We had another great day on Monday- perfect views of all the mountains in Nagano (could be exaggerating, but that's how it felt). I didn't take my camera because we took the train again and I've got a lot to carry now that I own my own skis & boots. Don't worry, I'll be out there a lot between now and whenever the snow melts. It still seems just unbelievable that I live ON the train line that heads to some of the biggest and best (and with the Olympics- probably most famous) ski resorts in Japan. I just get on the train at my little station with hot chocolate and skis in hand, plop down for a hour of breathtaking rural Japan rushing past my window, then get off at the bottom of the hill at the main entrance to one of my favorite parks. Its just too easy!

Speaking of snow, we got dumped on last night. Predictably, since Jaclyn and I had planned to take the car in to get our snow tires put on. It snowed about an inch in the time it took us to get home and go grocery shopping, so we decided to postpone the tire run and just not drive. Woke up to a bright white Misato- one of those mornings when it looks like God opened up a jar of marshmallow goo and dumped. Not trusting Herby in his summer tires, we walked to school and got to really enjoy the fresh snow (and the lack of adequate plowing/salting). There's more snow predicted on and off this week so it should stay pretty for several days at least!

Tomorrow I'm off after school for the Nozawa Onsen Dosojin Matsuri- one of the three biggest, most important fire festivals in Japan. I don't know a lot about it except that it apparently features men running around with portable shrines and a lot of fire. Nozawa Onsen is one of the most picturesque places I've been in the prefecture, and they get feet of snow at a time, so it should be quite something. I will be sure to take my camera, though I've been warned that anything I bring or wear could go home with several burn holes...