The fog and mist enveloped just about everything at the abandoned stone quarry, Nokogiriyama.  The fog rolled over the mountain and just drenched all the surfaces.  The stone appeared to soak up the water until it couldn’t anymore then the rocks just shone.  They were glossy and covered with moss, lichens, water, and all sorts of things in between.

The little things all add up to the big picture.  They build and accent each other.  All harmonizing together to become what I experienced in the jungle at Nokogiyama, in the wilds of Chiba prefecture.

Today was a bit of a lovely day.  I didn’t get the chance to go out photographing today, but I did get out on my bicycle for a good hour.

A few more details from the Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden.

Hope you enjoy them.

We have all been there at some point in time.  We are faced with the choice to shine or to shy away.  I think we all want to shine, but sometimes our doubts get the best of us, and we shy away from the challenge.  We listen to the self doubt, rather than to have the confidence in our ability to shine in our gifts.

All the gifts we have been given, are from above; however, this will only get you so far.  You need, we need, to reach deep with in our soul to find the energies to push ourselves to the places that we want to be.  If we shy away, and ignore them, we will never be able to be satisfied with ourselves.

I can only get there though heavy soul searching and becoming introspective.  I have to look at where I have been to understand where I am now, and where I want to go.  I understand why many out there in the world, never take the time to know the soul that reflects to themselves in the mirror.  It is a difficult task. For many out there is easier to bury your head in the sand, and just ignore it all.  I, myself, can never do that.  The pain that I would feel from ignoring my place in the world, would be to much to bear; therefore, I have got to be who I am, and that journey is never finished.

The wind may blow and push us around, but we must be both flexible so as not to break, and strongly rooted in the earth, to now be blown away.

The choice is yours, to shine, or to shy.

Sometimes it is truly the simplest of things that change your mood.  On this particular day, the heat and humidity was high.  And generally my overall mood was one of frustration.  I come home, and check my Facebook and see my mate in Miami had posted up a Sekajipo and the Jungle track Hardtimes.  It just put things back into perspective.  Things are never as tough for me as they are for so many people out there.  I am thankful for the food I have, the family and friends that surround me.

It is time like this that I just want to dive into the colors that surround me.  I, through my lens, just want to swim with the colors.  Let them fill my fill up my vision until there is nothing I can see but colors.

purple

violet

aubergine

This thought crossed my mind today as I was taking some pictures of a tree with funky fresh red blossoms.  I was thinking to myself, I have never seen this flower before.  But, what I started to realize that it wasn’t that I hadn’t seen the flowers before, it is more that I never really took the time to explore, and see the flowers with all my senses.

This is the challenge for artists, and for me especially as a visual artist we are constantly learning to see again.  I just took nature for granted.  It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate nature, far from it, I love nature.  I love being out in nature.  It is more that I never took the opportunities that presented before me with my camera until I came to face the awesome power of the earth that contrasts with it’s diverse beauty.

I now see nature in my daily commute like I never have before.  The colors, the shapes, the varieties, the phases from bud to bloom, to shedding of the petals.  And now I am beginning to witness the flowers that are becoming the fruits of summer and fall.

I will continue to challenge myself through my art.  I must grow as an artist or what is the point.  I can never be truly satisfied.

Strive for that beauty out there in the world.  Let it envelope us in those kodachrome colors.

There are a bunch of weeds growing not to far from where I live.  They are seriously tall.  Some of them must tower over my own six foot frame.  They have these large thick leaves that remind me of tobacco plants.  The flowers are just beginning to open up on these thick lanky stalks.  They also seem to have been dusted in crystalized sugar.  They just sparkled in the sun.

Weeds are beautiful too.  They might aggravate my allergies, but they still are quite beautiful to look at as they grow higher and higher in the summer sun.

We don’t really get fog here in Tokyo, but the last couple of days here my head has been in a complete fog.  I caught a blasted cold that knocked me out of commission for the past 4 or 5 days.  But, I think, I can see the fog clearing ahead, and things will get more or less back to normal.

It’s gonna be a hot on this week.

Still feeling a bit out of sorts, the last week or so.  I can’t really shake it. I can put if off for a bit but then it comes back into my stream of thought when I really don’t want to be thinking about it.

I am in a state of thankfulness, despite the obstacles placed in my mind.  I am thankful for my camera to help me explore and express myself.  I would be utterly lost without my trusty companions.   They venture where ever I go.  They allow me to reach deep into my soul and express them in the world that manifests around my flesh.

More sunshine.  I am craving it.  The cool weather feels amazing on my skin, but the sun will come.  It will heat my aches, and brighten my field of vision.

This just in.  Some sunshine came to some friends with the birth of Coco Maxine Meister, born June 15th at 3:10pm.  I livicate this blog to her, and her family.

last night was a sleepless one.  I am not sure wether it is my sensitive stomach, and / or all the other thoughts that flood my mind when I try to lay my head.  I try to push that all out of my thought stream so that I can catch some much needed rest.

