Wrapping up Happy Halloween

    While not the worst thing in the world, we've been getting a bit of rain during our rides. Most of my gear is waterproof. Except when the torrential downpour comes, then my Ruck is at stake which holds my BOXX (labtop). Then I panic. But then we go hide under a roof or a 道の駅. This week has brought us lost shoes, sleeping bags, as well as flats. Wild stuff huh?

So we're riding in Honshu now, the main island of Japan. This northern part of the island is chucky-jam full of apple trees. Good ones, too. I get such Greedy Fingers when I pass the various orchards. If this was Paraguay I'd be fulling my panniers full of apples, but for fear of no honor, I refrain from reaching out and plucking the sweet fruit. This is also the snowiest part of Japan as well as the whole earth. 

Note: that doesn't mean there is snow year round. Some doctors-to-be foolishly believe that. 

This part of Japan has very friendly people and the roofs are starting to look more Japanese-y than they did in Hokkaido. I love the roofs here. Especially down south, but you'll have to be patient for those.

The apple trees look so old and weathered when you get up close to them, like a thousand year old Olive Tree. 

Sometimes we catch each other taking pics. Even the Shiba-Inu is joining in on the fun. See if you can find him. We need more Shibas in the US. 

"Now you have some color."

Sometimes I'll take pics because to my eyes they look neat. Then I look at the pic and it's nothing like my eyes saw. Photographers know what I'm talking about. 

Look at the Beep Museum. Don't worry, I'm not cursing. 

More Naked Statues to the rescue.

If you saw my IG story then you saw these trees. But since you guys don't even look at my blog there's no way you would have seen this pic. 

It's actually red. Red!

We were wondering why the tree was blurry then I realized I put my phone in Portrait Mode. 

Another good one.

Going downhill in the morning is so cold. 

 

One of my favorite 道の駅. It had tatami mats to sleep on. And good plugs so I could get some work done on my labtop.

One of many flats we got in a small space of just a few days. 

Something that I hate - that is allowed here in Japan; people stopping in the middle of the road. This guy is at least somewhat out of the lane. But dang, people will park and stop in the middle of the lane. Hate it so much. 

Earlier this day we were on that mountain peak across the lake. We climbed a lot this day. Look at Holly. 

If you followed me on IG last November I explained in my stories of the huge waffle concrete walls the Japanese build to prevent erosion. Some of them are so huge.

Lots of colors along the ride while you ride.

Here's a haunted building. Mother Nature is taking back what is rightfully hers.

Look at the roots just finding any crevice and crack for which to hold on to.

This statue is inappropriate. to quote Elaine Benes, "Naked, Naked Naked!"

Up here on top of this mountain it was cold and the trees lost all of their leaves. Holly is checking out the maps. She's pretty good at navigating I have to admit. 

This is from that Northern peak of the lake that I was telling you about before. 

We're utilizing the kickstand method to prop up our bikes, It's brilliant. 

Vegetarians thought they could get away by guilt tripping us for eating meat. Well now the food they eat will make them regret it ever considering otherwise.

I'll save this for a future Sunday School lesson.

We try to include the Eternal Cabbage with most meals because of how heavy the dang thing is. Japanese grapes are tasty but they have a ton of seeds in them and when I eat them they get stuck in my teeth. Then I get mad.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Japanese Onsens. This is how I scrub myself with soap. Naked. With other men.

I want a water wheel such as this in my future home. 

If you're a businessman you need to take a load off and go explore nature. 

Nice mornings to enjoy the waterfall.

Thankfully it's still October. This tractor is hard at work curing Breast Cancer while you're sitting there not wearing anything pink at all. Looks like you don't want to help contribute to saving lives. 

I found this neighborhood full of empty houses. They had already locked their windows for the season, otherwise we'd have stayed there. 

I'm getting better at taking blurry AF pics like my niece, Dana. All this sign says is !. Like what am I supposed to do when I see that? Panic? Hit the gas? Close my eyes while I abandon my car and run out Naked? What do they expect me to do?

Tough day at the office. And by the office I mean biking.

Rained all night, but we stayed mostly dry. My shoes didn't. and because of it I lost one of them. I still hate it.

Speaking of things that I hate. Dropped my phone last week in Hakodate. I'm so mad. Now I'm one of those people. Nothing really compares to that sense of dread and finality when you pick up your phone and see the newfound cracked screen. There's nothing you can do after that except talk about it every day for the next 37 years. 

But we have to get back to riding.

In Iwakuni there is a bridge that looks like this one. See if you can find The Status Quo.

It's a fun bridge to walk up and down on.

Here's a fun manhole.

Biggest solar panel ever.

Wave to the camera!

I asked Holly, "Do you think all that fog on the mountains area really just hot springs and we're missing out on all the fun?"

We're having a great time!

Sometimes we have to walk our bikes. 

I love the tunnels. This one was over two miles long and you litrilly couldn't see an end to it. I loved it. As a descendant of Durin I am at home when I'm deep inside the earth.

This statue is inappropriate, too.

Look how small this Can is. 

Holly left her sleeping bag her. And it was a good thing I had taken this pic because I used it to email the lady here asking her to check this spot. She found it and mailed it to us a few days later. 

Finally a decent statue for once.

I read that this bird was on top of the structure behind it before the great earthquake from March of 2011 that you guys forgot about.

I'm glad the shrines are becoming plentiful again. 

Another fun manhole.

In Japanese fashion we say "Itadakimasu" before our meals. This was so cheap. All of this was just 12 American gold. After din dins we walked around Hondori to see the hot Japanese babes in their fun outfits.
Had to be there.