Susono Deer

Though things are keeping us busy, we are still trying to get our 29ers into the mountains before work at least a few times a week. Yesterday we got out pretty early, maybe just before six, and did a short morning ride, just about 7km up into the mountains around here. The mountains are quiet and desolate, and as we were about to begin our decent, we started two big deer who immediately began springing down the road and into the woods. It was a beautiful sight - just the cicadas chirping and the whir of our knobbies on the trail.

Though I occasionally (and only briefly) miss life in a big city, mostly I enjoy the smaller-town atmosphere and I especially enjoy spotting the wild life. Around Susono we've seen wild boar (inoshishi), monkeys (saru), fox (kitsune) and deer (shika). Oh, we also get to see plenty of snakes usually, including a couple of the poisonous variety.

Now of course, I want to get back into the hills even earlier, in the hopes of scaring up a few more creatures.