Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!


I am wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year. I hope that you all have had a wonderful Christmas, and will have a happy, safe, and successful New Year.

This year for Christmas, I went over to a friend's house and had a grill fest. Hamburgers and Chicken, with a side of chips and homemade dip. It was great. The enclosed picture is of the Shi Dogs that are in front of the Naval Hospital out here. (You can click on the photo to get a larger view) They dressed them up as Santa and an Elf. Shi dogs are the traditional protectors of an Okinawan household. You see them all over the island, not only at private homes, but in front of business as well. They range in size from a couple of inches high to several feet high! The use of the Shi dogs was introduced to Okinawa from China. I hope to get a nice set for my next place before I leave the Island. The one on the right, who has its mouth open is the male of the pair. His mouth is open to draw in the evil spirits and ill fortune. The one on the left, who has its mouth closed, is the female of the pair. Her mouth is closed to keep the evil spirits and ill fortune from escaping.

I have done some more exploring, but I am still organizing the pictures from that trip, and will do a post once I am done. Once again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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