in Niigata (5)

Going down from the top of Mt. Kakuda
to Kakuda-hama beach was such a hard one.

My friend did not choose the same route
as we climbed.

I had to go over a few small mountains!
The pass over the mountains was narrow.
It was full of rocks and broken stones.
I did not know where to put my feet.
It was in a dizzy height.

I was afraid if I would fall and roll down
to the valley.

I sometimes went up and down the steep rocky
places on my hands and knees.

I finally came back to Kakuda-hama beach.
What a relief!

What an exciting day I had!














I felt dizzy but walked holding on the chain.
Can you see the chains?

in Niigata (4)

I saw many lovely flowers when I climbed Mt. Kakuda.

in Niigata (3)

On March 31 one of my former coworkers invited me
to climb Mt. Kakuda with her.

Mt. Kakuda is 481.7 meters high.

I was so weak that I had never tried any mountain
climbing, when I lived in Niigata.

I wore her trekking shoes.
I used her stock for skiing.
I used her spats.

The climb was unexpectedly difficult.

She drove me to Kakuda-hama beach.
She left her car on the beach
and we began to climb Mt. Kakuda.

On the way to the top I enjoyed spring flowers--
yukiwariso, katakuri and others.

I was very happy to see the Japan Sea while climbing.

in Niigata (2)

One of my childhood friends tore towels into strings
and knitted them into Japanese sandals.

She gave me two pairs of them--to koharu and me.
I left mine in Niigata.
They are extremely comfortable!



( yuki-tsubaki in my garden--pink ones are not yet in bloom )






( pinewood near my house )

in Niigata (1)

As soon as I arrived at my house in Niigata City,
I lighted a candle on the alter and said to my husband,
who passed away 35 years ago, "Tadaima!"

Then I visited my neighbors and thanked them
for watching my vacant house during my absence.
How kind of them!

I checked the boilers of the kitchen and the bathroom.
OK--they worked all right.

I opened all the windows and cleaned my rooms.
After cleaning the house, I went to a supermarket to buy
food enough for a week.

On the second day in Niigata a young lady came to see me.
I taught her English 20 years ago.
She is now a good friend of mine.
She was worrying about how to live.
She wanted to stay the night with me.

We went to the beach in the evening and saw a spring sunset.
We talked and talked until we went to bed.

( from Shinkansen )




( the sunset I saw with my young friend )