so I can teach English as a second language to people here in Japan.
I am very much looking forward to returning to my climate change work as I really miss working in that realm. I will continue to cycle or run or walk every day and will continue to do my stretching and strength training exercises. Exercise keeps me sane! I will keep doing my photography so I can share gorgeous Japan sites with you!
Osaka Castle is one of those places that looks good morning and night and in any kind of weather. It is just a very scenic building with great surroundings!
I feel badly that due to the demands of my current teaching job, I have not been able to devote much time and effort to climate change work. I am looking forward to getting back to that work this coming summer!
Below is a summary of some of the information I have found about where we are at this point with climate change.
On the United Nations news web site listed below, the following five issues are highlighted
https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158446
1) Keeping the average global temperature within 1.5 degrees of pre-industrial levels.
According to this article from the Japan Times, (https://www.japantimes.co.jp/environment/2024/11/12/climate-change/global-warming-already-15c/), we may be failing that goal even now.
"A newly proposed method for calculating the global temperature suggests that countries may have already failed their main climate goal: to limit warming to below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Scientists using the method say the world was 1.49 C hotter than in pre-industrial times by the end of 2023. Conventional accounting puts that number at around 1.3 C."
2) Protecting Nature. (From the UN website cited above)
"Holding COP30 in the Amazonian rainforest region of Brazil is of symbolic importance. It harks back to the early days of international attempts to protect the environment: the pivotal “Earth Summit”, which led to the establishment of three environmental treaties on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, took place in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in 1992."
"The location also highlights the role that nature has to play in the climate crisis. The rainforest is a massive “carbon sink”, a system that sucks up and stores CO2, a greenhouse gas, and prevents it from entering the atmosphere, where it contributes to warming."
"Unfortunately, rainforests and other “nature-based solutions” face threats from human development, such as illegal logging which has devastated huge swathes of the region. The UN will continue efforts begun in 2024 to improve the protection of the rainforest and other ecosystems, at biodiversity talks due to be resumed in Rome in February."
3) Who Is Going To Pay For All This? (From the UN website cited above)
"Finance has long been a thorny issue in international climate negotiations. Developing countries argue that wealthy nations should contribute far more towards projects and initiatives that will enable them to move away from fossil fuels, and power their economies on clean energy sources. The pushback from the rich countries is that fast-growing economies such as China, which is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, should also pay their share."
"At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, a breakthrough of sorts was made, with the adoption of an agreement to triple the amount of climate finance paid to developing countries, to $300 billion per year, by 2035. The deal is a definite step forward, but the final sum is far less than the $1.3 trillion that climate experts say these countries need in order to adapt to the crisis."
"Expect more progress to be made on financing in 2025, at a summit in Spain at the end of June. The Financing for Development conferences only take place once every 10 years, and next year’s edition is being billed as an opportunity to make radical changes to the international financial architecture. Environmental and climate concerns will be raised, and potential solutions such as green taxation, carbon pricing and subsidies will all be on the table."
4) Laying Down The Law (From the UN website cited above)
"When the attention of the International Court of Justice turned to climate change in December, it was hailed as a landmark moment with regards to States’ legal obligations under international law."
"Vanuatu, a Pacific island state particularly vulnerable to the crisis, asked the court for an advisory position, in order to clarify the obligations of States with regard to climate change, and inform any future judicial proceedings."
"Over a two-week period, 96 countries and 11 regional organizations took part in public hearings before the Court, including Vanuatu and a group of other Pacific islands States, and major economies including China and the USA."
"The ICJ will deliberate for several months before delivering its advisory opinion on the subject. Although this opinion will be non-binding, it is expected to guide future international climate law."
5) Plastic Pollution (From the UN website cited above)
"UN-convened talks on getting to grips with the global epidemic of plastic pollution edged closer to a deal during negotiations in Busan, South Korea."
"Some key advances were made during the November 2024 talks – the fifth round of negotiations following the 2022 UN Environment Assembly resolution calling for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment."
"Agreement on three pivotal areas needs to be ironed: plastic products, including the issue of chemicals; sustainable production and consumption; and financing."
