A happy cloudy matsuri day in the mountains

Yep, today it`s rained a little, but it hasn`t stopped the mood much. First I went out to lunch with Ako and a bunch of other ladies who work at the Town office and we had pasta and coffee and fun. Then a little after we got back a small parade came down the street carrying a shrine and pulling a wagon of kids with a drum and shouting "hey heya". The shrine stops at every place of business to bring good luck, and the hard working muscle men are often given a gift of sake or beer by the businesses as gestures of good will. Which, of course, makes the whole thing a bit more merry.

The rest of my day I`ve just spent studying Japanese and trying to read a children`s book, (sadly I`ve only gotten through two pages and it`s a picture book!). I also went and sent a letter at the post office and bought a stamp all by myself. Yay, for Japanese skillz!