Around our town...

It takes about 30 minutes to leisurely ride our bikes to the nearest hills/mountains - a town called Amagi. There is a nice park at the base of the hills.

The creativity of the park designers...nothing like a jungle gym with dragons.

This is looking down on the park and pond from a picnic area up on the first hill.

Here you can see the picnic area from a look-out on the top of the hill...this is facing north towards the mountains and forest...not much for towns back here...lots of thick forest.

Here's a trail to the top of one of the mountains...very thick and beautiful semi-tropical jungle.

After hiking about 2 km to the top of the 1,200 foot mountain, Will wrung his t-shirt out on the deck. I kid you not...this puddle is sweat just from my t-shirt...it's damn humid.

Here's a view looking southwest from the 1,200 ft mountain...this is the valley we live in.


And the valley looking northwest.

Beautiful butterflies are all over this area...not just in the mountains, but near our home also.

And...the huge purple earthworm thing. It was longer until I touched it, and like earthworms do, shortened himself and started wriggling around.
I've never seen an earthworm even close to this big. Bright purple and as thick as my finger...
we thought it was a snake at first.

Here's Serenity walking up the mountain. Very beautiful forest...and this day it was much cooler..perfect for hiking.

Here's me, same trail.


And here are some leftover pics from Fukuoka City...

Serenity went shopping one day and took this...this is the bay, probably the Sea of Japan out there.

This is a clock...and a fountain. There are rows of little fountains, and certain fountains spray more water than others so from across the street you can tell the time. It was, in fact, 1:03 p.m.!
(and yes, those are statues of little kids peeing in the fountain!)

This is the moat guarding an old castle (no longer really there) in Fukuoka. Covered in big lillies.)

It was raining that day, and the lillies would catch the drizzle. When enough gathered, the lilly leaf would tilt and the water would drain off. Sometimes it would drain from one leaf onto another, onto another, etc...causing a chain reaction. Very cool.

Another wonder Japanese sign...no need to be fluent. Just watch out for turtles that want to drown you in the moat.

Ruins of the old Fukuoka Castle...dated to 1600s.