Today is Monday, January 13, 2020. This afternoon at 13:30 I checked into Saiseikai Shigaken Hospital (済生会滋賀県病院) for a week in order to begin chemotherapy via a port that will be installed tomorrow. I expect it to be a long, uncomfortable week.
Since it was such a nice day this morning, I grabbed my cameras and took a brief walk in and near my neighborhood in Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan (滋賀県栗東市). I was immediately blessed with the sight of two Japanese pied wagtails (ハクセキレイ) in a garden near my house. One of them came quite close to me.
At Takano Shrine and Takano Park I saw a few Japanese turtle doves (キジバト) high in trees, too far away to photograph.
Beyond Takano Park there is a bamboo grove and then large fields.. A road runs along a canal between fields, and a small Panasonic factory lies beyond the fields to the north along Shiga Prefectural Route 11. A woman and two children were flying kites over the fields toward the factory from the road along the canal.
As the kite flyers enjoyed the brisk northwest wind, I walked up the road along the can al and across Shiga Route 11, which runs between Japan Routes 1 and 8. Across the road in Hayashi a retired farmer in his 80s was working in his garden, a strip of land between fields that holds rice, barley, and soybeans in annual rotation.
Since I had to change clothes, eat lunch, and walk about 2 kilometers to the hospital, I started to walk quickly back toward home but got delayed along the way. In the canal that runs along the east side of my neighborhood a little egret (コサギ) was stirring up shallow water and searching for small aquatic animals.
Finally I got home and transferred my photos to my iPad. Then I finished packing my bag, showered and changed clothes, ate some ramen for lunch, and walked to Saiseikai Shigaken Hospital (済生会滋賀県病院).
I checked in at 13:35 and came to 9 East (9F 東). I have been here five times before, so most of the nurses know me and I feel quite comfortable. There is no culture shock, but I’d rather be home.
I’m eager to get back outdoors as soon as I can!