Earlybird express - What's going on in Hakuba

Earlybird express -- vol.3 (March 2002 - June 2003)

16th June 2003

We have a blue flag flower pond in the Hakuba Higashiyama natural park. A wood path leads you into it. You can see the Hakuba Goryu ski slopes further in your view from there.

A blue flag flower - Ayame in Japanese. Perhaps you may call it Iris, but when Japanese people say Iris, it usually means German Iris, never does Ayame. Some are in bloom in crowds, some are in bloom not together with others.

6th May 2003

Finally Golden week is over for this year. Cherry blossoms in this area started ending in bloom. Now fresh green has been outstanding instead. We have many larch trees in this area and they are the main fresh green at this time of the year. Other plants also has been getting fresh green and they are climbing the mountains.

1st May 2003

Now cherry blossoms are in bloom here in Hakuba, 1 month later than in Tokyo. Japanese people have a special thought for cherry blossoms, hard to explain what it is. Not sure if Dutch people had the same for tulips...... When cherry blossoms are in bloom, Japanese people would hold HANAMI ( seeing flowers - usually it means seeing cherry blossoms.) You'll find some Japanese people sit around cherry blossom trees to see them drinking some alcohol.

In the pics left, there's a small woterwork. You hear it flows, a moment to relax to forget everything in your busy daily life. Other flowers are also getting in bloom here in Hakuba. Please take your look here.

9th April 2003

Been wondering when we should replace tires for our cars. Usually snow doesn't stay on the roads here but sometimes snow still falls even at this time of the year. We had 2 snowy days in the last week. You should still have chanes or snow tires for your car if you come here.

13th March 2003

It's already March now, but still have snowfalls here in Hakuba sometimes. So we still need our snowblower to help us. The snowblower in the right pic has been in charge for it since this winter season instead of the previous antique snowblower.
This one has a 2 cylinders engine of 18 HP, 2 HP stronger than the previous antique one that has a 1 cylinder engine. But it consumes a lot more gasoline than the previous one! Also, it is 10cm ( approx. 4 inches ) narrower in width, so it can get into some narrower places easier. Anyway it has a lot of buttons to operate everything, I have been learning which is for what in proporton to drive it.

13th February 2003
Tried snowscoot for the first time today.

	Snowscoot. Looks like a bicycle for ski slopes. But it doesn't have brakes on it, you have to control it completely.
	Lost balance and my right foot got on snow. Click here for Snowscoot trial gallery

22th January 2003

	Tried to hit entire Hakuba Goryu & Hakuba 47 for the first time this season today. Hakuba Goryu panolama course early in the morning. it feels even more like noble. This course is located at the top of Hakuba Goryu together with Grandprix, Technical courses. Beginners also can try this panolama course. Enough big in width, not so steep.
	Upper part of panorama course.
	This pic was taken at the bottom of panorama course. If you could try this course early in the morning on weekdays, no one bothers. It was around 8:30 a.m.
	Hakuba 47 Route 4. Half pipe, Jump equipments available. A lot of snowboarders enjoy them.
	Hakuba Goryu Grand-prix course. Recommendable for intermediates.

15th January 2003

As we got snow earlier this season, I got tired from removing snow even before Christmas 2002. Sometimes some cars get stucked in snow because they don't have chaines. Depends on tire size, sometimes chaines are not easily available here, so just prepare them before you come here. We have to note, we can never conquer nature.

23th November 2002

Happo one, Sun-Alpina Kashimayari also got in business from today. Not all the lifts there are available at this moment, so please check the details to each and every ski slope.

16th November 2002

Hakuba Goryu ski slope finally got in busness today.
Hakuba47 provides some lifts as well as Goryu. You can enjoy both slopes with a common ski pass. Happo one is also preparing their business scheduled from 23th Nov. Get ready to hit ski slopes everyone!!!!!!!

1st November 2002

We got a heap of snowfall at this time of the year from 29th night through 30th morning October. It was a peak time for autumn foliage, but felt as if winter had come suddenly. It's been cold since then, sometimes cloudy or rainy. Upper ski slopes are often covered with cloud. Hope ski slopes will get in business soon. Everyone has to be ready for it!! This pic left was taken on 30th Oct.2002

23th October 2002

Autumn foliages are getting down to the bottom of mountains here in Hakuba. The temperture difference between daytime and night gets bigger, the color gets clearer. This pic is just infront of our inn. Time for us to prepare for winter, we have already done some to let herbs survive winter. Click here if you were interested in it.

