Earth Day 2010

What are you doing for Earth Day 2010?

On Earth Day 2008 we did a clean-up and renovation of the Jiggs' Fitness Trail at work. Here are some pics:

Last year, for Earth Day 2009, we cleaned up Numazu Beach. Unfortunately we also found a dead body on the beach, so no pics!

Please, get out and do something for Earth Day 2010. Even if it is working in your garden, cleaning up the parking area at the boat launch, or volunteering with a big group, the most important thing is to do something!

See you in the woods!

SK-1 OUT!

Yamadori Mount

Finally got around to mounting the tail feathers from the nice Yamadori (Copper Pheasant) I took a few years back. They are now on our living room wall. The feathers stand 64cm (25 inches) above the plaque base!

Spring Planting...It Has Begun!

Finally, the snow is gone! Our last snow was Friday but the heavy rain overnight melted it and it was time to get up early Saturday and get planting! I ran the ko-unki (roto-tiller) through the main garden spot and hoed a few rows. With a little bit of guidance from my J-Mom, the Jagaimo, Mayqueen, and Cherie varieties are in the ground, 40 meters worth!

Asparagus! It will take 2 years to yield so it was time to get them in the ground. Planted them right next to the Asatsuki (transplanted from the yama last year) and the Ginger (should yield in 2-3 months).

Chibi-Chan picking tanpopo (dandelion), Note the winter gear: Yes, it is still in the single digits here!

50 meters of mixed wild flowers, Cosmos, Lavender, Sunflowers, and more! Hope this makes a nice view from the kitchen, attracts lots of bees for pollination throughout the farm, and nice flowers for cutting. Who knows, we may have enough to dry as well.

Inoshishi (Wild Boar) Sausage

Yabanjin made a batch of Wild Boar (Inoshishi) sausage from the boar he took on the day before the end of hunting season. We opted to try three flavors: mild Italian, spicy Italian, and American Southern-Style Breakfast Maple flavor.

SK-1 hard at work in the Kaitai Shack:
Sanitation, sanitation, sanitation! SK-1 is pretty strict!

We made this extra lean, with only 10% fat content. Here it comes, straight from the grinder:A second grind after the spice was added: Wrapped in 250 gram packs for easy cooking. Remember this is considered as "Fresh Sausage" and contains only spices, absolutely no salt, nitrate, 'cure' or other chemicals or preservatives.

We made a total of 15 kg (about 33Lbs) and shared them with some of our closest friends and asked for their critiques...all good so far with some great tips for the next batch!

Candles!

Scented candles really add to our country home. We particularly enjoy an apple-cinnamon scent when we have our wood stove burning. Store-bought candles can be quite expensive and often are not the scent we want...so...we gave candle making a try!

Start with block wax: Need a few scents to experiment with:

And some jars/wicks/dyes:Some gentle heat:Freshly poured:Finished!This was our first micro-batch (bamboo & lemongrass scent) but we are hooked! Give it a try, it's easy!

Got Dirt?

We at the Yabanjin homestead have been experimenting with making our own soap. Today's concoction was foaming liquid hand soap that we promptly named "Dirty Hands"! This contains a mild pumice abrasive, a natural dried kelp (kombu) exfoliant, and is scented to smell just like freshly tilled garden soil. It cleans awesome, and the smell lingers just enough after you wash your hands so that you know you put in a hard day's work!

We also created an all-purpose shower gel for the Yabanjin guys with a refreshing but not perfumey smell (no girly-men here!). Mrs Yabanjin also created a silky foaming hand wash for the ladies of the house with a mild Asian plum scent.

It was fun working on a project with the wife, plus it might just save us some hard earned Yen in the process, and could be part of the post-retirement plan...we'll see!

Preparing for Dondo Yaki

Each year the small communities in our area gather at the start of the new year to perform a ritual called dondo yaki or sometimes called saitoyaki. Essentially this is an ancient ceremony where last year's amulets, wishes written on special paper, and new year's decorations are burned, in hopes of a good new year. There is a lot of varying info amongst the community, and on the Internet so I apologize in advance if this is not the best description.

What is important is that it is yet another event where the community gets together for a common good. The first step of this is to create the giant bonfire. This was my first year as a member of the building party. I was actually there for dual purposes. First was as part of the Kaboutai (volunteer firefighter and disaster preparedness team) since we will be supervising the actual burn this coming Thursday evening, and standing by with the fire truck and pumper. The second as a male member of the community, where it is expected that all able bodies help out. We ended up with a team of just over 25 of us setting up the giant pieces of bamboo for the fire.

This sure was some hard work, and fun to hang out with the old guys in the neighborhood. I figure in twenty year's I will be the supervisor of stuff like this so I better start learning now!

On Thursday evening the whole community will come out and burn their stuff, and then roast Dango (dough balls made from a type of rice flower) balls on bamboo poles, sip Nihon-Shu (Sake), and enjoy some drinks and snacks. The kids will be running wild but everyone will stay close to the fire since it is quite cold out. This is a good time of neighborly fellowship that I look forward to!

The weather was perfect for the work to be done, cool and clear, and Mount Fuji was 'supervising' all day! Enjoy the pics, and I will post more after we do the big burn!

