It has been a while since I have taken the time to gather my thoughts and post.  There has been much that has been swirling around my heart as the summer heat rises, and energy can be sapped.

There are times the world is overwhelming.  There is too much stimuli.  Not only too much, but it is often distorted through the lens of propaganda and misinformation.  The constant stream weighs heavily on my as I make my way.

It with all these emotions that we packed up the car and headed for the annual Slump Tennis beach BBQ party.  What is Slump?  That is a good question.  It is a casual group of friends that all play tennis together.  I, myself, don’t chase the fuzzy yellow ball, but my wife does.

Okitsu beach is on the southern end of series of beaches of Katsuura on the Chiba Peninsula.  It is a quiet town, that in it’s glory days was a small thriving fishing port.  Those days are long gone, but the fisherman’s boats and nets still trek out into the open Pacific Ocean.

Okitsu beach is a place for families.  There are nearly no groups of boys hoping to pick up some bikini clad girls.  None of that here.  Just lots of families gathered together for a day of fun in the sun.

We were lucky that the skies were a bit overcast which kept the mercury low.  The day before had seen a high of 35C (95F).  The sun poked out from time to time, but for the most part it was a lovely day with out searing our flesh.

It was great to let the cold salty waters wash over my overloaded heart and mind.  Just to get away from the city sprawl and reconnect with the beach of my youth.  I love to just wander around the old town, and walk up and down the small sandy stretch of beach.

The beach is littered with fragments of Japanese blue and white porcelain pottery.  No one has been able to tell me why there is always so much pottery to be found on this beach.  Do the fisherman just toss bowls into the waves when they are done with them?  Some of the pieces have had their sharp edges polished by the surf and the sand.

I was thankful to be away from it all.  To be able to relax with some friends, have some good food, play a little beach baseball, and to wander with my camera.

When the times are as turbulent as they are these days the first tragedy is the truth, we need the time to reconnect and sort though and discard the unneeded.  The day at Oktisu Beach helped to put it all back into proper perspective.

I was honored by my wife with a semi-surprise birthday trip down to Okinawa Island.  It was only for one night, but we moved all over the island catching the sights and soaking in the sweat breaking heat.

The island is amazing.  It is a mix of what I love about Miami, Jamaica and Hawaii.  Its skies are endless stretching from horizon to horizon like south Florida.  There are hills and jungles like Hawaii.  The modern Okinawan buildings are like those found in Jamaica and the Florida Keys.

There is a harmony the way the sky, land and sea all interact.  Anywhere you go the land meets the sky.  The sea is never far away.  I was often speechless when gazing out into Okinawa’s sea.

The last time I was in Okinawa I barely had the chance to see the sights.  This time we drove all over the island that I have a better concept of what is Okinawa.

I took so many pictures I was having a had time trying to select which images to publish.  This first series is on the land sea and sky. I have a deep rooted connection to the sea. I have always lived near a body of water. Looking out onto the water has always soothed my spirt. I let the waves drift me off to another place.

I felt completely at home in Okinawa. It reminded me of my past, I thought about my future, but most importantly I was able to live in the present.

More pictures soon come.

While combing the beach in Okitsu for broken bits of celadon and bits of pottery with blue glazes I came across a rather odd little circular object.  When I first spied it the disk in the sand I thought it was a washer from one of the fishing boats that dock on both ends of the beach.

I reached over and picked it up, to next think that I had found a modern 5 yen coin that someone had dropped in the water and had tarnished.  Part of the disk was missing, and the hole in the middle was square.  I thought that was a bit odd because modern five yen coins have a round hole, and have the look more off brass rather than copper.

I showed it to some of my mates back at are BBQ area and they said I had found a bit of Japanese treasure.  After doing a little digging around on the internet, I can determine that the coin is at least pre-Meiji era (1868).  it is most likely from Edo era (1603-1868).

