Having used the torii from Takashima's Shirohige Shrine in two previous posts, I thought I should at least provide some context for the scene.

The shrine is tucked in a narrow strip of land sandwiched between the mountains and Lake Biwa. I'm sure the location seemed appropriate when it was founded (the main hall was built in 1605), prior to cars and trains and heavy weekend traffic, but now it's got a road passing between it and the lake.

A hundred years ago there was perhaps a footpath running along the lake, but by 50 years ago there was a [...]

On my way to see Anthony's first ski experience earlier in the month, I stopped by the Shirohige Shrine on the waters of Lake Biwa, in Takashima Japan, to take a few pictures. I posted a "washed out" picture of the shrine's main gate in the middle of the water that I'll repeat here:

I really like the washed-out effect in this shot, even though it's the exact opposite of what I generally try to get. I usually try to get the sunburst streaming in, like in these shots from my blog archive: Kouri Island (Okinawa) and Midwest America (Ohio) [...]

A month ago I posed "Pushing Lowlight-Photography Limits: The Atta Terrace Hotel at Night," evening shots from the hotel we stayed in during a short trip to Okinawa during the New Years break. Today, I thought I'd post some day shots as well.

The hotel, The Atta Terrace Club Towers, does not allow children (at least not in the common areas), and it's sort of out of the way, so it's quite peaceful.

Turning around from where Fumie is standing in the picture above, yields the view in the picture below, with the big bath and picture window visible across [...]

The Japanese school year ends in March, so he graduates from kindergarten in a few weeks. It seems like only yesterday that he started preschool, but that was three years ago, and he's doubled in age since then. (Sometimes I think that I have, too.)

Like his recent his first solo outing and losing his baby teeth.... more signs of growing up.

Yesterday morning, Anthony was all excited to tell me some "good news for everyone!". He had discovered adult teeth poking out behind his front-lower incisors. Many of his classmates have already started losing their baby teeth – a big step toward being oniichan (a "big kid") – so he's been eagerly awaiting the event.

For my part, I was shocked at how far behind his baby teeth the adult teeth had come in. I don't know what's supposed to be normal, but it just felt very wrong. I didn't let on to him about that worry, of course, so I [...]