National holiday -- it's lovely out!

It's a national holiday in Japan today and I can hear the cheering of a baseball game over at the sports center. This is a lovely time of year in Japan. From October into December we have lovely sunny, dry, clear days where we can glimpse Fuji off our balcony. It's cold though. At night it's about 5 degrees Celsius and in the day it gets up to about 15 Celsius or so.

On Saturday I started the winter ritual of hiking with the 20-liter kerosene (we usually call it by the Japanese name "toyu", literally 'lamp oil') container down to the supermarket that pumps it in the back of the store. We then carry it up and keep it on the balcony. We have a hand pump to fill the 5-liter tank for the heater. Some neighborhoods have toyu delivery, but we don't here unfortunately. Anyway, it helps keep you fit.