I spent the last couple of days hanging out with BSV's hubby dude learnin about motorcycles.  He taught me all about the V-Twin . It was really loud!

And then I practiced Ridin every day.  Finally, he told me I was ready, he would keep his promise!

I am comin to get you Hana1!  Just hang on a little longer, and try to stay out of Jo3 and Hana3's way!  If that scrunchied up cat comes after you, just hide up on that big rock mountain till I can get there...Cause when I get there I am gonna kick some Jo/Kitty butt.... cause I am KAZU and I am BAD TO THE BONE !!!

A lot of you said that you liked what I did with my first fireworks shots this year on a post a couple of weeks ago.  I finally got a chance to sit down with the other batch of fireworks shots I got at a later show, to see if any of them had the same kind of possibilities.  Here is what I captured, enjoy!  

**1*
 *4*
*5*
*6**
(There is no 2 or 3, fahgeddaboudit)

P.S.  Kazu was driving me nuts pestering me while I was trying to go through these shots... I told him to go outside and play hide and seek with himself.  Then he kept yelling for me to come and find him....
He was hiding In Here , then he hid Up There , then I found him On Here , then I had to go look Over There .  He is a real pest sometimes!  He does seem to be recovered from the Biker BBQ though.  I couldn't take pictures, because several of the guests were on parole. Guess the only photos they have posted are on the wall at the post office....  But my husband did promise Kazu if he was good, he would take him to get a tattoo sometime this week... Stay tuned.

After the frightful nightmare I had last night about Hana, I woke up and ripped myself right out of the box!  Then BSV opened the mailbox, and there I sat...Squinting in the bright sun!  We went down through the woods, and came in view of her House.  She took me out to the deck where she is always shootin those bird pictures, and perched me right up there on the feeder surrounded by Redbirds and Yellowbirds.  Later she said we would go for a car ride, and I was glad to get down from there!  She took me to see Pontiac ...
wasn't much to it.... just a Restaurant, a  Marina, and the Post Office.  They don't even have a grocery store!  She said not to worry, they are going to take me to a Biker BBQ tonight, all I have to do is wear this  Dumb Hat so I will fit in.  I have never tasted Biker before.... I wonder if it tastes like chicken???

The nice flower lady named Penny wrapped me cautiously in the bubbly blanket and placed me gently into the box.  She said, "Kazu, think of something nice to dream about, and shut your eyes and go to sleep....when you wake up you will be by a lake in the Ozarks, at a place where you will have great adventure!"  

So I shut my eyes and thought of Hana!  Has is really been almost one year since Tomitake sent us on our separate journeys?   How I miss her beautiful yellow face!  Then the sleep came, as Penny said it would, and I began to dream....

I sensed Hana's presence, but it was so confusing.  I was riding a Great Moose through the mountains and calling her name... Hana!  Hana! Where are you my darling?

The next thing I knew, the Moose was gone, and I was naked, totally surrounded by Snickers that smelled of cat.  It could only mean one thing... Hana is in great danger!  I must wake up from this nightmare so that I can save my one true love!  

Stay tuned......

This is what we saw:
Fuzzies
Sheep
Barbed Wire
Tractor
Otis Otis and Kazu Posing
This little piggy
Lines
Shoes
Mmmmm...
Rusty

Penny was working hard making arrangements, waiting on customers and answering phones.  So I had to find something to do.  I found this it was just my size.  So I drove around for a bit.  I felt like a fireman. I even found a friend to hang out with for a while. When I went in the back where the girls work.  It was a little  crazy. There were flowers  everywhere!  But I did take time to  stop and smell the flowers.  I hope all the mothers out there had a Happy Mothers Day!

I arrived safely in Michigan.  I had a great time with Tom.  I am now at the flower shop.  It has been a little crazy.  With  prom and now  Mothers Day.  I have never seen so  many flower in one place.  Penny says after Mothers Day we will be able to go out and get some shots other places.  I found a nice soft friend here to hang out with.  I also figured out they spend a lot of time here during the holiday.  More later.  Have a great Mothers Day everyone.  From Kazu and Penny!!