"Member States are now charged with finding political solutions to their differences before the resumed session begins, and with landing a final deal that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics and delivers on the growing global momentum to end plastic pollution."
“It is clear that the world still wants and demands an end to plastic pollution,” said UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen. “We need to ensure we craft an instrument that hits the problem hard instead of punching below its potential weight. I call on all Member States to lean in.”
The following report gives these figures for the sources of global emissions in 2023.
file:///Users/rrr/Downloads/EGR2024.pdf
- Energy
- 26%: power
- 15%: transportation
- 11%: road
- 2%: aviation
- 2%: other
- 11%: industry
- 10%: fuel production
- 6%: buildings
- Process
- 9%: industrial processes
- Agriculture and Forestry and Other Land Use
- 11%: agriculture
- 7%: forestry and land use
- Waste and Other
- 5%: waste
I wish that I had some easy answers, but I do not. The best I can do is to read as much as I can, research the different issues and opinions, collaborate with others, and then do my part to contribute to meaningful solutions. In addition, I believe that the following steps are ones that I can take to reduce my carbon footprint.
- Use my bike.
- Walk and use public transportation.
- Minimize and/or eliminate my use of airplane transportation.
- Shop locally.
- Eat lots of vegetables and fruits and minimize dairy and meat consumption.
- Dress warmly to reduce reliance on heating.
- Use a fan instead of air conditioning.
- Live a healthy lifestyle so I can continue to be productive.
I sincerely hope that with all of our efforts, we can turn this around so that our planet survives this crisis!
All the best,
Bob
TRULY OUT OF THIS WORLD!
New approach!
I am now going to do my best to include Japanese translations for all of our Japanese-speaking guests who do not speak English. I hope those translations work well!
I do not think my command of the English language is sufficient to describe the resplendence of the shrines and temples at Tosho-gu in Nikko.
There were so many times when no matter what direction I turned, there was a scene of exquisite beauty.
I just cannot imagine the hours and days and months and dedication it took to construct object after object of such immense aesthetic quality!
We left our home early Friday morning and were home by 4:15 on Saturday. It was a day of unbelievable photography!
We stayed at the Nikko Kanaya Hotel, which is amazing in and of itself. Their list of prior guests include Frank Lloyd Wright and Albert Einstein. I guess we traveled in good company!
In future posts, I will include additional photos and details from that trip. Believe it or not, there were other scenes that were equally gorgeous!
As
always, a huge round of applause for the greatest tour director in
Japan. I do not think Setsuko could have done a better job of putting
this trip together. She even managed to arrange for picture-perfect
weather! Wow, what a woman!
All the best and have a great spring season!
Bob Reed
A PAIN IN THE NECK!
Please see the Japanese translation below!
The lake pictures are from Lake Chuzenji, very close to Nikko. The stream pictures are from Kawagoe, a very popular location to see the cherry blossoms. Very stunning at both locations! I never cease to be amazed at Japan's never-ending beauty!
On the opposite end of the spectrum has been a real pain in the neck! When I got back from our Oshima Island trip two months ago, I noticed that it was painful to turn to my left while riding my bike. I also noticed that some of the day to day neck movements were strained and a bit painful.
I assumed that this would go away in a short period of time. Not only did the discomfort not go away, but I started to have some tingling in my left hand and soreness running down my left arm. A sure sign of a pinched nerve. Darn!
I finally went to a local physical therapist recommended by a friend. That person did some electro-therapy and manual massage. While the treatment felt great immediately after, that did not last and the pain returned. Jeff Giulietti to the rescue! Jeff said that the neck condition was probably caused by all the cycling we did on the Oshima trip. Although my neck felt fine during that trip, Jeff said the damage was done!
Jeff is the owner of Eugene Physical Therapy and was my physical therapist for thirty years. Jeff agreed to work with me by Zoom and email. After a thorough assessment, he gave me a series of exercises that have been very effective. The worst part was that Jeff said no cycling for three weeks!
What is a 40-45 minute bike ride each way to and from work turned into a series of train rides that took a total of two hours each way! The good news is that I used that opportunity to do my neck exercises as well as other stretches and I got in 6 miles of walking each day. I am always looking for the positives!
