Page 16 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Chinese Hackberry (May 22, 2010)



Dear Stephanie

I shot the photo of this Chinese Hackberry that stands by the　front yard entrance this morning. The other day I met an old woman. " It has stood here quite a while. " said the woman looking up at the Chinese Hackberry. I said hello to her on her walk. It was the first time for me to have seen her though she told me she often passed by my house. " I have become the oldest in the village." She looked lonesome. Then a shade of short stature that straightened up was leisurely going away toward the coming dusk. I wondered how old the mossy Chinese Hackberry was looking up at it.

Love
Terry

Page 15 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Rhododendrons in the drizzle (May 19, 2010)


Dear Stephanie

Look at these rhododendrons. Aren't they beautiful? It was drizzling. The sky was gray. But they were really proud of their beauty. They were shinning. Don't you think so? I was attracted by them immediately when I got out of the entrance this morning. Actually they are really fine in the sunshine, but they are more beautiful in the drizzle just like you. You are always bright and shinning. You are my sunshine, and also your mother's one. Remember that. I love you.

Terry

Page 14 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Light and Shade (May 12, 2010)


Dear Stephanie

How are you? How is your mother? Did she go to the doctor this month? What did the doctor say? Tell me about that.
By the way this is the entrance of my house. Today I tried to take an interesting photo to show " light and shade" using the backlight. I shot from the inside of the house. I heard that people had a custom to keep the dark inside the house in the countryside. When the sliding door of the entrance is closed, you need light. The vivid color of the outside comes out in the space kept open wide. The rhododendrons look brightly red among the fresh green of May. The rhododendrons and azaleas in the yard are in full bloom now. I wish I could show you them...sometime.

Love
Terry

Page 13 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Miyama-Rhododendron (Apr. 25, 2010)



Dear Stephanie

It was 6:43 pm. The sun was sinking. The bright colors of the sunset through the bamboo forest I own were backlight from this angle, but you can see the Miyama- Rhododendrons shine beautiful. Miyama means "in the depths of a mountain". It is prohibited to bring them back out of mountains. It is illegal but the previous owner of my house worked at mountains, so he did. Anyway they are very beautiful. He enables me to enjoy them. I have to thank him. It is dark now. You cannot see the rhododendrons in the bamboo forest any more. I am going to bed. Good night.

Love
Terry

Page 12 of My Book " Photo Lettter "

Rice Paddy Shelves (Apr. 25, 2010)


Dear Stephanie

Have you ever seen " rice paddy shelves " like these? Long ago there was not much arable land in the places among the hills. People had a hard time bringing slopes of the hills under cultivation struggling against many difficulties. So we call such reclaimed land among the hills rice paddy shelves. These spread down 1.6miles. They were plowed and filled with water waiting for transplantation of rice seedlings around Jun. Rice is delicious here in Sugeo. Because underground water of Mt. Aso, an active volcano springs out and the difference of the temperature between day and night is large. I think the rice paddy shelves are a nice sightseeing spot to town dwellers. I really want to show you. I love you.

Terry

Page 11 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Carp Streamers Swimming across the Brook(Apr. 5. 2010)


Dear Stephanie

In Japan May 5th is ' Children's Day '. But it was once called ' Boys' Festival '. Families used to set up carp streamers to celebrate their boy’s growth. Boys were cherished better than girls before the World WarⅡ. We usually put up a streamer's pole on Children's Day, but these days a birth rate is decreasing, so we seldom do. These carp streamers were contributed by people who saved used ones. They are vigorously swimming in the blue sky of May like children. Every year they are hung there to have people pleased. I am sure you will like the photo. I hope your mother will be able to enjoy it.

Love
Terry

Page 10 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Mountains of Takamori in the wet evening (Mar. 8, 2010)


Dear Stephanie

I was on my way home from the Kumamoto Air Port after seeing off my friend. I was driving through the town of Takamori in the evening. It was drizzling. The mountains were seen ahead in the rainy clouds. Everything ran lightly. It looked just like a black-and-white painting. I pulled over the car and stood out in the drizzle with my camera at the ready. The nice photo was taken. That made me satisfied. Then I drove home over the mountain pass of Takamori. So I am sending the photo to you with my love, and also big hug and kiss!

Love
Terry

Page 9 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Digital Photo Art
Wintry Thicket (Feb. 17, 2010)


Dear Stephanie

I went for a walk this afternoon. The weather was fine. I went into the wintry thicket. Most of the trees dropped all the leaves and became bare. Just Japanese cedars seen from between the trees were green. The dead leaves were rustling under the shoes. I artistically processed the photo like this. You can see the rice paddy harvested yellow down there. It was nice and warm and then calm and bright just like spring in the thicket even though it is in the middle of winter. I believe I succeeded in expressing the feeling of this in the photo. Don't you think so? I hope you like it. Say hello to your mother.

Love
Terry

Page 8 of My Book "Photo Letter"

Maki Shrine (Feb. 5, 2010)


Dear Stephanie

Today I went to get a therapeutic system relying on manipulation of bones and muscles. It seems like chiropractic. It is about 50 minute's ride from Sugeo. My left shoulder, legs and back hurt me. I screamed on the bed. He did not care about it at all. But after that I felt really comfortable. He is good. I visited "Maki Shrine" where is not far from there. It was just being rebuilt. What you see in front of you is a guardian dog. A shrine usually has a pair of them. Many people visit this shrine on New Year's Day. I prayed for your mother's early recovery and your health. I have been always thinking of you. You say sometimes you lose track of time and days get away from you taking care of your mother in bed. I wish I could help you.

Love
Terry

Page 7 of My Book "Photo Letter "

Brush Art "Woman"(Feb. 3, 2010)


Dear Stephanie

Thank you for your letter. I can see that your mother is so stubborn and makes you nervous and irritating. You must have been very pre-occupied handling things at your mom. You have to be alert to take care of her. By the way I just finished my brush art "Woman". As you know, I try to challenge things nobody does. Brush art is one of them. I artistically write the letters of the alphabet with a Japanese brush. This is a new field of art. How do you like this work? First of all I wrote "Woman" on the thin Japanese paper, and then I put it on red styrene paper. You can see that "Woman" has blood through the thin paper. She is now alive. This is the only one in the world drown as a nude in Japanese brush, which I am sure nobody has ever seen like this. Take care.

Love
Terry