First week of Christmas break

We are blessed to have three weeks off for Christmas break this year.  It doesn't happen all the time, but it has this year.  I have been looking forward to this time off to do some bicycling but also some resting and relaxing.  The last couple of days I only did some short bicycle rides around the area, many going through places I used to always walk or bicycle around when I lived in those areas.  Here are some of the pictures I took on these rides.
My first trip was along the Yanesegawa River, but I had a stop in Niiza at Cainz and the Starbucks nearby.  

 There was a construction on the river, rebuilding to protect from erosion. 

 They had blocked off part of the path along the river. 

I stopped by the house I lived in with the Vander Haak's and for a time on my own.  They cleared all the grass, bushes and trees except one try.  The house looks very exposed now.  

This morning I was making breakfast when I hear sirens, sounding like they were going along the Himawari dori.  I was waiting for the sirens to fade away, however they didn't fade, they came close and stopped.  I looked out my living room window and there was a firetruck and an ambulance with lights on.  Ironically, sometimes the streets are quite narrow and firetrucks, because they are a little larger, cannot go down all streets.  They have little what looks like an ATV in the back, which can be driven off and down the narrower streets.  It wasn't long before they were gone again.  I have been praying for this family. 

If you look at the back of the firetruck, you should see a little square which is the ATV looking vehicle they would drive out to go down the narrower roads.

The second bicycle ride was along Yanesegawa but starting farther west and heading upstream.  The Karaborigawa and the Yanesegawa join and at that point I continued along the Karaborigawa upstream. 

Harvesting carrots.

Rototilling the soil. 

Near the Kiyose train station.

I ended this bicycle trip with a stop at Starbucks in Kiyose.  Both trips were considered short, less than 20 km, but they did allow me to stop and look for the beauty in this country.  I am blessed to be living in Japan.