Unconnected pictures

Miscellaneous pictures today.

 

This morning I was walking by a small lumber yard and found pumpkins!  I think the owner also has a small farm and he must have brought in his pumpkin harvest.  Japanese pumpkins are not very large and come in all colors but they make great pumpkin soup!

 

And I took my camera to the crosswalk this morning to snap a couple of pictures, of course before the kids showed up.  There is a cigarette vending machine at the corner and because of the weekend's typhoon, the TOBACCO sign is barely hanging on.  On the faded and very dirty awning it says "Thank you very much".  The sign and the awning makes me think of another era.

I wonder how long this vending machine is going to be around right here in front of the elementary school and with no-smoking laws becoming stricter in Japan as well.  But I have a feeling the vending machine made a lot of business during Saturday's Sports Day.  There are No Smoking signs on school grounds and the smoking parents obediently walked the three steps to the other side of the school gate and puffed away there.  Men and women squatted on their haunches around the gate and around the school supplied ashtrays.  At least I didn't have to pick up cigarette butts on Monday morning. 

 

And my sweet shop owner friend recently adopted another kitty.  She is a beautiful creature but as with the sweet shop's two previous cats, seems to want to go outside.  This is how my friend lost her other kitties (and I found the one... now I'm traumatized.)  There are just too many cars going by this corner...  While I'm at the crosswalk, I blast my whistle at this kitty every time she tries to step through the door and so far she is cautious about running outside at least while the crosswalk guard is there.  I've made an enemy but maybe it will save her life.

 

And my own Cleo who has very little interest in going outside, is extremely happy that I have started another hand quilting project.  Cleo loves sleeping on a Work-in-Progress quilt, or under it.  He especially likes the halo effect a quilting hoop makes.