Soul food

Ah this morning was all about soothing the soul.
Well...after a manic start anyway. Travel brain caused me to set the alarm for Monday when its not Monday. Result: I heard a door slam somewhere and looked at the time 5.50and the bus was leaving at 6am... without you if you're not there.  Fortunately the camera bag was all ready to go and shooting clothes in a pile so it was a matter of hurriedly visiting the bathroom throwing on clothes and departing the room like a hurricane.  Minor matters like putting on sunscreen, brushing hair was all attended to on the bus to the amusement of all.
But once we reached the secret location on Lake Kussharo we could see Whooper Swans just waking up. They spend the night in a ice free patch of water that is warmed by a hot spring. The mist drifts across the water and the silence is soothing.
Ninety minutes there and we moved to the main beach where the swans are fed at 9am. There are usually a lot of people there but it was strangely quiet as there were only a couple of swans about. This location provides the opportunity to capture the swans flying in and making either elegant or ungainly landings.  Pretty soon more & more swans arrived and so did the people but we spent a happy couple of hours there. It was also great for the only 2 landscape photogs (William & I), we went for a walk and discovered trees.
We are told it's going to snow, and very heavily… on Thursday so that will provide different possibilities again. Not least of which might be sitting in the onsen watching the snow fall.
I went to the onsen quite late last night thinking it would help me sleep.  It didn't. Anyway this onsen is much prettier than the last. I was sitting in scalding hot water and looking out onto the snow and the woods. Beautiful.