November 3-4, 2025 “‘I don’t know, Chuck,’ Ashworth said. ‘It’s better than dropping it into the ocean,’ I answered. ‘Are you sure of the accuracy?” Ashworth pressed. ‘I’ll take full responsibility for this,’ I assured him… From the IP, Van Pelt and Buckley started to coordinate the approach to the aiming point. The outline of the city appeared on the scopes in front of Van Pelt and Buckley. Buckley called out headings and precise closure rates to Beahan, who fed the data int

October 30, 2025 "It looks so peaceful and yet you understand at first glance that a landscape like that could only have been created in the most violent way".  -Anonymous It was dark by the time we got back from Korea.  For this next bit of the trip we needed a car so bleary eyed we made our way to the rental car agency near the airport.  After going through the endless paperwork we finally got the keys. Kyushu Island It is so tiresome, the menu of options you have to pick f

October 28, 2025 "A bowl of bibimbap is like life—colorful, diverse, and packed with flavor.” Anonymous Bibimbap is a popular Korean dish of warm rice served with an assortment of seasoned vegetables, meat, and a fried egg, all mixed together with a spicy chili paste before eating. Bibimbap In many ways it serves as a great metaphor for our last 2 days here in Korea.  We just did a little bit of everything.  There was no real plan.  We just looked at a small map and said, “Le

October 26, 2025 “If the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had seemed to inaugurate a brand-new chapter in the history of warfare, supposedly making all other weapons obsolete and creating a world where military power rested only with the richest, most technologically advanced nations, then the Korean battlefield defeats of early July 1950 shattered that belief” ― David Halberstam, The Coldest Winter Very early in our marriage we had the opportunity for some overseas tr

October 25, 2025 “Had the street lamps and neon signs always been this spectacularly bright? Why was Seoul so beautiful all of a sudden? Everything that was once nothing seemed special and amazing somehow.” – Sang Young Park Its not fair really.  We have been here less than 24 hours and already first impressions form.  I will take more time for the short few days I am here to see what settles and bear in mind the gleaming city of Seoul is hardly representative of everyone.  A

October 23, 2025 “What do Japanese artisans, engineers, Zen philosophy, and cuisine have in common? Simplicity and attention to detail.” — Hector Garcia “Next time is next time.  Now is now” - Kōji Yakusho. (From  Perfect Days film) Curtis Lemay, the father of the modern U.S. Air Force in 1945 was the newly assigned general to head the American air campaign against Japan. Germany was defeated and the U.S. was moving its enormous bombing assets to the Pacific Theatre to “Finis

October 20, 2025 “These days, all we ever really get are Days to dream, and days to lose. I just need to choose my time.” Ingrid Ellen Michaelson These past few days our pace has slowed a bit.  The Russian Roulette of hotel rooms when traveling at last paid off with a comfortable room and bed. We decided to rest and take things slower for a few days. We are in a good place to accomplish that goal.  This is Takayama in the Hida Prefecture of Japan.  It is located in the Northe

October 18, 2025 “If you encounter a bear while hiking, stand your ground and don’t make eye contact. If the bear attacks you anyway, fight for your life” Verbatim advice from The Lonely Planet Guide to Japan I will come to the Swedish Dinner Club in a moment.  But first….. It sounds at first like an approaching ice cream truck. You are out on a hike and you hear in front of you the approach of tinkling bells. It is not an unpleasant sound just discordant here in the woods.

October 16-17, 2025 “Don't dunk your nigiri in the soy sauce. Don't mix your wasabi in the soy sauce. If the rice is good, complement your sushi chef on the rice.” -Anthony Bourdain Bullet trains are extraordinary technological marvels.  Through very powerful magnets they levitate on tracks achieving frictionless propulsion and astounding speeds.  They can cover distances normal trains take in 1/3 of the time. Japan has pioneered this technology and leads the world in high sp

October 15, 2025 "It is better to travel well than to arrive." -Buddha We returned to Northern Tokyo for a brief visit to the Asakusa neighborhood.  We initially considered staying here during our Tokyo days but it is not on the main metro lines and would have taken too long to get to other locations we wanted to see.  Still the unique nature of the area warranted a look before we left Tokyo for good. The Golden Turd (Tokyo Skytree Tower in background) Perhaps the most un

October 14, 2025 “It’s no wonder Japanese find it so easy to worship nature” Colleen Dobbs If anyone else who reads this missive is as immature as I am, they are familiar with a video game called “Ghost of Tsushima”.  It is a popular Playstation game in which a wronged samurai warrior seeks his revenge against tyrannical foes. As fun as the game is hacking and slashing your way to justice, there is a part of the game that elevates it beyond the usual fare.  The animators have

October 13, 2025 “Life is like a long journey carrying a heavy burden - there is no need to rush” Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu from The Testament of Ieyasu We left Tokyo by train for an excursion 2 hours north to the foothills of the Japanese Alps.  Japan has large mountains that run through the middle and west of the country.  Most, if not all, are volcanic in origin. We traveled there via a futuristic train called the SpaciaX. No, it is not the famed bullet train, that will come la

October 11, 2025 遣らずの雨   (Yarazu no Ame): "The rain that doesn't let you go.” -Japanese Proverb It started raining around 8 am.  Whether...

October 8-9, 2025 “But anything that you hear about Japan is nothing like what you see when you actually go over there and see it, you...

February 10-12, 2025 “You can dance, I promise” ― Tequila We are sitting in front of our tent, which in of it self is a weird thing for...

February 4-5, 2025 “How many are your works, Lord!    In wisdom you made them all;    the earth is full of your creatures. There is the...

February 3, 2025 “I’m going on an adventure!” - Bilbo Baggins So the Whale Shark plans were a bust.   And while I enjoyed a symphonic...

“The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment” -Robert Falcon Scott February 2, 2025 So they left three days ago! One of the...

“Today, I can assure you from my own experience that we are not what we eat, nor what we think: we are what we dream.” ― Sergio Magana...

Tulum January 26-28, 2025 “Do NOT throw the coconuts.” – Sign post at entrance to an archeological site We left the city of Merida ...