Hasami Scarecrow Festival

I debated and debated joining the Officers Spouses Club, as I don't like being exclusive and I don't care wether or not someone's husband is enlisted or and officer. As long as we get along, I like you and you like me, we're good. However, I do like meeting people and I really wanted to explore Sasebo and the surrounding areas and I knew that OSC has outings every month and that I would enjoy my time spent doing things with the group. So, finally I decided I would join and I'm really glad I did!! Our first trip was to Hasami, a very small country town, known for it's pottery and also it's scarecrow festival every year. Josh came along with me, as he took some time off of work last week and hasn't been exploring much since arriving here in June. 

   Hasami was so beautiful! Tons of mountains, rice fields and beautiful japanese style homes. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our trip there.

A tribute to the Japanese women's soccer team on their win. She is hunched over because after years of working in the rice fields,  many people's spines are permanently bent this way.

                                Tribute to the men who responded to the disaster at the Fukushima Nuclear plant.

                                              

                                                   Josh and we think Moammar Kadafi.

Working in the garden.

This house was so beautiful. It was built in the middle of rice fields. Such a peaceful view of the mountains and rice fields blowing in the fall breeze. Unbelievably beautiful!

We are pretty sure this is supposed to be President Obama.

A field worker using a make shift squatty potty. This one had us all laughing. While we were taking pictures of this a few Japanese women join us and started being silly with the "pee". A good time was had by all enjoying this kakashi (scarecrow).

The edge of a rice paddy. They are so beautiful blowing in the breeze. I took so many pictures of rice paddy's it's not funny, but I'll only post a few!

                                       

These red flowers are planted along the edges of the rice fields. When the flower blooms, that means it's about time to harvest the rice. These flowers were blooming!

A view down the road. I love how all of the rice paddy's are "stacked" all the way up the hill. 

  After we were done enjoying the Kakashi's and the unbelievable scenery, we drove down the road to a beautiful little restaurant that has been lovingly named Hasami Pizza, although I'm fairly certain that is not the actual name of this restaurant. The owners were very sweet and generous. This woman made all of us tea, a few cups at a time, with her tea pot. Isn't she beautiful?!?

(Photo courtesy of Michelle Brownlee)

Her husband made us many, many pizzas in an old pottery kiln. The pizzas weren't like american pizza, but rather like a burrito shell, with fresh veggies straight from their garden and some mozzarella cheese on top. Everything tasted wonderful and they were so great with us all. Smiling and laughing with us. It still amazes me how grateful they were to have us there. The Japanese are so opposite most people in America. Always thanking me for coming to their restaurant or shopping at their store. The other day a gardner in our neighborhood thanked me for saying hello to her. Strange to be thanked for just being nice to someone who works so hard to keep my neighborhood nice and neat. I should be thanking her, not the other way around. 

 (Photo courtesy of Colleen Rettig)

He also was kind enough to let me get back behind the pizza making station, so  could get a photo of him putting a pizza into the kiln. 

 
   All in all this was a GREAT day! I got to spend it with some lovely ladies and my fantastic husband. We saw some beautiful sights, ate some great food and had a lot of laughs on the way home with our good friend Michelle!