SK-1 OUT!

Hunt for Heroes!

Hey from the mountains of Japan!

Everyone knows that I am not too keen on advertising for companies in my Blog, and don't try to get people to use their heard earned money...BUT...

I need to take a few minutes to 'spread the word' about a worthwhile organization, one that really touches my heart:

SHOW OF SUPPORT.ORG is an organization dedicated to demonstrate support for our US Military by providing outdoor opportunities to those injured in the service to our country. These folks have been taking time out of their lives, and money out of their pockets, to help those who served, and were injured.

The evening news seems at times to have forgotten Iraq, Afghanistan, and other dangerous places around the world. As a result many people may not see too much about the men and women who are in harm's way each night, and their is a particular dearth of news about those who were wounded, and their lives after they come home. I see the daily casualty announcements from the DoD and I see veterans of these conflicts every day. I know that Show Of Support is positively affecting the veterans they have contact with. I have one of them in my office every day and at my house often. You can see the emotion in his eyes when he relates to me and others how much the time spent on the Hunt For Heroes has meant to him and others. These folks are making a real difference.

Here is what I am asking:

1. Please think about these brave men and women often!

2. Please take a moment to check out this organization. I will add their link below.

3. Please help to keep them in out thoughts and prayers by spreading the word about them and organizations like this. Let's not let their sacrifices be in vain.

4. Donate what you can...to anyone in need! Donate your time, as this is the most valuable thing we have to give! Give supplies, resources, and even money if you can! Help organizations like this to help others!

I will step off my pulpit now.

Thank you for listening!

SK-1 OUT!

http://www.showofsupport.org/

Wild Boar Shepherd's Pie

Wild Boar Shepherd's Pie, prepared for the first time by SK-II. She started with a pound of freshly ground wild boar (15% fat content ) from the Yabanjin's Kaitai Shack and utilized a recipe from our old copy of The LL Bean Game & Fish Cookbook. A few adjustments to the recipe and presto! This is an easy to make, heart-warming, stick to your ribs, healthy meal!

Hara Maki

Hara (Belly) + Maki (Roll Up) = Belly Wrap

The Hara Maki is sort of a sweater for your mid-section, worn by all types of people to keep warm during the cold weather. It also keeps your lower back and kidney areas warm. I have a thin one for my business clothes, a heavy one for outdoor use, and a shiny fancy one just for fun! These were all presents from my wife...hence the issue: Why does she frown then I wear it with just a tee shirt? This style is about as Redneck (Inakamono) as one can get (sorry to embarrass you, Babe!).

To make matters worse, we got one for our daughter, and we are showing them off in this pic!

Like father, like daughter!

SK-1 & SK-3 OUT!

Maki Wari

Firewood Splitting time is upon us! A few pics of Yabanjin and my brother-in-law cutting and splitting wood. We have are trying to maintain a 3 year rotating supply for both of our houses (Stacked and racked in the background).

Not sure who is doing all the work but operating the yumbo does not look back breaking...and I wrong?

Fast Cars!

A great day at Fuji International Speedway for the Ferrari Festival and Driving School. Hanging out in the Team Ferrari F-1 pits and checking out all the cars was a day in the asphalt "wilderness"! Thank you to Reza and Carl (Carlito) for making it happen!

Ferrari Driving School! Yabanjin took the short class by the Italian "Pilota" race driver instructors, and then hit the track!!!! It is amazing what $200K will buy!

Shika Kaitai

Butchering Shika at the Yabanjin's Kaitai Shack. Dan and Chi-san showed thei worth as butchers as we knocked out 2 deer in one day! Field dressed to freezer in 4 hours!

Kaitai Shack (Super House, Phase Three)

"Kaitai" (kai= take apart) + (tai= body) or literally to disassemble a whole thing, or in our case, to butcher, (a deer, boar, bird, fish, and even vegetables).

Note: while there are formal industry specific words in Japanese for each and every function, the generic Kaitai" woks well and is in common use in this area.

The new Kaitai Shack is the processing point for all the bounty that the Yabanjin brings in from the Yama (mountains). Obviously the butcher function will be a major part of this operation. Now we can completely butcher, process, pack, and wrap our wild game. SK-2 negotiated a great deal on the stainless steel counters (thank you, Babe!). This also DRAMATICALLY increases the sanitation levels of our processing and by far is setting the standard for our city...now I am ready to start pushing large amounts of venison to the folks in need though out our community! (MUCH MORE to follow on this important side project!)

Start with the Yabanjin's trusty butcher tool set. Add in the new meat grinder and butcher wrap from LEM (www.lemproducts.com), the slicer, vacuum packer, and refrigerator, and you have a compact butchering center! We should get 5-6 months of use each year just for hunting (3 month season plus 2 or 3 months of varmint eradication seasons). We have already made good use of the 'shack' for 5 deer this season and one wild boar.

When spring comes this will be the Sansai cleaning and preserving center. Then fishing season begins! Mushroom season will round out the year giving us year-round use of the 'shack"!

BTW, the fridge is well stocked with hot and cold ocha, oolong cha, coffee, and cold beer, so stop by, talk some smack with us, and lend a hand! Don't forget to take some game meat home too!