Snow Poles

Over the weekend we noticed that the snow poles have been going up around the base. These poles are about six feet tall with reflective tape along the top, they help one to know where the road is during a snow storm. When the snow is falling one cannot differentiate side walk from street, so you follow the reflective bits on the poles and are able to keep the vehicle on the road.

We are leaving Misawa in March. The snow is usually not melted yet in March. While there is snow on the ground, it snows between 100 and 200 inches per year here, we don't travel around very much. The roads get so much snow that many are closed, and the ones left open are difficult to navigate. We usually stick pretty close to the base during the winter.

It feels all of a sudden like we have to go visit all our favorite places one last time. I haven't had this feeling before, because I was thinking that we had all the time in the world to say goodbye to Japan. But, really, we have until the first big snowfall. Seeing those poles go up, makes me realize that the time I have in Japan is coming to an end.

This weekend is a holiday weekend and we have plans for each and everyday to go somewhere we love and say goodbye. Northern Japan is so lovely, mountains, lakes, nature trails, fields of rice and soy beans, rolling hills, it is just so beautiful. Saying goodbye will be bitter sweet. I am so excited to be going to America and so sad to be leaving Japan.

Off to gymnastics. . .