I had to put this picture in that my dad sent me. I always give him a hard time about his love for turkey hunting (and I had to drive that old Suburban in high school with his Turkey Club sticker in the back window.) But this is "The Big One" that he's been after and he's pretty proud of if it. The pic is taken in my grandparents' yard. Gobble-gobble, Dad.  

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As Katie's visit drew to a close, the weather allowed a bit more beach time. 

The Japanese have many customs to bring them luck. 

Main island of Okinawa prefecture in the background 

It was a steep climb but we were amazed at how many Okinawan elderly made it to the top! 

After the Lilly Festival, we set our sights on the large rock formation in the middle of the island: Ie Jima 

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We rode our rented bikes to the annual Ie Island Lily Festival. 

On the second day the weather wasn't as nice but perfect for biking. 

This was the view from the hotel we stayed at. We were picked up by a shuttle from the ferry dock. There were all sorts of rec activities to partake in. Katie and I rented kayaks as soon as we got to the resort. 

Katie and I booked a night at one of the nearby resorts on one of the smaller islands surrounding Okinawa. There is a regular ferry that takes people to Ie Island where we stayed. 

There are several Hawaiian restaruants on the island. This one happened to feature an 8-year-old pet crocodile. 

These "conveyor belt"-style sushi restaurants are a common form of fast food.  

There's nothing like the "Sushi-go-round" after a long day at the beach. 

This hardly does justice to the enormity of the aquarium (and some of the fish that occupy it!) 

I wasn't as willing to be so friendly. 

Katie got friendly with her underwater friends. 

Katie and I visitied this really great aquarium in Nago in the Northern part of the Island. I was so impressed that I got a season pass. :)  

Yes, that is duct tape we're removing from Jed's work boots. Even though he's polished then it still doesn't quite cover up the evidence of having been Napoleon Boots. 

Can you find the tetherball in the background? We had a very good turnout this evening and met a lot of new people.