Kazu has spent the past few weeks in Germany.  This past weekend Kazu sampled the many gastronomic delights of Heidelberg.  Kazu learned that she has a real weakness for pils. Here is Kazu with a beer mustache. Kazu couldn't get enough. Then there was the chocolate. So many chocolate bars and so little time. Kazu felt most at home with the cocoa. As if that wasn't enough cause for indigestion, Kazu had to check out the curry and the spices. Well, it was a great trip and Kazu is now on her way to Michigan.   Hope she has great travels.

Well, last monday was my birthday and I got a special suprise along with my other presents!  In honor of his arrival a few of the locals threw a party.  After which Kazu wanted to check out some movies. Then on Wednesday he got to go to  Discovery lake with me for a class.  Hopefully Kazu will be able to accompany me to my next visit to the Wild Animal Park, or maybe the Zoo. Until then here are a few shots from my last trip to the WAP.

This is the new ride at the park. It is a helium balloon that takes you up over the park to get an awsome view of the surrounding valley.

Here is a mommy to  be. She might have given birth already not sure.  

One of the antelope (??) relaxing. I'm not sure exactly what he is, they name off the names so fast it's hard to keep track.  

Here is one of the Zebras being a sentinal, keeping an eye out for the rest of the heard.

Enjoy!

After what was a very pleasant trip to New Zealand, Kazu arrived in Texas in a snit of bad manners and worse mood.  He burst out of his box demanding entertainment.  Kazu ran around the house hysterically, jumping on top of the armoire and taking over the cat beds.

After a good night's sleep, he was in a better mood and I took him to work with me at Lake Fork and he was amazed at how low the lake is.  He did get to see the ducks that winter there though.

The next day we made a couple of different stops:  tractor shopping (why I don't know) and oil well shopping.  He had no money for either.

The next day we focused on salt.  He visited the only salt house in North America, the only salt mine in Texas (he wasn't allowed in the mine and could only see the above ground plant and elevator shaft) and licked a big rock salt crystal that is what eventually becomes table salt and other salt products.  After all that, he was tired and wanted to work on his look for the next leg of his trip.

Tonight, he has snuggled up with Boo and is resting up before his journey continues.

Newbies:  go to tags, click on "Daruma" and you'll get the backstory for this lunacy.

Today, Kazu meet Grandma and enjoyed sitting out in the sun.
Kazu had his photo taken with his cousins too. Kazu & James.

Kazu stayed at a farm in Waipiata in Central Otago overnight, he enjoyed some sheep shearing and a spot of gardening.
Later, a nice coffee & cake went down a treat.

Here is Kazu enjoying the fine sunshine of New Zealand.
Kazu also caught up with his great mate Nekobus  in Clyde, they had some Lemon & Paeroa (www.lp.co.nz), New Zealands World famous beverage.
Kazu also tatsted the fine wines of NZ but had to much.

Kia Ora everyone, I am in New Zealand, enjoying the sunshine and the sheep.
Here I am taking in the views. I got a little sunburnt.
I will be back soon with more pictures!

About 2 weeks ago, I came home from work to find a large package, with a return address in Japan! That's right, Tora had finally arrived at my doorstep! Unfortunately, business and personal obligations kept me from taking him out right away. Saturday September 10, Wendy (the girlfriend), Piper (the dog), Tora and I all went for a hike at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden, CT. Here are some pictures from our adventures...

Arnold Bana's Precipice
Observation Tower View 1
Observation Tower View 2 (City of New Haven, CT far off in the distance)
Observation Tower View 3 (Top of the World!)

I took a lot more pictures here, but that will be a separate post. Up next for Tora: Next weekend we will be heading to NYC!!

Enjoi,
Chris

For those who are wondering what this "Daruma Travels" thing is all about, here is an explanation. If you want to add your name to the list of volunteer hosts, send a PM to either austinspace (John) or codepoit (Chris), and we will add you to either Tora's list, or Hana's list...