climbing a hill to nowhere
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Nichinan, Miyazaki, 2012.12.23
Every year-end that I've visited Mari's parents' place in Nichinan, I've climbed a steep paved road up the side of the western wall of the valley in which the property is situated. But this year I found a disappointing state of affairs: the road was covered in thick debris including large tree branches; the clever little terraces were overgrown and starting to crumble; and there was no sign that anything was still being farmed. I'd always admired the citrus tree terraces and had imagined perhaps someday bringing my formerly-tree-farming parents there. Now it would just result in burrs from weeds and maybe a sprain.