Naomi and I went to the White Mountain National Forest on Saturday. The weather was hot and humid—unusual for this time of year, especially since the temperatures reached 93°F. This is also one of the busiest weekends to travel to this park. While it would have been nice to be at the cool summit of Mt. Washington, we had no desire to jostle with the crowds. We had lunch at the bottom of the auto road and simply enjoyed the view. Click on the image for a larger view.
Tag Archives: Black & White
Mountains of the Moon
Apollo 15 was the first mission to use a lunar rover. One of the mission destinations was Rima Hadley. This sinuous rille, a river-like channel, is about 80 miles or 120 km in length and rises about 1,200 ft. or 370 m from the landing site. I created this composite of the side of Rima Hadley from images from NASA’s Project Apollo Archive. David Scott and James Erwin were the lunar crew, with Alfred Warden remaining in orbit. Click on the image for a larger view.
Earthrise
This image is from the newly released Project Apollo Archive by NASA of the pictures taken during the Apollo missions. While the crew never reached the surface of the moon, Apollo 8 was the first time humans had left Earth’s orbit and orbited another celestial body. It was the first time we could view our planet from a place other than Earth. The crew on that mission was William Anders, Frank Borman, and James Lovell. Click on the image for a larger view.
A Message from Hakusan Creation
Naomi and I want to thank all our visitors to our site for coming so regularly. This year seems to be shaping up to be an exciting one for us. We hope to announce a few publishing projects in the coming months as well as a few projects we would like to publish through our site.
For a little over a year, we have been posting five times a week. It has been fun, if not challenging. But because of our publishing projects and a desire to keep our posts as fresh and interesting as possible, we will be cutting back a bit to three posts a week.
As always, if you would like to see this photograph taken in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire a little larger, click on the image.
Satori
Satori is the Japanese word for enlightenment, awakening. Zen Buddhist believe this does not happen gradually, but comes like a clap of thunder. D. T. Suzuki, the Japanese Buddhist scholar and philosopher, describes it as “seeing into your own nature,” “…to see our own ‘original face’ even before we were born, to hear the cry of the crow even before it was uttered, to be with God even before he commanded the light to be.”
The image is of Binzuru on the island of Miyajima in western Japan. I have written about the legend of this charming figure before. This type of scarf is popular with school girls and a kind offering this time of year. Click on the image for a larger view.
Happy 2015
Naomi and I wish you a wonderful and prosperous new year.
By the Japanese calendar, this is the year of the sheep (but not the goat). Click on the image for a larger view.
New Years Eve in Tokyo
New Years is a big deal in Japan. It is simply not a party during the evening of December 31st. It begins then, but will be celebrated for the next several weeks. January is a month of firsts—the first visit to a shrine or temple (hatsumode), the first drawing of water, the first calligraphy, the first day of business, and so on.
This is the main gate to Meiji Shrine, the largest shrine in Tokyo. In the first three days of 2010, 3.2 million people visited this shrine. When you think that most people leave a ¥100 coin (about a dollar) as an offering, New Years is an important time for these places. Click on the image for a larger view.
Ueno—On the Streets of Tokyo
Ueno is home to the the largest zoo in Tokyo. The zoo is famous for its pandas. The entrance is lined by vendors you find at most Japanese tourist attractions. Click on the image for a larger view.
Conversation
A small fishing town south of Tokyo, Japan. Click on the image for a larger view.
Barn
The barn is the quintessential piece of New England architecture—the Ansel Adams photograph commonly published that is not from the west coast is of a barn in New Hampshire. These structures reflect simultaneously the area’s vibrant agricultural tradition and its decline. Click on the image for a larger view.
