Tis the season...rainy season!

No official announcement yet, but looking at the weather forecast, it looks like we're in for drizzles and downpours for the next few weeks.  So, this drizzly Sunday, we paid a visit to the prefectural library.  The location is lovely...but the book search was a little disappointing. 

Supermarkets provide special "umbrella bags" on days like today (long plastic bags that will hold one dripping umbrella), but public buildings usually have umbrella stands.  When I first arrived in Japan, I was told to be careful or my bicycle or umbrella might be snatched...while lost wallets were often returned with ALL contents--including cash!--intact.  Having lost first bicycle on my first trip to the grocery store (it had a broken bicycle lock), at least part of the advice seemed quite likely to be true.  So, umbrella stands with locks are quite common.  Nifty, huh!

Though many people do just stick their umbrellas in, and trust they will still be there later.

Having stashed the umbrellas, we strolled into the library.  I went through the English books on the shelves (took maybe 20 minutes...)  I picked up one interesting collection by a local writer and friend that I haven't read yet (The Broken Bridge/Suzanne Kamata) and have wanted to,  and a couple of others, but not much in my favorite genre (paranormal).  Then I searched the database for more English books in my favorite genres.  On my list of 15 authors to still find, I found three...A. Christie (book I want @ the Osaka Pref. Library), R. Heinlein (@ Tokyo Library) and The Time Traveler's Wife (Hokkaido Library)...the staff will put in my requests and we'll see if I can get ahold of them for a bit.  Next weekend, I'll head to the local international association's library and hopefully have more luck getting some others that I want to read.  I haven't been to the library in awhile to search for books for me (Children's library is a visit a month...but just related to picture books for lessons) and it's still disappointing, but no surprise.  Amazon won't be losing me as a regular customer anytime soon!

 Well, after a rather frustrating search at the library (and sore eyes from their PC monitors), son and I decided to call it a day.  Feeling a bit thirsty, we stopped at one of the rows of vending machines on the way to the parking lot.  We opted for mineral water (me) and an orange soda (son) though he was tempted by the ice cream...a little chilly for it today though.  The v.m.'s are everywhere, and quite convenient, but also a bit of an eyesore dotting the landscape.

 Lined up are half of a coca-cola vending machine, an ice-cream v.m., a Poccari Sweat v.m. (sports drink), and two more that carried mostly tea and coffee.  Way at the end, you can see an orange postal box...just after the row of garbage cans for the v.m. bottles and cans.