Life on the Farm (Has Been Known to Kick Ass)

I've hijacked my in laws computer because I've got enough pics and stories to justify a blog post. But seeing as my spine is about to implode after sitting here on the floor for the last however many minutes, I'm going to skip most of the stories and just explain (briefly) the pictures. It's fitting that the only piece of furniture with a seat-back here in the Iguchi household is the massage chair.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that I survived the last 4 or so days alone with my in laws, speaking only Japanese except when I was cursing to myself in English. It was actually a nice chance for me to bond with Chieko's parents, if you can call whatever the hell we did bonding.

Aside from yesterday, when it was pissin rain, I've been up at 5 every morning, plucking melons by 5:15. I'll tell you, aside from the early mornings and ass busting labor, this place never fails to awe me with it's beauty.

So enough story telling, here are some pictures.

Here's the man responsible (and proud of) the watermelons.



Here's the man who looks way too happy to be as sweaty as he is.



The drama from yesterday was that this little swallow, who was in a nest inside the barn, dropped onto the floor. We put him back in the nest, he fell again, he tried to fly and scooted around in and out of the garage. He didn't make it.



Today was one of those days where Niigata seems like the most perfect place in the world (minus the early mornings and sweaty labor, of course).

The melon field was drenched in fog when the sun finally began to break through around 6.



After breakfast had cleared up and was so damn hot that all of us lucky enough to be wandering around grabbing melons took every chance to remark about just how hot it was. Thankfully we were finished by lunch, when some crazy weather descended on us. It rained and thundered for a good 3 or 4 hours, with winds that must have been gusting over 50 mph. They left various fruits and veggies scattered around the yard, a busted green pepper plant, a row of bent over corn, busted branches, a nearly uprooted row of tomatoes, and a bunch of other various debris. It was cool! And I got my first picture of lightning.



And then there was the sunset. Oh the sunset. I looked one way and saw this:



And that was pretty and all until I turned around and saw this:



So there's my last couple days in a nut shell. My lovely wife has arrive tonight which is, well, lovely, and I'm heading to the States on Friday. I think we've picked most of the big watermelons already.

See you when I see you.