Spent a day window shopping bikes as the weather today was atrocious. Found this 2004 GSXR1000 with 8000km on the clock. Pristine condition. How do you do just 8000km in 21 years??

Dreaming of other possibilities while getting an oil change. 2011 Tuono V4. Anyone owned one?

Rare bike. NS1

Did my usual loop after work last night for the first time this year. Road is clear of snow but covered in snow melt water, mud, gravel and potholes which makes for an exciting ride!

For my first mission of the year I tracked down the elusive meat pie truck in Naganuma. Road out towards Tokachi are totally dry. Nice to be on the bike again. Kind of forget what it feels like over winter

Went for a drive, purely to scope out whether it is rideable on the bike. Unfortunately still some snow and ice on the road. If I stick to heavily trafficked city roads I should be ok, so going for my first ride of the season later today. Exciting!

Still a fair bit of snow, but the gravestones are starting to poke out of the snow, so pretty much Spring!

Lake Shikotsu looking moody today. The road from Sapporo still has a wee bit of snow which will probably be gone tomorrow and the road surface is horrendous now, but still fun for going zoom zoom.

The only fair way to handle this is to appoint a team of teenagers to tear this company limb from limb until we find out what kind of financial damage they are hiding and where

Tako is back in a smart new sweater!

They seem such impractical bikes but I really love the style of the Triumph Bobber!

Anyone seen one of these before?

Very nice soft and deep powder at Teine today. Quite rare conditions for this time of year. Well worth driving the adventure of driving the Panda up there!

Got a loaner from Alfa while they do my shaken. Was hoping for a Giulia, but got this tiny Fiat. Not my first choice for some pretty slippery road conditions…

Mt Tarumae

Rare find! Mitsuoka Rockstar

Alfa Giulia in snow. Such a pretty car!

Tako helping with my work today, shortly before ravaging a bag of bread rolls. Offices workers get hungry too

My window snow gauge is showing real progress today. Highest level all season

Rather forlorn Ferris Wheel

Tako has discovered how to open doors. Tako no longer choose to be alone in his room and wants to be where the action is!

This is Tako. He’s staying with us for a month. Most cats when they arrive spend at least a day getting used to the new place, usually hiding under furniture.Not Tako! He was like, “ooh, new place, new people! Cool!”

So fashionable!

Her fluffiness is still with us

Finally, finally the snow faucet has been switched back on in Sapporo just in time for my son’s school ski day. We had the lowest Jan snow levels in 38 years and Mt Moiwa was looking like it might entirely close, but we are saved!

Floof of the day

This was the area where they had to extract the snowboarder from. He is the black blob lying in the snow. Pretty unskiable terrain. Not sure how he ended up there.

Got to watch the rescue of a snowboarder who wrapped himself round a tree on a very steep, heavily forested off piste area. Got to admire the skill of those guys

Thinking of doing a very niche series of photos just of people on chair lifts😄

I feel like it’s probably racial profiling, but orange cats are just the best

Finally snowing again in Sapporo. Kind of a blessing there has been so little snow this year as it means less snow clearing, but also a little sad.

Incandescent tree in snow

Mates

Unlike Trump I really like wind turbines

Teine chairlift

Our little local lake is frozen now. I suspect I could tromp around it, as the foxes do, but am not keen on being the first person to try.

One of my wife’s customers gave us this today. It has Hime-chan’s stamp of approval

Usually all the deer I see on my daily walk during summer rack off to places unknown during winter, but possibly because of the lack of snow in Sapporo, there is at least one buck sticking it out this year. Also squirrel!

Ooh Panigale V4. Noice!

Mt Tengu, looking regal

Summit of Mt Onuma. You can just make out the peak name plate on the tree.

Today crawled up Mt Onuma. In places the snow was thigh deep even with skis on. Never experienced anything quite that deep before. Hit a branch under the snow on the way down and face planted so deep I thought I would suffocate for a moment!

Chikuwa has unexpectedly signed on to be my new lap cat

Mates

Bambi Burger for 2,200 yen at Rusutsu. Tempting but seemed a little steep

Say what you like about the yuppiefying of Rusutsu, sofas at a ski area is a great idea!

Blue skies and perfect snow conditions at Rusutsu!

Happy New Year! Let’s make this a good one!

Messing around on snowy roads with the Stelvio. Definitely not as sure footed in the snow as the Audi, but a fun drive!

Hey @scriptingjapan.bsky.social what is the etymology of パチモン?