Got the bike fixed! Maron reacquainted with basket travel. Putting her poopy bag and another bag of maybe-needed stuff in the basket might make the wire basket more rather than less comfortable. Maybe it's just because she's almost a year older since we did it last but she seemed more settled or relaxed than before. She's very trusting and just waits to be carried down: nice for taking photos and avoiding the stress of grabbing her before the bike, the leash and both of us all get tangled up in mood-ruining heap. I was wondering if the biking made her nervous but after waiting patiently she was up on her back legs helping to hurry up the start of the Saturday adventures. She got to see the Mimata Library to the left, the ridges to the right as we rolled toward the RinRin Community cafeteria: the place to be every 1st and 3rd Saturday! Not that many people today which may have been a nice break for the volunteers. Two of the Moms involved in the constellation of good stuff: the Free NIght School, the alternive space for school-challenged children... They do a "Play Park" 2 or 3 times a week: usually weekdays outside a facility next to the library but the 3rd Saturday is up above a big local park (great cherry blossom trees, a sliding board and monkey bars section...) where a nearby community group built a roofed over wooden floor to view the whole basin: you can see Mimata and Miyakonojyo. It's good exercise walking up there, feel those legs stretching while stepping up the steep slope. It's challenging drive too, narrow road, impressive drop on one side at places. I ran down to guide some new buddies from the RinRin 地域食堂(子供食堂) up, and the nice Mom got herself to drive up with her 7yo daughter in spite of me chatting a mile a minute, wonder if they were worried I was taking them to a Chihiro/Sen "Spirited Away" place. Lucky to arrive before I got tossed. Academy Show BioCha and Cucumbers with Miso! No gorging to anger the gods: very wholesome. #柴犬 #三股町 #上米公園 #りんりん食堂

Hot Sunday afternoon for running errands but the top of this park, Mimata Town's KamiYone Park (or Kabayama Park after the remains of the Kabayama Castle here?), was nice and cool. I'll have to remember to come here in August and see if there is still a nice, cool breeze coming up through the trees with that pleasant humus, composting leaf litter smell... Might need mosquito coils or something in the summer though, but it might be a nice place to breathe and read during the most punishing times of summer..

#MimataTown #MaronTheShiba #KamiYonePark #KabayamaPark #三股町 #柴犬 #上米公園 #樺山公園 #樺山城

The panorama setting on the camera is helping me get a view of the ridge walk. The efflorescence of Castonopsis tress on the left border the Kamione park. Walking up the forestry road that runs along the side of the park gets you over a ridge to where you can follow another down around this valley to come out among a cluster of houses. It's a nice walk with enough of a slope for a workout sort of feel to it. And the variety forest is interesting: the relatively bright sections of large well-spaced Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar) trees, dark sections of small densely planted Cryptomeria and a great section of large Lucydophil (照葉樹林 しょうようじゅりん or Laurel) trees...

#RidgeWalk #KamiYoneRidgeWalk #尾根散歩 #上米公園 #三股町上米公園 #上米尾根散歩