It's been a pretty busy few weeks..we're getting ready for our busy exercise season, so there is a lot of coordination going on in preparation for that. Additionally, last week I was in the Combined Humanitarian Assistance Response Training brought out here by the Center of Excellence in Hawaii. It was quite interesting and a nice break from the routine. But then, I'm a geek...I love skool.

I'll be traveling for work over the next couple of weeks, to northern Honshu and then out to the island of Kyushu. The trip to the north will be fun, because we're taking the shinkansen out there...the famous "bullet train" that is so often associated with Japan. I'm really excited about that. Something about the prospect of kicking along at 220 kph (about 130 mph) on the ground. On my route home, I pass under one of the shinkanen lines, and every once in a while I get to see it flash by. It's amazing...you can't really keep your eyes on it, it's moving so fast. Very cool.

Some pictures from a recent weekend walk around Enoshima, just a couple of train stops from our place...

Ryukoji Temple: One of the more interesting temples around here...it was the site of prisoner executions during the 1100-1300s. Tucked into a little nook in the side of the mountains, it's quite pretty. A good link here...

5 Story Pagoda (the only one in Kanagawa Prefecture)

Bike and the Barbershop

Ryukoju Temple (east side of it)

Old Enoden Line Car (now a kitchen)

Enoden driver

Dragon spout

Station near our house

Small bar/restaurant next to station

Sunset on the beach