Eight-Legged Shadow On the Veins

Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water........

This is a train bridge over the Kinokawa (Kino River) in Wakayama City

just about 5 minutes bicycle ride from home.

What a sunset!

Proud Mama & Papa

Miki, Greg, & Luka rockin' up the BIG stuff!
" What are you lookin' at punk!"

Chef and His Art

What you see here is the result of collaborative artistic genius! This is the dinner I made for Atsuko tonight. It's called "omuraisu" in Japanese (omelet rice). Basically, it's rice wrapped inside a scrambled egg. Omuraisu is very simple, but simply scrumptious. The little man next to the plate is Chisai Osan ("little old man"). Here Chisai Osan - [code name Hagemoto san] comes in the form of a felt doll. He's the brainchild of Ami Hashimoto, seen previously with Hide Sensei at Tom Sawyer. Ami developed the character first in her sketchbook some time ago.

We hope to be seeing more of Chisai Osan in the future!

Finally, the very plate on which this culinary masterpiece sits was crafted by my mother in law, Reiko Minamoto

Iron Chef

DJ Billy Bee

それぞれの5月

（私たちの周りの）世間ではベビー・ブーム！！！

うちの猫にとっては、虫取りの楽しい季節です。
家族に自慢するために、いろんなものを捕まえては生きたまま持ってきます。

2年前には、傷つけることなく元気なメジロを口にくわえて見せにきました。

普段は新種のトカゲや蛾をビルに見せるのを一番の趣味にしています。

Alice Mary Revy

Alice Mary Revy
Was born at Stony Brook Hospital on Long Island, New York USA

on May, 24, 2008 at 10:26 am.

She weighed in @ 6 pounds 15 ounces & measured 20 inches in length.

Both Mother, Father & Baby are doing wonderful.

Congratulations John and Mandy!

You've got a BEAUTIFUL little gift.

We can't wait to meet our niece

Congratulations John, Mandy, & Alice Mary Revy!!

Tom Sawyer was never so DELICIOUS!

土曜日に海南にあるレストラン・富夢想野（詳細はこちら）へ、かよこさん・未来ちゃん・ひで先生・あみちゃんと行って来ました。残念ながら雨で霧も出てきて車の運転が大変だったものの、上まで登ったときは爽快でした。手作りチャペル（花来辺里・ハックリベリー）や、一組限定のお風呂、テニスコートなどもあって、ただのレストランとは訳が違う。昨日は雨も降ってて少し寒かったので、暖炉の暖かさが心地よく、楽しい会話に花を咲かせました・・・。

山の上にある自然に囲まれたオーナー手作りのログキャビンのレストランで全て手作りのお皿で食べるイタリアン料理・・・とまさに異空間のようで、また来たい場所でした。ギャーギャー騒いでうるさい客だったはず。それほど楽しかったということです。

ここへ来るには狭い狭い山道を車で通らないといけないので、「もし今対向車が来たらどうしよう？！」というドキドキワクワク付き（笑）　通常は（月）～（金）までお休みの週末限定のレストランです！

（平日は和歌山市のけやき大通りのそばの木古里（きこり）というレストランで営業してるそうです）

かよこさん・未来ちゃん、誘ってくれてありがとう！

ひで先生ちょっと早い誕生日おめでとう！！

Scrumptious deserts of pie, ice cream and other delectable followed a delicious pasta feast at Tom Sawyer Restaurant in Kainan, Wakayama.

After driving through some summer rain and low-lying clouds in the beautiful mountains of Kainan, Atsuko & I arrived at Tom Sawyer Restaurant where we met Kayoko & Miku (above).....

..............and Yoshihide ("Hide Sensei") and his lovely girlfriend Ami! Hide Sensei and I used to work together at Aire English Conversation School. He was a math teacher there, but since March has been working for the Panasonic Company in Mie Prefecture. Ami is a nurse. We are all anxiously awaiting their marriage!

The girls enjoy the wonderful aroma of Jasmine from the gardens outside the log-cabin style restaurant. It is used to garnish the deserts!

Getting cozy by the fireplace! A great afternoon and evening.

Drawing & Painting

Making the Aire backdrop

First I sewed two sheets together to get the desired size for the backdrop. Next I needed to give the fabric (sheets) a base coat of white so that when I painted in my scene, colors wouldn't just be absorbed into the cloth leaving them dull and lifeless. Next I layed out the white -painted sheet on my brother and sister-in-law's yard. I needed to see the sheet in it's entirety in order to sketch out the design. The sun is intense! Spring is rapidly becoming summer.

Sketching my design onto the sheet with colored pencil. Working so large presents the problem of spacing and placement of matter.

Once fully sketched onto the sheet, I could take it up into my room partially folded (due to space restrictions) and begin painting.
When drawing or painting on smaller areas, I usually work from top to bottom. However, because this painting is so large and space is a consideration, I am painting from left to right instead. In the two pictures above, I'm painting theater curtains!

Farmer Jonny's Zucchini

Figure A

The name Greg Crawford is usually associated with such words as sensei, teacher, English, Jonny, rock & roll, music, drums, Australia, in, out, and most recently papa! However, there is a Greg Crawford most people don't know. This Greg doesn't find fascination in the limitless possibilities of computers as does the Mr. Crawford we have become so familiar with. Hidden deep in the trenches of his work pockets, there are a set of green thumbs on Greg. He takes them out only when he is away from the public eye. Greg Crawford is a closet gardener! Five days a week he masquerades as a mild-mannered, fun English conversation teacher, but at home the overalls come out and so does the gardening spade.
In figure A above we catch a glimpse of evidence supporting the reality of Greg's agricultural and horticultural self-indulgences. Today, zucchini - tomorrow, who knows!.......... Could be tomatoes, or dare I say carrots! "Livin' off the fat of the land" indeed Papa Jon, indeed.

