Lemon Beagles can jump!

Running in the clover with the little soccer ball

Today we took Daisy to the dog park. The dog park provides a little box with some used balls for the dogs to play with there. Daisy likes to root around and select one from the box when we go there. Today she chose a small rubber 'soccer' ball. Ken was with us today and he was letting her jump for the soccer ball while I got some action shots with my new camera. She looks funny when she is jumping. She jumps on command (mostly).

Enjoy the pics!




All that jumping makes a Beagle tired! Here are a few pictures of some of the breaks she would take around the water bowl (she likes to put the ball in the water bowl sometimes!).

Golf with Daisy in Ibaraki, Kashimanomori C.C.

Daisy on the cart, ready to start!

This week, we found a place to golf in nearby Ibaraki that is dog friendly. This place was more welcoming to dogs than anywhere we've ever been before. Daisy was allowed to walk with us into the lobby and also during the lunch break, she was allowed to be in the room with us while we ate, though not in the main dining room. They even had a little bowl of water waiting for her!

We all had a great time. The place was called Kashimanomori Country Club and it only takes about an hour or so from our place, that is CLOSE for Tokyo area! It had very nice greens, not too fast and not too bumpy, so we had some very nice putts. There were however tons of bunkers and quite a bit of water. I managed to get myself in the bunkers pretty often on this day! But one needs to practice getting out of them once in a while and I managed to do so fairly well. Lunch was included and the locker rooms and hot spring bath was very nice. We already have reserved our next game there in a few weeks!

One view of the golf course, a kind of cloudy part of the day.

Here I am working my way out of one of the many bunkers!

Daisy was so funny! She really watched us as we would get ready to swing our club, then just like a human spectator, she'd watch the direction that the ball sailed off to. It was a little hot this day once the sun came out, so we got her T-shirt wet and put it on her to keep her cool. It worked really good, she wasn't even panting. We thought about getting ourselves wet too!

Here is a kind of photo log of how the day went. Video a the end of the post is cute of her running on the fairway. It was so cool that this place allows the dogs off the cart (just had to keep her off the greens and out of the bunkers).

In the car on the way to the Country Club, Daisy didn't mind getting up early to go "bye bye" in the car!

Enjoying a break in the grass with Ken.

After 17 holes and nearly 5 hours, I'm feeling alittle sleepy!

Just a few minutes later, after we started the 18th hole,
she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore!

Wow, it's amazing how cozy this cart is!

When we got home, she had dinner and then headed directly for her crate and passed out. Doesn't she look like a fat Caterpillar here? She was snoring like a freight train but slightly opened her eyes when she heard the camera switch on for this photo.

Video of Daisy and Ken running down the fairway as I drive by on the golf cart.

Summer 2008 Nagoya Exhibition

Memory Wire Necklace with a handblown glass bead, Aquamarine and Ruby colored Garnets. Silver "Daisy" beads between the gemstones and dangle accents on the ends of the necklace.

This summer, as usual, I had an exhibition for my Princess T line of jewelry at Art Space Sou in Nagoya. It is so nice to go to Nagoya for the weekend and meet up with some of my loyal customers, enjoy the other exhibitor's creations in the gallery (especially Miki Miyano and Naomi Kazawa's lampworked beads) but mostly it's great to visit with my friend Miki and her husband in Toyota city. I had a lovely time this year! The time past by so quickly!

This year I kept my displays pretty simple. I also kept the jewelry designs a bit simple this year as well, focusing mostly on just a few design types, such as Lariat/Wrap style necklaces and adjustable necklaces on a knotted cotton or linen cord. I also enjoyed working with Memory Wire for necklaces and bracelets this year. People really liked the free sizing of the Memory Wire and the ease of putting on and taking off the jewelry made with it.

In the previous post, I introduced Sora-chan, the sweet kitten I got to play with while staying with my friend Miki, but here are some photos from my show and from some sights around Nagoya I hope you will enjoy. I am working on posting some videos as well soon so check back!

Display with mostly Memory Wire Necklaces and Bracelets

Display with many Lariat/Wrap style Necklaces

A fun adjustable chain necklace with Mother of Pearl ovals, beautifully clear Smoky Quartz nuggets, Tiger's Eye, one Fresh Water Pearl and a gorgeous piece of Gold and Black Rutillated Quartz for the pendant.

Some adjustable knotted cord necklaces in blues

A spiral shaped building in Downtown Nagoya. Each of the triangular glass/windows are a different size due to the shape of the building, not one is exactly the same!

A more distant view of the spiral building

The cleanest bus stop I've ever seen, though most everything is very clean in Japan. I don't think there was one fingerprint on the glass here! Can you imagine seeing such a clean bus stop in USA? Not in Los Angeles that is for sure!

This is a sort of mannequin used on the back of a road construction truck to warn drivers that they are approaching a construction area. You see these in Japan from time to time. He has a flashing yellow light on his shoulder and his right arm moves the flag in his hand up and down. From a distance, it looks like a real person sometimes, especially at night. It is a good idea actually since a live person standing on the road doing this job can be really putting themselves in danger.

Sora, a most fortunate kitten

This is Sora. He belongs to my friends, the Miyano family in Toyota City (near Nagoya). I was visiting with them this weekend when I went to my show (exhibition) at Art Space Sou, which began on this past Saturday.

Sora was rescued shortly after he was born. It seems his mother was a stray cat and that she abandoned her kittens. Some of Sora's brother's and sisters didn't make it, but the Miyano family kindly took Sora in and hand fed him for the first 2 weeks they had him. He had to be fed with a kind of medicine dropper with a special formula since he was too weak to even drink/eat from a bottle. But after the 2 weeks, he started eating on his own and has gotten stronger and stronger. Now he is a very robust kitten who will be 3 months old soon. He is very loved and well cared for by his family. He is a very lucky little kitten!

I had alot of fun playing with him. He thinks he is a big and vicious lion! He really enjoys to tear into you with his needle-like teeth if you aren't paying attention, like any kitten his age. When he is being calm and relaxed, he starts purring right away when he sees you.

Aren't his markings adorable? I especially like the black spot that is right on the end of his chin. He is a real sweetie and I really enjoyed him. It's been a while since I've been able to spend time with a small kitten.

Sora in a mid-air jump trying to reach the fuzzy pink toy we were playing with.

One of Sora's first pictures when he was quite small.

CHECK OUT THE NEWLY POSTED VIDEOS BELOW! Sora is very funny!