I was greeted with a misty rain that reminded me more of San Francisco more than Tokyo bay.  The cool mist refreshed my face in the presence of bad news stacked on top of bad news.  The mist refreshed me, and anointed me in the spirit.

By the time I traveled back home the sun had peeked out from behind the clouds.  It didn’t hang around for very long.  It quickly dived back behind the clouds, but the mist did not return.

I came across a small singular fruit.  To my novice eye it looks a lot like a raspberry, but I am not really sure.  It is another sign that the seasons are changing.  I was given some fresh picked kumquats which always begin to ripen at the beginning of the rainy season.  Those fresh flowers of spring are now bearing fruit.  Or at least the petals have fallen away to reveal little immature fruits.

Misty

Fruit

Sunshine

Thankful

The sun finally decided to make an appearance at about 4 in the afternoon.  It had rained earlier in the day, and it was mostly cloudy.  It was a good feeling to see the sun peek out a bit before it dunks behind the horizon.

Slowly the heat rises.  The air inside most buildings is quite stale as companies, schools, and stores cut back on their energy consumption.  This is a good thing; however, the stale air makes me feel a bit queasy.  I was thankful to get out into the fresh air today, when I came across these three white dwarfs.

Summer is creeping in quickly over the last two days.  The air is still pleasant, but i can feel the heat to come.

The flowers are beginning to change.  Long gone are the first blooms of spring.  As we move into the rainy season the hydrangeas are starting to awaken from their slumber.  They enjoy the rain, so much.  Even mine, on my patio, has opened its first couple of blooms.

Today as I was on my way back from the supermarket, I braked in front of a neighbor’s home.  There was this tall weed-like plant that was covered in large burgundy hued flowers.  Such a sweet color, just like a good bottle of wine should be.

Out with the old, and in with the colors of summer.

sip, sip, click, click.

ah.

This is just where I want to be.  It would be fresh to chill in my little urban garden and eat my fill of all the little bugs that get in the way of my gardener’s plants.

Today actually started off badly.  I forgot my camera.  I know, I know, it is just about unthinkable.  I hadn’t left my camera behind in more than a year.  I contemplated returning to my home to snatch it up, but that would have put me mad behind schedule on shabbat.  So I decided to just roll with it.

Once I got to where I was going, about 2 hours later, we were all reminded that the earth is a living and breathing organism, with a aftershock that made me jump out of my chair.  It hit rather hard and fast.

On my way home, I kept on pondering on what I was going to hook up for the shabbat dinner, and I settled on a mushroom quiche, and some mustard marinaded new potatoes.

I was a bit exhausted from my travels, so as the clouds rolled in I just sat in my little garden, with my kitties looking up at the sky.  That was when I noticed the ladybug.  I realized that they had all emerged from their cocoons and were crawling all over my grapefruit, pomegranite and lemon tree.  These guys, and gals are great.  They just much up all the aphids in the garden.  So I decided to grab my camera, and get shots of them.

Remember the Father’s little creatures too.  They are as important to our lives as any animal.

Have a beautiful and restful sabbath.

These little ones just sprouted up overnight.  It is amazing that these little ones are just passed by most.  I guess it is my challenge, and to keep my eye open to catch whatever I can.

Blooming Bottlebrush trees always reminds me of my youth growing up in Miami.  The blossoms would come out and a green tree suddenly becomes red.  That yellow pollen that are on the individual needle points would just get everywhere, but it didn’t matter we loved the ones that were at our houses, and on our streets.

Today I saw one on my way home.  I remember seeing it last year too.  I actually got too close to it last year trying to get a macro photograph that I got yellow pollen on my lens.  This year, I got close.  Not close enough to touch the pollen, but close enough to reveal a bit of the inner beauty of the Bottlebrush tree.

Such an unusual flower.  Nature is truly full of wonder.  I am amazed by the variety and the ability for nature to thrive.

These are just Jacob Schere’s Bottlebrush memories.

As the spring is slowly giving way to summer.  And along with the coming summer heat we are being treated to an early rainy season.  The rainy season to me is a lot like Miami weather.  It rains everyday for days on end.  At least the temperature stays a bit cooler.

As I was making my way to Mimomi station out in Chiba, I wandered upon a little frontside garden that had a few potted plants.  My eye quickly saw a bright red tiny strawberry.  The first fruits of summer.  Time to give pause and thanks for the fruits that are coming to fruition.

All the flowers on the trees and plants that I have been photographing are beginning to bear fruit.  Some of them will be edible like this deep red strawberry, seeds, of just giving way to the new ultra green leaves.

I strive to maintain my positive attitude. I am reminded daily by the earthquakes that there is much in my life that I have absolutely no control over.  I need to let those issues slide from my spirit so as not to weigh me down with doubt and negativity.

Enjoy the fruits of the season.  Even if those fruits this season will be a bit bitter sweet.