Going Alone

Emily learned the F-word around age three, and could use it effectively in a sentence before she started preschool. By then she knew a lot of other bad words too, though she had no idea what any of them meant. I taught these special vocabulary to my daughter each night in the bath. My aim being to prepare her mind to recognize the difference between F-you between friends and F-you which might lead to a fight. Profanity is actually pretty complex stuff, full of nuance and innu

One day five or so years back I was exploring an abandoned trail in the deep mountains near the Japan Southern Alps. It was the height of summer and the danger of giant hornets was very real, as was the threat of moon-bear and wild boars. But my most immediate threat were the dinner plate sized spiders which sat like knowing mountain gods upon broad leaves which bent deep with their weight. The spiders were everywhere, and the fact that few ever came this way meant the trail

I sometimes found antique trails in the mountains of Japan. Pathways which connected high mountain villages before the age of roads, when the fastest way to the other side of the mountain was along steep ridges and around tall waterfalls; through dense forests haunted by moon bear and fierce boar and giant spiders and resounding with the hum and whir of insects. The best way to pick up such a trail was to ask the oldest man in the village “how did folks in the old days get to

Enjoying a lunchtime stroll through the historic neighborhood near work. I’m admiring 80 and 90 year old homes with bronze plaques commemorating their architects and builders. I’m reminded of the 200+ year old farm estates I so frequently discovered in the remote mountains of Japan. Enormous homes designed to house three generations and perhaps a dozen or more family members. Homes built by the village from giant old growth trees, hewn with hand tools and held together withou

“Hey Kurt, I really enjoy watching your YouTube videos. You have inspired me and I respect what you do. I hope that I will some day be able to visit or live in Japan and do the same thing. Since I was a kid I’ve always enjoyed the wilderness and nature. Hiking by myself or with a close friend is one of my favorite things to do. It feels like an adventure every time. It feels good to get away from the outside world every now and then. I’ve been trying to find ways to actually

“Hi Kurt, Part of the reason I don’t drink is because both of my parents and my younger brother (who I live with) do drink. I have seen them drink and have seen how alcohol changes them. It makes my brother more angry, argumentative, destructive and impulsive. It makes my father more impatient and uncaring. My mother drinks bourbon so much. It makes her act uncaring and unsympathetic. I just won’t do it. I don’t want to amplify my personality flaws with alcohol. Another rea

Welcome to the LylesBrother blog. My name is Kurt Bell and I am delighted that you have taken some time to share a little of life with me. I’m available on Facebook and Google+ if you have questions or just want to chat and say hi. I can also be found at the JVLOG forum with other Japan-related content creators. All links are listed below. I look forward to meeting you on-line. Have a great day! The Path of Wildness is easy to find The course of a stream Leaves blown in the w

Welcome to the softypapa blog. My name is Kurt Bell and I am delighted that you have chosen to walk awhile with me. I’m available on Facebook and Google+ if you have questions or just want to chat and say hi. I can also be found at the JVLOG forum with other Japan-related content creators. All links are listed below. I look forward to meeting you on-line. Have a great day! The Path of Wildness is easy to find The course of a stream Leaves blown in the wind A beast’s track thr

This medium size Japanese Huntsman spider gave me a bit of a start this morning when I discovered it in the restroom at work. The huntsman spider is found in many parts of the world and is notable for its large size and great speed. The spider shown in this video is quite small for the species and likely very young. These spiders have been measured with leg spans up to 250 mm (roughly 12 inches) and make their living by ambushing prey which they actively pursue over open grou

This small village is located in the mountains behind Yui, Japan. My friend’s mother grew up in this tiny village. My friend asked her mother about the graves and was told that the villagers here would sometimes hide money and other valuables in fake graves. She said the fake graves could be identified by special writing on the stone that had meaning only to those who placed them. It’s now likely impossible to tell as real gravestone from a fake grave hiding family treasure.

Click on the link below to walk across this bridge and discover what is on the other side: —- Welcome to the softypapa blog. My name is Kurt Bell and I am delighted that you have chosen to walk awhile with me. I’m available on Facebook and Google+ if you have questions or just want to chat and say hi. I can also be found at the JVLOG forum with other Japan-related content creators. All links are listed below. I look forward to meeting you on-line. Have a great day! —- The Pat

Did you know that there are thieves in the world of honey bees? I recently enjoyed a full day bicycle ride up and over the rugged peaks surrounding holy Mt. Ryuso in central Japan. At one point I discovered an active bee hive by the side of the road. The hive was occupied by indigenous Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica or ニホンミツバチ in Japanese). Though they produce less honey than the European honey bee the Japanese bees are a better match for this region as they are ad

Welcome to the softypapa blog. My name is Kurt Bell and I am delighted that you have chosen to walk awhile with me. I’m available on Facebook and Google+ if you have questions or just want to chat and say hi. I can also be found at the JVLOG forum with other Japan-related content creators. All links are listed below. I look forward to meeting you on-line. Have a great day! —- The Path of Wildness is easy to find The course of a stream Leaves blown in the wind A beast’s track