So, Joe, how did your visit go with your charge from Japan?
---M

Marion, Taro was a ninteen year old second year Japanese university student. His first morning here I was cooking breakfast when he came down stairs and stood watching the sun come up over Bennett Mountain. He turned to me and told me that he had never seen a sunrise before. That evening he watched the sunset over the Owyhee Mountains and that night I saw him outside in the dark trying to take pictures of the stars. When I told TJ about this he invited us up to New Meadows. TJ was building a storage building with an attic playroom for little Katie, his granddaughter. TJ allowed us to help. I watched TJ explain the tools to Taro and the proper use of each tool. I did the cut out and TJ and Taro did the actual work. I was most impressed with TJ when I watched him teach Taro to say grace at dinner. We took Taro fishing and I showed him how to rig his line, set his bait and cast, but TJ taught him to fish. Taro had never fished before and he caught two fine bass. He was so excited he almost fell down with his first fish. I got pictures of his first catch. TJ took us four wheeling and shooting, things Taro had never done before. TJ welcomed us into his cabin, fed us and put us up. Thanks TJ, you are a good man. The Mountain Home people were also kind and generous with their time. Thanks Tom, Phil, and Jill. I had Taro help me paint the crown moulding at Doc Evan's house. I taught him how to safely climb a ladder and work on scaffolding. I taught him how to caulk and paint and clean up his tools. I taught him to be proud of his work. This was a lot of firsts for a ninteen year old university student. Marion, you would have liked him. I am sorry it didn't work out so you could have met him.

Back in 58 or so, Billy P. and his family hosted a Japanese Boy Scout named Imai (spelling?). I have a picture of us together in our Boy Scout uniforms somewhere. His English was broken (but a lot better than our non-existent Japanese) but we managed to communicate well enough. Imai's visit was an interesting, newsworthy event that summer in MH, and there was at least one feature story about him in the "MH News." Your hosting of Taro, however, sounds more eventful and full of "firsts" for him than Imai's short visit. That's the sort of one-on-one international visit that really puts a human face on our country and earns us a lot of goodwill. Kudos to you all.

Oh and Moose did most of the work, and I still would not have a roof on if he had not been there to put it up. I learned a little about putting up a building from the master and had a great time with him and Taro. Life Is Really Good.

TJ