I have beach combed in Florida for years always dreaming of finding a little piece of pirate booty, only to travel halfway around the world to find a piece of Japanese treasure.

Three out of the last four years I have made a pilgrimage to gaze out onto the pacific ocean from rural Okitsu Beach in Chiba.  It is not the most beautiful beach.  It is not the sandiest.  It does have its own quiet charm.

Having grown up in Florida I was surrounded by water, but I never fully appreciated how important the ocean was in my life.  I was always near the water, but I never enjoyed the surf and sand.  Now, having been so far from the land of my birth I truly know that part of my soul is made up of sand and salty water.

This time was rather interesting day.  We arrived about 9 in the morning after a 2 hour drive from Tokyo.  The sun was hot and blazing when I took a little walk as there was time before other friends arrived.  This sleepy little port has a safe harbor that lets out into the ocean.  About 10 minutes into the walk the shoreline was engulfed in fog.  I had never seen fog in Japan before, and I was instantly transported back to my days on the California coast when there were more days with fog than without.

I climbed up a set of stone steps to a small fisherman shinto shrine and couldn’t make out the shore across the small stretch of water.  This is when something caught my eye.  At first glance I thought it was a small dog out in the morning air, but it didn’t move like a dog.  In fact when it turned to scamper up the side of the hill I realized that it was a fawn with a small bushy white tail.  We had out moment together on the hillside overlooking Okitsu beach.

The ocean calms my spirit.  Just to be able to lookout over the rippling waves allows for my heart to be cleansed.  Even with the petrol gurgling of the jet skis I was able to let go of much of the worries that would come back to haunt me that evening.

Even more cleansing than just sitting on the concrete steps gazing out to the horizon, was to be able to submerse myself in the salt water.  The small lapping waves of the sandy section of the beach and the cold under currents of the pacific refreshed my soul as much as it did my sun soaked flesh.

The beach isn’t very long and can be walked at my island pace in matter of 20 or 30 minutes.  My eyes peeled to the heavy grains of sand searching for bits of broken ceramics.  I am still not really sure why there are so many pieces of pottery on this beach but from their smooth edges they have been tumbling in the water for quite some time.  I even found what I first took to be a five yen coin.  On closer inspection it was a bit of Japanese copper treasure.  Most of the writing has been washed away, but just guessing that the coin is probably from the Edo Period ( 19th century).

I felt so cleansed by the time we left the beach.  My soul was floating my body fatigued from being out in the sun, even though we were mainly under clouds and fog.  Then I heard about the Trayvon Zimmerman case.  I wasn’t actually surprised, but I was disheartened by some people calling for violence because of the verdict.  On the other side Zimmerman was being idolized as a hero for killing an African teenaged American.

I started to spiral.  Negative thoughts were entering into a space that I had just cleansed.  I wonder why so many choose hate over love.  Why are Americans so predisposed to accepting violence as a problem solving escapes my grasp.  The feelings were growing I realized that it wasn’t only Zimmerman being found not guilty that was troubling.  It was how Americans as a people are coming to a point were we cannot relate of empathize with each other.  It is like waling backwards into the 1950s all over again.

There is so much trouble in the world, and I did let those troubled spirits into my soul.  It is a constant battle to keep on the positive.  To let go of the hate, the guilt, the pettiness that overwhelms so many of us.  I am thankful that the most high has given me a way of dealing with my introspection.  I am so thankful that I can express myself though the visual arts, and I challenge myself to put my heart out there for others.  If anyone can relate to what I am struggling with, then I know the act of being introspective is proper.

I am thankful to all my friends and family who take the time to reach out to me.  I appreciate the exchange of warmth and ideas.  Even though we may feel alone I know that none of us truly are.

Listen to the sound of the sea.  Let the salty air and water cleanse you.  Make the time to be reflective, and together we can overpower the hate with love.

The mood has been set.  The last images have been burned into the mind the the power of celluloid story weaving.  Sprockets pull the images into a flickering pace as the melodies ring fantastic.  The time tripping has begun.

