Last day at Komeichi Farm - Fresh strawberry jam, rollercoaster driving, Waltzing Matilda and tea ceremony - Sat 12 May

I got up early to walk the dog with Takki, but we were sidetracked into staking and tieing up crop flowers that were being blown about by wind with okaasan.

We started the my last morning at Komeichi Farm with fresh strawberry jam on pancakes made from yesterday's rice. Yummo.


Shiro the headwarmer rarely leaves the room or my bedding.


Over breakfast, I explained the lyrics to Waltzing Matilda, that okaasan loves so much. She heard it in a Gregory Peck movie, called 'On The Beach' or 'On The Shore' ('Nagisa' in Japanese). David, a challenge for you, to confirm this is plausible. She was surprised and mildly dismayed, and everyone else entertained, to find that rather than a romantic ballad about dancing with a lady, the lyrics were about a homeless man's sheep theft, apprehension, and ghostly watery suicide.

They were doing more cleaning out of the attic today. Yesterday, they found silkworm frames, tons of 'em.


I did some last planting out in fields, and was thrilled to discover Yohei in another suspicious tshirt, this one with a picture of a rooster and the text 'Respect the cock'. When I explained to him the tshirt's double edged message, he was quite thrilled himself.


They discovered a carpet under some of the grass!


The roads in rural Wakayama are scarily narrow and have concrete water ditches on either side to catch the wheels of the unwary. I've often been mildly terrified driving along them, and in the below video, Yohei barrels along the roads for our nervous amusement.


I packed up my stuff, and recorded my singing of Waltzing Matilda to an internet backing track so okaasan could practice and learn the words. A departing favour for okaasan that's sure to torture the boys who are already sick of the darn song.

I gave Takki an Aussie keyring with a "keep at the farming" message on the back, and he offered me a handcrafted glass amulet he wears. I gave another keyring to Yohei and a magnet stuffed animal to okaasan.

Takki and I dressed up in samurai ceremonial kimono for our tea ceremony. It involved a robe, tie, sash, overpants with tie, an overcoat, and a sword.


Okaasan prepares our tea,


and we drink it.


After having our ceremonial tea, okaasan got me to practice the preparation technique as she explained it. It's finicky.


Okaasan instructs me to froth that broth.


The tea preparation equipment.


With little time before my train's departure back to Wakayama city, I dashed off my kimono and we sped in the car to the train. I hadn't any socks on inside my boots. Yohei barefoot, Takki in a samurai's robe and plastic outdoor sandals, and a tall white foreigner in serious Japanese countryside - we must have been quite an unusual sight. They waved me off.


When I then opened my suitcase and put on a pair of socks, the middle aged man opposite me stared with very wide eyes.

The women at the farm had prepared me a packed lunch for my journey