I still have some minor symptoms, but my neck is much better and I have returned to cycling. Thank heavens for that!
I hope that spring is going well for you! I think we may have skipped spring here in Japan as we have been having summer like weather.
All the best to you and family and friends!
Bob Reed
A HEALTHY OPPORTUNITY!
Please see the Japanese translation below!
These are some of my favorite shots from a recent hike up Mt. Takao I did with my friend Stuart. Although we did not get the classic shot of Mt. Fuji due to the clouds, it was still gorgeous and so scenic!
My current teaching contract with the Tokyo International Progressive School ends this June. With strong encouragement from Setsuko, I have been keeping a close eye on the American School web site. That is where I worked my first year in Japan. The school is just a 20 minute walk from our house.
As usual, persistence pays! After striking out many many times, I just caught that school's announcement asking for applications for a part-time Health/PE position. Although I am not licensed in that area, I feel like I am very qualified to teach those subjects. I threw my hat in the ring and will keep you posted!
It would be very exciting to teach Health and PE. Those have been such a big part of my life for so many years. As I pursue my goal of living to be 100 years old, I continue to learn about the ins and outs of the health field. I do my best to apply those lessons. I have a tremendous amount of respect for teachers who model their teachings and who practice what they preach. This would be a golden opportunity for me to apply that lesson.
If given this teaching opportunity, I would strongly consider referring to the wonderful book, Days of Grace, by the great tennis player Arthur Ashe. Ashe tragically died from AIDS, which he fell victim to due to a blood transfusion. Not only that, Ashe suffered from several heart attacks, a condition that he probably inherited from his parents. Despite these significant health challenges, Ashe lived an exemplary life up until his passing in 1993 at the age of 49. It must have been incredibly challenging for a world class athlete to be so vulnerable to such difficult physical demands. Ashe truly responded with grace!
I hope your spring is going well!
All the best,
Bob Reed
MT. FUJI GALORE!
Please see the Japanese translation below!
These pictures are from a trip Setsuko and I just did to Kawaguchiko, one of the best places to see and photograph Mt. Fuji. What a treat it was!
Another huge vote of thanks to Setsuko for making this fabulous trip happen. She could not have done any better!
We started by going to a very peaceful spot on Lake Kawaguchiko. I came prepared as I had all of my professional photo gear. As much as I prefer to take the train, I will admit it was handy to take the car this time as it made it easy to transport all of my gear.
That first spot was stunning as it gave us an excellent view of Mt. Fuji. A really good start to this amazing trip! We then headed to the Fuji Premium Resort, a wonderful resort with indoor and outdoor tennis courts and the best kept secret around!
I had some time so I took off to explore. My sixth sense said to go in a certain direction, as I was looking for views of Mt. Fuji. Sure enough, I soon saw a sign that said, "Mt. Fuji View Field"! A ten minute walk and I found what looked like the field. So, where is Mt. Fuji?
This predicament reminded me of a trip I did to the Grand Canyon a number of years ago. I first went to the more popular South Entrance and arrived before sunrise. The parking lot was huge! It was pitch black as I parked and started to search for one of the largest canyons in the world. It was nowhere to be found! I walked around that parking lot for fifteen minutes until I finally found the path to the canyon!
As I walked through the Mt. Fuji View Field, I looked every which direction I could, to no avail. I kept moving closer and closer to the housing building that was at the far end of the field. I then turned around and saw the most gorgeous view of this famous mountain. I was shaking in my shoes, it was so amazing!
I
guess the weather gods did not want to spoil us too much as it poured
and poured rain the next day. However, the third day, the brilliant sun
and clear blue sky were stunning! I photographed the same Field site at
sunrise and then we went to the famous Chureito Pagoda. It is a heart
pumping 400 steps to the Pagoda! That is the location of one of the most
iconic views of this famous mountain.
Not one to miss out on a challenge, I kept going and hiked up to an even more stunning view spot for Mt. Fuji. It was breath-taking!
And so the Mt. Fuji saga continues! I have a feeling my love affair with that mountain will continue for many years!
All the best,
Bob Reed
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