Sandy beaches ran through my mental fingers that called out to distant shores. It originates from where we all came from.  There is no denying the time trip fantasia spectacular has snatched me up and taken me for a magic futon ride.

Smooth oceans rocked me a lullaby in off beat steady timing.  My thoughts synched with the rhythms as there is no jet lag on this journey.  Here in my room, my roots shoot up from my unconscious soul and look back at me though the grains of sand washed up on the beach.

The time tripping journey has only just begun.  Drawn though the magnetospheres of space and time leaving only traces visual DNA on my heart.

Let it ride…

There should always be time set aside everyday to be thankful for all that we have.  A quiet time to reflect on the day and to give thanks for being given the opportunity to explore the Creators universe.

I stood on the windswept sands of Miami South Beach I couldn’t help but think that these same waves came all the way from Africa.  Moreover, the waves could have passed though the Rock of Gibraltar in the Mediterranean on the way from the edge of Israel.  Just a five minute walk from the craziness of spring break revealers I found the beach deserted and I could be alone in my meditations.

I turned around to view the sun setting behind the art deco hotels on Collins Avenue.  An amazing display of G-d’s wonder was on display in the sky.  The light danced as the thin clouds streaked across fields of blue.

I am thankful for all the the Most High, Abba, has done for me.

Take the time to be thankful.  Thank all that service you.  Remember to thank the Creator for letting us to continue to explore this universe.

We were up at 5 am.  That is what you have to do here in Japan if you want to go to the beach and avoid the killer traffic.  It wasn’t that bad because at least I knew I would be able to soak up the salt and sun for a whole day.

Being from Miami, Florida I really have yet to see any beach in Japan that really can compare to back home.  The beaches here are a bit like that in Northern Cali.  The sand party are small.  The rocks and hills lead directly into the water.  The water’s temperature is on the cold side for me.  I had to get pretty heated up by the blasting sun in order to take a cool plunge into the Pacific.

It was amazing watching the colors of both the sky and the sea change all day long.  It all depended on the clouds and the tide.  At times the hue was the bluest blue I had seen since Florida.  Other times it was dull green.

I just wanted to be by the seaside.  The sun singed my Teva sandaled feet.  The salty air whipped through our little tarp.  I just wanted to be by the pounding surf that rolled in with high tide.  It is another pace for life.  The ebb and flow of the water.  The fisherman going out into the cold water in search of golden fish.

Just being me by the sea.  It doesn’t really matter that most of the beach has been covered in concrete.  I can imagine a time when it wasn’t.  The shore side may have changed but the ocean is true to who it always has been.

I was fortunate to head out of Tokyo for the day.  We ventured out into the wild countryside of Chiba prefecture.  Chiba sits just next to Tokyo and is peninsula shaped like a dog.  On one side of Chiba is Tokyo bay and the other is the Pacific Ocean.

In the summer time Chiba is one of the close getaways spots to hit the beach and enjoy the surf, sun and sand.  This year I suspect it was bit lacking.  We made it all the way to the bottom of Tateyama Beach to be greeted by no one.  Well there were a hand full of people down on the beach, but nothing like it should have been. The beach should have been swarmed with young people oiled up and playing beach volleyball.  Instead the four volleyball courts stood silently. The beach shops stood completely empty as the owner’s gaze just looked out over the deserted beach.

My friend and I suspect that peoples fear of radiation have kept people from wading out into the water.  Even though the news does not really cover the radiation story, I guess people are worried.  The government says it is safe, but this empty beach says otherwise.

I sincerely hope that the situation improves soon.  I pray for the ground to rest.  I pray that there should be a return to the way things were, but we can never go back.  We must go forward and deal with the situation best as we can.

This was the summer that never happened.

I have been back in Tokyo for a few days.  The earth is alive and in a constant state of flux.  My heart drifts back to sitting on the edge of the sand at Delray Beach.  The simple uncluttered view of my birth.

