Tag Archives: barn

Japan Cottage Musings

Tiger Year 2022: Flashback Musings in Present Moment

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A meandering rundown from the kura barn about New Year routines, foods and rituals in Japan, plus usual gabba gabba about postcards, lucky numbers and postal obsessions… but this time featuring various hats and even more personal translucency, unnecessary archaeology, remarks about improving the campsite, being a good hubbo and papa, health situation, life admin tasks, blank sheets, re-caps of projects: poems, pods, vids, trips – and various anecdotes about wonderful pals, probably you ya beauty.

Very important annotations

Special hellos to friends in places where I left pieces of my heart – important for a rambling type with out that “regular hometown” vibe.

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Craft Sessions

Typing Liner Notes in the Kura (with Joe Strummer vinyl)

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really, that’s it, just typing some small items while listening to records

Ambient hanging out typing liner notes (on an Olivetti Lettera 34) for mixed CDs and cassettes while listening to Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros box set and War on Drgs vinyls in a kura storehouse barn studio in provincial Japan.

looks sort of like this once it’s all stamped up and decorated

Yes, lousy typing technique, non-ideal posture, nice elephant dung paper, great hat, hemp shirt, easy vibes –0vaguely ASMR clackety clacking if that’s your groove.

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Craft Sessions

Typing Aerogrammes (ambient, in the kura barn studio)

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yes, that is my address, send me a card (but don’t come visit unannounced)
its just me, typing aerogrammes with a funny look on my face, pull up a chair

Typing Aerogrammes in the kura barn studio – Really, that’s it, typing aerogrammes on an Olivetti Lettera 34 at a desk in kura barn studio in a corner of provincial Japan – sometimes with a weird look on my face as I scrunch my nose to hold up my glasses, listening to REM’s “Reckoning” vinyl. No chitchat, just ambient hanging out.

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Improving Campsite

Kura barn / storehouse turned studio, consulate and lounge (round-up/catch-all)

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Summer 2021: Glorious Kura barn 125+ yrs old got a century retrofit with heat-pump/cooler, electric upgrade with breaker box & a safety railing

For documentary purposes, these snaps show the unscathed (mostly) exterior (note how a/c does not breach the perfect east facing yakisugi wall)

Along the side is a stash of storage flower pots, crocks & roof tiles + bricks (maybe to make a bar-b-q or pizza oven in future).

views of the kura from outside, summer 2021

See below for lousy video clip included to show the summer sort-ganize project.

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Japan Cottage Musings, Scrapbooks + Journals

Kura Scrapbook Hangout w/ cards & letters

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come along for a hangout, no big deal

Adding recent postcards, cards and letters to an “accordion” style scrapbook with various tapes and stamps in kura barn studio while listening to records (Aztec Camera and Belle and Sebastian) and discoursing on recent trip to Shimane, the role of monarchy in commonwealth countries, importance of friends, fondness for invitations, sending postcards to self, putting everything on casters, discarded records, and hats – many many hats.

Kura Scrapbook Hangout – Japan Cottage Musings

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Video Dim Sum

Dim Sum: Ambient Sortganizing in the kura barn studio #video

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It’s just me tidying up, please keep expectations in check

Absolutely Nothing of interest, just tidying up – like Japan’s version of Marie Kondo – in the “Giggling Piglet Studio and Consulate” in a re-purposed storehouse barn in provincial Japan.

Music incidentally plays in the background by “John K Samson / The Weakerthans” something something ++ “Back Country New Road” album “Ants from up Here”.

Really nothing, except for a Nepali Topi hat and moving scissors and papers I suppose.

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Collections of Artifacts

Item: Cascadia Passport & Consulate (progress)

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Cascadia passport, coming along. I’ve stamped up a bunch of the inside pages with beavers, dogs, notary stamps and other unauthorized items.

Besides the “official Cascadia Consulate post box” I have a flag and I’m authorized to stamp passports… So make sure you are carrying yours when you visit as my kura barn studio is the “official Cascadia consulate” for Setouchi bioregion.

Note: I should install some kind of flag pole with a string and pulley to raise it like I have my own “moonrise kingdom” campsite.

I carefully considered which photo to use. All of them *obviously* date to 1990. Sasquatch vibes ahoy!

Make sure to bring yours when you come visit (eventually, you can’t right now).

Get in on the fun and revolutionary goodness at: https://cascadiabioregion.org/ it’s kind of quite fantastic what some renegades have put together. Inclusive, nuanced, & aware.

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Personal Musings

Diary: tasks (sundry = stereo, pickles, pre-school)

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Today-ish (amongst laundry, salads, coffees, bath and vacuuming…) 

* Setting up stereo (need sturdy table)
* Making pickles (trying with kojo)
* Investigating pre-school (not pictured)

Evidence (brief): 

Note: from this photo, rather hard to gauge the *massive* size/heft of this turntable and amp. Next step is reconnect speakers with lower gauge wires trim for appropriate placement tbd / Really need a hi-fi master/buddy to help proper set-up

Note: got behind on the pickle assembly line but in the meantime, got a few more jars into the flow by consuming the exceptionally perfect peanut butter (formerly) contained within

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Portraits of the Artiste

#daveo50 ~ 16.8.2020 (4 variations) #fini

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#daveo50 ~ 16.8.2020 / solo / with hat, 1

#daveo50 ~ 16.8.2020 /solo /  with hat, 2

Project: Upon turning 50 years old on August 16, 2020, Dave Olson (me, hello) is posting a photo (or maybe photos) a day / per year – starting with 1970 and ending with this dispatch.

Thank you for your perceived interest and erstwhile support.

Fondly, dvo/UW, Tsuchida Cottage. 

#daveo50 ~ 16.8.2020 / family / with spectacles

#daveo50 ~ 16.8.2020 / family / no spectacles

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Collections of Artifacts

Artifact: in Kura various (clock, axe, name plate) #daveo50

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Sunday, 16.8.20 #daveo50 / Fondly from #Okayama #Japan

Various artifacts in situ, as seen in “Kura Grain Barn Art Studio / Music Lounge” (which needs a proper name). 

“Anytime is a good time for a vacation” (clock, detail)
Roar & Burn
Thinking about my dear mother, I love you more than words can tell
Guest book for kura barn art studio & music lounge (from Nepal)
Hygrometer and Thermometer

Note: Inside the kura grainbarn studio/music lounge. It’s a magnificent 150+-year-old wooden structure but dang, gets hot and humid in the Japan summer and with so many books, records, papers, artifacts, etc, im working to keep the temperature and humidity under control.
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Under 70% humidity now which is a big step as a few days ago it was over 80%! Still too high to be comfortable and ideal for sure. Have two fans and a dehumidifier going on timers, a whole bunch of those little packets of salty kind of stuff, and some other “boxes“ of dehumidifying agents.
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Most of these items were stored in climate control storage for years so want to keep them in good condition and avoid any kind of unnecessary deterioration. Not a professional archivist but I’m doing what I can.

Beauty in Utility

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