snobee

Ger - had another big dump on my hill in Takamatsu of 4~5cms. Caused havoc with the locals who mainly stayed indoors coz their cars went slippy slippy. I too was worried about a big snowpack slide when walking the dog on the trails. You know the unexpected rumble of a 10cm drift burying poor Dingo - the dog -　and being caught out with no shovel. But that's why on such ventures I always carry my boy scout camping mug with sealable lid filled to the brim with life saving salt of the earth - usually shiraz. Never know how long you might be stuck.

A good read Oyuki - expresses my slant well. Having grown up in Oz living for half of my time there on farms and in the countryside, I'm glad meat's not a part of my life now and hasn't been for years. I'm commonly asked here why I don't eat meat - you know the ol' Ozzie beef thing - and most people seemed surprised when I explain that it's mainly because of the enormous land degradation that the stock industry has inflicted upon old oz. Followed by the insanely out-of-balance sustainability of meat production esp factoring in the units of protein required to produce units of pr

My personal fave poached egg is one done in red wine. None of that crappy cooking wine - a full bodied cab sav. On a piece of toasted multi-grain with freshly chopped parsley. A great breakfast treat and seeing the bottles open the day only gets better.

BM is Truly the speed demon and tuff ala Herminator.

Camerata - you'll be fine with sunnies. I've heard - only heard mind you - that the worse cases of sno-blindness come from hanging around behind the gondola sheds and such like places.

Aomo - Takamatsu Kagawa - famous for Udon and infamous for no snow. BP - Good you got out. Sounded worthwhile for the day, but I was surprised that area didn't get a big dump (according to the reports). It's definitely a bummer if Mizuho's valleyside is closed. I don't want to go there again with only mountain open. I was so lucky a coupla weeks back - all open, all fluffy & few peeps. Maybe this weekend will be pretty good. I'll be waiting with hi-way ETC card in hand, but it'd have to be the goods to fork out the mean travel costs. All hi-ways should be free to encourage m

Anyone out thissa-way get into it today? 10cm fell at my house on the hill in Takamatsu so I'd expect a dump somewhere in Hiroshima, Shimane or Tottori. Tomorrow & on looks sweet but just can't squeeze my hours. P'raps the weekend if it keeps up.

Can't say I agree with some posters. I've always found the postal service here prompt. On international posts I'm inclined to think delays may be from t'other side. Today - Sunday - it snowed all day here in what is generally non-snowing turf, and the postie parked his bike down the hill and was walking house to house with deliveries slipping & sliding all over the place. Could I get that service in Oz - no f'kin way!!!!

Too bad Frannyo - I hope it all resolves itself for the better. Last year I screeched the lumbering 4wd to a halt as an 8 yr old girl raced into the intersection from the footpath without looking. Freaked the shit out of her (& me) as my tyre came to a rest against her leg & pedal - literally. 5cm's on - broken leg and more and my name would be mud. So I just blasted the hell out of her for not riding carefully while shaking uncontrollably with fear. Many Bike riders and road users in general here operate in the twighlight zone and unfortunately while they destroy their ow

Bobby - all things considered - you'd probably really like Adelaide. No snow - but very pleasant city, much on offer but without the clamour of the bigger places. By the same token 1.2million live there so it's not the backwater East-siders often try to portray as. Indo - what does your bros do as a first year tradesman to earn A$200,000 a year? And where does he work? Gotta have a whiff of that.

Hey Bushy - good to see you're as active as ever. Haven't posted for a long while. I'll Post if going your again - maybe a chance to catch up. ThunderP - sounds like you made a positive lifestyle decision , which may be out of the comfort zone - intitially at least. Moving on often requires relinquishing a hold on something, and in your case boarding often. But nice gains though it seems. Good luck with it all. Hiroshima/Shimane not too far away though. Ger - Canadian Sean - I know him well. Didn't mix with the JET crowd much esp after getting married. Yes - re Sakaide not a part

Navi came with the car (2nd hand) - just standard toyota thingy. Before that,I also thought Mapple was the-way-to-go, BUT now, no way. Navi-chan just explains/shows it so clearly and has proven to be correct most of the time by far. Her only confused moments have been when on new roads or she says turn at the next street and like thats not a street thats a path. I'm not a real Techy, but would want Navi to be in my next car for sure. Negotiating streets & driving countryside here can be boggling to say the least - she just makes it so much simpler.