I finally finished the roll of half frame pictures from my Olympus Pen camera.  This time the Pen came with me to the beach is Okitsu, Chiba Japan.  The lovely little pics to warm up my love of analog.  All things considered this little camera, is a great companion.  We both had a great time at the beach.

The little town that was adjacent to the beach was full of all my favorite things.  Door that are falling off their hinges, window just waiting to be framed, and all and all buildings showing their age.  The town was small and full of surprises.  I only really got to see just a taste of the town.  I would love to go back and explore some more.

I was fortunate to head out of Tokyo on Sunday and out to the Pacific side of Chiba.  Beaches and little seaside villages line to coast, as sun bathers, surfers, and families head down to the cooling Pacific waters.  Luckily the day was a bit overcast which kept the overall temperatures down.

In typical Japanese fashion the beaches were not that clean, and were rather rocky.  The rockiness always reminds me of Japan’s twin on the other side of the Pacific, California.  Both have been battered by strong waves and the land has been shaped by even stronger earthquakes.

This first group represent the coast.  The point where the land melts into the sea.

More to come from the little seaside towns later.

My submission to to COLORS lab is up on the web now.  Stop by take a look and see some of the interpretations of the SEA.

Check out the Zushi Beach Japan Series on the COLORS LAB website.

I have always planted my roots near the ocean.  I have never strayed far from what the sea has to offer my soul.  Whether it was the Gulf of Mexico, The Atlantic Ocean, San Francisco Bay, or all the way to Tokyo Bay, the blue green has been there for me to look out into the water and see myself.  At times, the murky water looks back and asks me questions.  We as a global community are tied to the sea.  We cannot escape these bonds.  We must nurture them so that the sea will be there for us.  I need the waters in my life to meditate, to align my compass in the proper direction. This is what Bahia Honda is for me.  The source I return to when I am lost.

I have traveled down there from Miami many times alone and other times with my wife, brother, and father.  There is something about the journey to the ocean’s edge driving down that long two-lane highway US 1 a mere 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Key West, Florida. Bahia Honda sits on the melding of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. These two masses of water create the gravitational spot of Bahia Honda State Park.  Most people just zip right on past it with their cars.  Few ever make that turn off on South US1 and into the tiny meditative locale.

Bahia Honda is an intersection where iron, concrete, sand, and tropical waters all meld into the extraordinary.  It is a last refuge one can travel to before there is nothing but endless ripples of water.  The manmade will slow return to its elements and meld with the sea.  We need to care for our seas.  We need to mend them when they are crying out for pain.

To stand at the edge of the quickly dilapidating bridge and stare off into my dreams of nearly 20 years ago is to be a youthful again. The location bridges my past into my unseen future.  Looking back and into the future with the eyes of my youthful days when the days were as infinite as the horizon.

My Analog Bridge to my Dreams, 2009

Dad Reflecting out into the Ocean, Bahia Honda, 1992

Self Portrait with my Father at Bahia Honda, 1992

Vertical Bridge, Bahia Honda, 1992

Pointing Palm, Baha Honda, 2000

Jerry and Me, 2009

Hugging Palm, 2009

Two Palms, 2009

Edge of Forever, 2009

Big Blue Bahia, 2009

I was impressed as I drove on route 19 on the Big Island in Hawaii.  Driving past the ancient black lava beds I was struck by white graffiti that covered the the black lava on both sides of the highway.  With messages of love or Happy 60th Birthday Grandpa, I had to take a closer look to see how it was done.  The writers gathered white sun bleached coral and used that to contrast the black rocks.

While chilling at the locals beach Isaac Hale Beach Park, I found some white coral and left a little homage to those messages along route 19.

My heart will drift in and out with the waves…

I think this is the reason for the slow uploading of images.

Every time I look at my images, I get homesick for a land that quickly became home.