21th September 2002

Fruits harvesting time has come!. As we stated in our web site, we went to a grape farm.

	We harvested grapes from the trellis cutting each and every carefully. Grape trellis is not that tall in height. They say that they have grown grape trees good in height for the main harvester in the farmer family members. This trellis is apporximately 160cm ( 5'3" )in height, so it's not so hard for people shorter than that. But a bit hard for us....
	Each and every grape bunch is covered with a piece of paper not to be eaten by bugs and birds.
	We harvested enough. It's really good to eat some soon after harvesting. Perhaps it's a privillege for people live in countrysides.

29th August 2002

It suddenly got more like cold rather than cool after mid august. Since some days ago it has been hot again. Saw the temperture indicator above the Route 148 besides the Lake Aoki yesterday 11:20 a.m. It said it was 27 C. I know it's much cooler than big cities like in Tokyo, but if we once got used to this cool weather, we are to feel even this temperture being hot .... Thought our needs never stop demanding something....

22th July 2002

2 typhoones had hit Japan in the preious week, now the rainy season is over.... Summer has come!
	Basils we have grown. They just germinated about 1 1/2 months ago as we described it in this page on 3rd June 2002.
	Some instructors showed their jump to us at the opening ceremony of Hakuba Goryu Air field. It seemed a lot hard to get to the land after they jumped in water.....
	Hakuba snowharp crosscountry competition was held on 20th and 21th July 2002. Click here.

1st July 2002

Camomiles have already finished in bloom, basils have gotten raised up instead. We transplanted all of them into some small pots. As it had been colder than usual in previous June, basils look smaller at this time of the year. But we hope they will grow good when sun shines enough.

22th June 2002

Camomiles still have been in bloom. Time for seeds of first flowers to get dropped on the ground. Vegitables also have been growing up, we put a plastic roof for tomatoes to survive rainy season. We can find some tomatoes have already appeared, but still they look green in color.

3rd June 2002
	It's time for camomiles to get in bloom here in Hakuba. We enjoy camomile tea putting some fresh flowers or dried ones into a tea pot. They say it works to sleep good and to get rid of tiredness. Usually it is said good to harvest harbs in the morning in a sunny day. This camomile is a German camomile that is an anual plant, but it widespreads its seeds after blooming, so we can enjoy it every year. But it survive strongly widespreading its seeds, so we have to get rid of some or transplant a lot.
	Potatoes. Can easily get raised up. We dont need to give water at all. Just need to put some furmetted leaves and manures when we put it into a field and need to select some main branches, add manures and earth up later. Very suitable stuff to lazy people like us! Usually harvest in top August.
	Basils are germinating. They need 20C (68F) to germinate, so we have to wait for seeding them by late May here in Hakuba. We cant wait for some spaghetti with this basils and home made tomato sauce from home made tomatoes!!
	As we have sometimes late frost even at this time of the year, we protect tomatoes from frost with some poles and plastic like this pic. Pure red and mature tomatoes are the kings in summer!
	What we call "snap endou". Beans grow grabbing anything with their tendrils, so we need to put poles just besides them. Beans also can easily get raised up, we dont need to be so nervous about giving water and manures. But depends on kinds, some need them. Beans usually dont like to be transplanted.

23th May 2002

Fresh green is getting clearer and clearer day by day. Small birds like titmice, check-a-dees seem to busy to breed. Still a bit cold to seed basil, but it's already time for it, so we did.

10th May 2002

Ski season for 2001-2002 was over. Now time to enjoy fresh green. We put potatos and transplanted tomatoes in a field. Our guests will have them in their dinner or breakfast table in summer.

22th April 2002

Finally cherry blossoms started being in bloom here in Hakuba as well. 10 days or 2 weeks earlier than usual. Apple flowers, apricot flowers in Nagano and Koshoku area may also be in bloom soon ( or maybe already get in bloom )

7th April 2002

It's getting warmer and warmer day by day even in Hakuba. Guess probably the warmest April after we moved here. One of wild grasses what Japanese call "Fukinotou" appeared here and there to tell people spring has come.

14th March 2002

It's getting a bit warmer nowadays here in Hakuba, but we still don't see any cherry blossoms started being bloom in yet. We got tons of snowfalls especially in this January, so all ski slopes have still enough snow to hit. Probably in this coming spring school break time, you can enjoy a lot of skiing/snowboarding here. Why don't you plan some?

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