Back from from 4 days of pretty sweety stuff @ Mizuho & Tenguston. Perfect timing. All courses open, dry snow and not crowded altho don't know about Mizuho today - went to Tengu for the morning. Stayed in a nice, cheap Onsen to top it off. If you can get your timing right definitely a nice area to spend a coupla days or more. ThunderP: You're not quite near Shimane are you. But you're not so far from Miyazaki. They've got a ski jo which may be a quick fix if you're hanging out for a slide. And howz Island life suiting you? It seems pretty idyllic if that's what you want - prob

Welcome to the "civilised" part of the country, BUT where is Tanegashima???? I'll let you know how it fairs!

Greetings everyone for the new year - haven't posted for a long time but I'm back. And so's the SNOW. So good to see such a dumping out here. Mizuho's had over 100cm drop up top and it's still -5c max. So heading off for a few days tomorrow with the wife & kids. If anyone else is venturing out for not so common Shimane powder, and you see a BIG grin skiing with 2 billy lids say H'lo. Gotta celebrate this fall. Wouldn't be dead for quids.

Souby - I'll second that. Spent many a bissful hour sky-gazing out bush with preferred intoxicant and chosen company. I've seen aliens, gold raining down, UFO's (near Alice Springs USA big secret tracking station), and things that grown men shouldn't even talk about. The Oz outback & a night sky. Damn mother of a Close Encounter.

Jeez Indo - Redheads are to Bluey as Footy is to Crows. You musta grown up in the wrong burbs. Or never lived in the country. True Blue.

Good cheap wine & bread for the morning, lunch & afternoon break. Oh ....and no crowds, long runs, good snow and fast lifts.

Ozzy redheads (males anyway) are often called "Bluey" as in the colour blue.

Ah - good ol' GG. The Poetess of Postulations. Great Intellect rarely comprehends the mundane - dirty spark plugs and the like.

Electric cars are Futile? Could you elaborate a little on that please? Apparently 80% of all kilometres travelled are made in short trips within 20~30 k's from home. Long range simply is not necessary for the majority. Hybrid technology is not the be all and end all. No one has ever said it was. But it is an important stepping stone in the evolution of people carriers irregardless of what Nissan's learned Mr Ghosn says. Plant generated electricity is simply so much more cost effective and easier on the environment - plug ins WILL be important for a long time.

To put little Ikawa Ski-jo in perspective check out their site. www.ikawaski.jp/ We're talking mom & pop type small operation, with a big twist. It's operated (in part?)by the local town so probably has access to a bit of extra cash. Which means snow making begins in earnest early November and they keep it up for the duration. Also they have an interesting micro-climate. North facing and at a pinch over 1,000m's they are one of the first peaks to recieve freezing moist air that passes over the Seto Inland Sea. A kind of miniature version of the Japn Sea phenomena. Consistently

I think f'dane means those xings that are 2 lanes on the approach but revert to a single lane for the actual crossing. I've got one nearish to my place and the rule is generally; 'He/She who arrived 1st, goes 1st' But then another rule often comes into play; 'He/She who drives the BIGGEST car, goes 1st.' So if I'm driving the GW (global warmer 4wd) I'm always 1st, but if it's the wifes lil' Duet - it's the other BIG guy or aggression (it's not aggro, it's self belief I tell her) that wins out.

Actually had a different name when I first joined in '99 (I think) and was a bit(?) drunk one night and couldn't get it right to log in, so I thought shyt, I'll just register again with a new id (freudian). Something deep, witty, meaningful......? At my feet was my then 2yr olds plastic ski set - playthings at the best - made by that famous little kiddies snow toys company - Snobee. Yeh - that'll do.

Yeh Bushy - pretty damn miserable warnit? Basically wasted the years piggy bank sno trip savings on 2 "Adventures in Futility". Actually lil' 'ol Ikawa skijo in Tokushima only closed last Sunday. Opened mid-November giving it an almost 4 month season in a shytty year. In Shikoku we CAN get blood from a stone