Land of the Setting Sun

Today was everything that Saturdays, and all days for that matter, should be like. I woke up just a little late, drank some coffee, tinkered on the internet, picked a bit on the guitar, went to the gym, and then took in a sunset at the beach.

We don't live all that far from the ocean, but the drive there can vary from 15 to 40 minutes. This evening was one of the 40 minute drives. I seemed to catch every red light, every train crossing, every slow old lady taking her sweet time to cross the road, all as the sun was hastily making it's way towards the horizon. I got to the beach just in time to trek my way past all the crap on the beach to get a decent sunset shot.

I grew up on the ocean, and I love it. Heading to the beach here makes me feel a little closer to home even though I'm several thousand miles away. But I'm always amused and depressed by the beaches around here. Amused by the random stuff that seems to wash up on the shore, and depressed by the fact that SO MUCH random stuff washes ashore. I'll give you an idea.

Exhibit A: a daikon. This is a form of radish, and they generally get much bigger than this.

Exhibit B: a friggin onion (and a cigarette butt). Mind you, there is random produce on the beach pretty much every time I go there. Where the hell does this stuff come from?

Exhibit C: a helmet. A helmet.

Exhibit D: the debris field. It's sad really. Most of the stuff in this picture, minus a few sprigs of driftwood, is garbage. If there is this much crap ON the beach, how much is floating around nearby? Between this and the mega-jellyfish, I think I am done swimming around Kanazawa, which is really a shame, because I love nothing more than a good float in the ocean.

Japan has its share of unspoiled nature, you just have to hunt around for it.

And so tonight I sit, guitar and cocktail by my side, hoping tomorrow will be as good as today. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.