Senrinohama (Senri Beach), Inami - Japan

Today (Sunday, May 18 2008) a great time was had by all at

SENRINOHAMA (SENRI BEACH)

in Inami, Wakayama

The gang today consisted of:
Mr. & Mrs. Yabuno (aka. Yabuno Sensei), their two boys Shoji & Koji, Mr. & Mrs. Horikoshi, and Mr. & Mrs. Boremoto (aka. Atsuko & Wild Bill)!

藪野先生家族と堀越夫妻とで、紀南の印南にある千里の浜へＢＢＱをしに行ってきました。風が強く逆に火をおこすのが簡単。みんなでお腹いっぱい食べました。

藪野先生、前回に続き牛タンやシーフードありがとうございます！

堀越さん、手羽先・焼きそば・シシャモおいしかったです。

他にＢＢＱをしている人もおらず、場所を独占でした。

Koji (the youngest of the Yabuno's 3 boys) looks between rocks for seashore creatures.

Good boy Koji ! That's what I like to see.

Shoji (the middle son,sporting a far more appealing physique than I) runs up from the water with his bucket o' creatures to show the gang!

The boys show off their little

black sea urchin (uni)

Who took a crap on Koji's hand?
Hey, that ain't no CRAP!

It's a CRAB.

A spider crab variety that camouflages itself by encouraging many species of sea weed to grow on its already crepuscular brown body. She's a little darlin' she is!

クモガニの身体から藻が成長しています。

Shoji and Wild Bill set out to see what other goodies the Pacific shore has to offer today!

秘儀！犬神家！

これが例の「ライオンフィッシュ」ですよ！ムナビレがひらひらの。藪野先生が言った通り、日本名は

ミノカサゴでした。

ビルはこのミノカサゴを２匹、岩の陰で見つけました。水族館でよく見る魚です。

Apparently the Pacific has much to offer. I eagerly plunged down along the rocky shoreline. At first the sea gave me a little chill, but quickly my body adjusted and I felt quite comfortable. It was only a matter of seconds before I layed eyes on not one, but two beautiful LIONFISH (Minokasago)!

I couldn't believe it. Lionfish always seemed so mythical to me. Something that could only be found in aquariums, pet stores or otherwise a distant land beyond. Then it occurred to me that I am living in a distant land beyond! I'm living in Wakayama and it is quite an incredible place in numerous ways. This photo isn't mine - I found it on Google. However, the picture portrays precisely what I saw today. An awesome find. I'm a happy boy!

I also caught two of these guys in Shoji's net today.

It's a Valentine Puffer or

Black-Saddled Toby

Canthigaster valentini

Again, not my photo!

Everyone had their station in the "kitchen" today. We all took part in the cooking AND eating of an elaborate beach BBQ. There were chicken legs, chicken wings, mushrooms, asparagus, cow tung, salmon, beef strips, clams, scallops, sardines, noodles, watermelon, beer, coffee, tea and then 200 more servings of each! It was delightful. Satisfying with a capital MMMMMM!

簡易シャワーで身体を洗い流します。
Mr. Yabuno equipped me with a portable shower which feeds from any water container. The water shoots up through the hose by means of a small pump that runs off your car battery when plugged into a cigarette lighter jack! What a handy little gadget. Shower master was my final duty of the day. Shoji and Koji took turns being washed down. I decided not to shower down myself for two reasons. First and foremost, I felt a bit chilly at this point and not having any towel couldn't see the logic in getting wet again. Second, unlike many people who dislike the feel of dried salt and other sea/beach debris on their body, I don't mind it one bit. I actually savor the sensation I get after having spent a day in and around the sea. A shower can wait for home.

ラクダ岩（本日勝手に命名）
All of us agreed that this rock most closely resembled a sitting camel and so named the monolith
"CAMEL ROCK"

Aire Theater Backdrop Sketch

I feel honored to have been chosen by Greg and mitsu to paint a backdrop for future Aire Theatrical events.

This is just a sketch portraying Greg and Mitsu's concept.

Now, to begin work on the actual backdrop!

Ganbare masu (I'll try my best!)

Meet The Greenbeans

From left to right: Terence, Chika, Wayne,

and new member - baby Richard!
Little Richard takes a bath!

My Sister,Expecting Mother & HANK!

This is Hank

Beloved family Cocker Spaniel
This will be my sister Mandy and her husband John's
baby girl's nursery
It's lovely

Mandy with John's Grandmother
This is her baby shower
The baby is due May 26
but it could be any day now!!
Can't wait guys

Yatta-------!!!!!!!!!

Who could ask for anything more?

................AZALEAS!

Uncle Mitsu & Uncle Jimmy Meet Luka

Last Thursday (May 8th)

Mitsu and I finally got to meet the beautiful

Luka Crawford

in person

Proud mother (Miki) and father (Greg/aka. Jonny/Papa Jon)

She's a Beaut!

BBQ on the Upper Ki River

As a grand finale of Golden Week, Atsuko's brother Takashi, his wife Michiko, their boys Takuto and Ryoto, and Atsuko and I spent a lovely day on the bank of the Kinokawa (Ki River) in Momoyama-cho

The weather was PERFECT!


Takashi and little Ryoto

We barbecued,skipped stones, looked for creatures, swam, and enjoyed the warm sun

Taro came along too!




I must have told some perverted lie.

For my nose not only got longer, but turned into a green pepper as well!