• dailyachesandpains said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Happy Birthday Hottie!!!
   
  Thos pics are AWESOME!!!!
  Is there really a hotel there? 
   
  The last picture in the stream makes it look like you're above the world!  I LOVE THEM ALL!
   
  Daily

• polarheart said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Great photos, Hotcakes!  I liked the one with you in - you look tanned!  I have heard you can get a mean tan on the snow :-)  I have put our holiday photos on Flickr if you want to go look.
   
  I was just thinking about you and K yesterday and wondering how the plans are going for your wedding in March.  I assumed that you were very busy coz we haven't seen you around much.  I hope everything is going to schedule!
   
  God bless!
  Polar

• hotaka said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Hi Daily! Yes, there is a full ski resort and resort village below. But where I was there was only a snowy ridge leading to the high mountains. I wish I had had the time to go all the way up. In the last photo I think I was at least 1,000 metres above the village. I was at 2,007 metres. I am not sure of the elevation of the village.
  
  
  polar, hey thanks for visiting. Yes, I'll be sure to stop by and look at your photos later. I hope the trip was a good one. Yeah, I am pretty busy here and my work schedule is getting busier too. My Internet time is limited to checking email these days. 

• hotaka said on Feb 13, 2008....

  polar, right about the tan. Actually, I got a light snow burn. My face was all red!

• wombat said on Feb 13, 2008....

  I sat back with my cup of tea and enjoyed the show....you paint the world with your camera.  Beautiful.

• wombat said on Feb 13, 2008....

  (and a belated Happy Birthday!)

• secretlife said on Feb 13, 2008....

  happy belated birthday hotaka!
  i just know this is going to be a happy year for you!
  thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures.

• skald said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Happy  belated birthday Hotaka. Are you sure it was not a national holiday because of your birthday? lol Fantastic picture.  

• quietone said on Feb 13, 2008....

  I think I like the sunrise on Hakuba the best...it reminds me of the Mts in Washington State...The cascades.  and happy belated!  :)  I can't imagine hiking up or climbing those mts like you do!! makes me exahusted just thinking about it!!

• Alyss said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Happy Birthday hotaka!
  
  
  The photos are amazing as ever.
  

• truthsayer said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Hi hotaka! Just in case you didn't see my "congratulations" for you and K, on another of your posts, I am telling you now: Congratulations on both your wedding plans to special K, and your baby! I want you to know what my BABY O BABY tag is really for! Congratulations to both of you, for every new wonderful thing happening in your lives!!! Oh, baby o baby those are beautiful photos too ; ) Your buddie, Truth

• Jenna said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Hot......I just said to Polar today......there are so many beautiful places in the world.  Your pics are......wow.  It must take your breath away.  I especially loved the amazing ice.  I hope your birthday was wonderful!

  jen

   

• Lucytorial said on Feb 13, 2008....

  ohhh what I'd give for a little cool weather..... enjoy it hotaka and btw glad you had a good b'day!

• PAPERBACKWRITER said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Amazing!
  
  Belated Happy Birthday dearest friend!!!
  
  paper ~
  
  
  
  

• gingersoul said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Dear Hotbaby.....even though its late.....i want to wish you the best year of your life...{{{hugs}}

  As usual, your pic is amazing.....that white and that sky together....perfect..

  It looks like how might have been your b-day cake...whipped cream all over.....uhmm...

  Be happy!

• the_infernal_optimist said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Wow! What a way to spend your birthday! Gorgeous pics (I love the sunrise shot), and happy belated birthday to a good friend and all around interesting person. :)
  
  ~Infernal
  

• wakingharmony said on Feb 13, 2008....

  Happy Birthday Hotaka! mine was the 4th but no where near as exciting as yours Wow what a beautiful picture and will try to see the others on flicker! 

• hotaka said on Feb 14, 2008....

  Aww... See! This is one reason why I am absent from SC these days. I have many things to post about but I just don't have the time to visit all you wonderful people and see what's up with you guys. Since I can't take enough time for you guys I don't want to post and see that you are still taking time for me. SC has always been a give and take relationship thing for me. But I just had to share the photos with you.

  wombat, I am glad you took the time to enjoy the photos. That's what all photographers want the most when they show their work. Thank you.

  secretlife, I am glad to see your name here. I think about you sometimes and wonder how you are doing. I know last year was a tough one and I hope things are getting better with your sister and your eldest daughter too.

  skald, maybe one day they will recognize my birthday as a reason to celebrate, eh? Ha ha! Hey, I saw some of your son's latest photos on Flickr. I am so impressed. I wish I could arrange to have his photos shown in Japan but all the galleries I know cost money. Besides, I am still trying to get my own work promoted. Maybe someday though. Japan and Northern Europe are said to be the last bastions of heavy metal music. I think his band and photos would find an audience here.

  quietone, yes in some ways they do resemble the Cascades or even the Olympics. A lot of the vegetation is similar and the geology too. Just Japan no longer has any glaciers. When I flew into Seattle last year I had a great view of the Olympics from the plane and I saw a comparisson with those mountains and the North Alps of Japan. Interesting you saw it too.

  Alyss, thank you. And as always I am glad to see your name here.

  truth, yes I saw your message on my previous post. Thank you so much for your well-wishing and prayers. I am thinking to send you a PM but I don't have time now. Maybe by the weekend. God bless you!

  Jenna, I don't have enough time in one life to enjoy all the beautiful places I want to see. Yes, the world is rich in beauty. I am glad I have only one planet to consider photographing for now. Thanks for looking back at older images too. Given that the weather cleared up just for my b-day I have to say I did feel pretty special. Thanks.

  Lucy-watoosie, I do love the winter. I love how snow transforms landscapes and makes them soft and curved. It is also great for reflecting light. I probably don't want the heat you are experiencing now. Thanks for stopping and taking a look.

  PAPER, as always it's good to see you stop by. I am glad you still flitter about the halls of SoulCast.

  gingerbear, I thought you were into chocolate pudding. Now you're talking about whipped cream? I hope this will be an awesome year but not the best. If this is the best year then it's all downhill after that. But thanks. I know what you mean. Big hug!

  infernal, interesting you say? You too. Those were your dice pics I saw on Flickr, right? I always thought a weekend at your place would be really fun.

  wakingH, well, happy belated to you! It's now wonder yours was not as interesting. You should have been with me on the 11th! Well, I wish you a very happy year all the same. Cheers!

• the_infernal_optimist said on Feb 14, 2008....

  If you ever make it over this way, hottie, it definitely will be fun! :-D And yep, that was my crazy dice rainbow. It's always good to see you here -- can't start a decent fish fight without ya!
  
  ~Infernal
  

• crybabylu said on Feb 16, 2008....

  Awesome! How high up are those mountains!btw...Happy Birthday!

• crybabylu said on Feb 16, 2008....

  just got back from flickr again watching your pics, they are even better as a slide show!...WOW!  Thanks!

• silverwhisper said on Feb 17, 2008....

  belated happy birthday, hotaka, i've missed seeing you and hope you had fun celebrating your birthday!
  
  that's an utterly stunning pic!
  
  ed

• hotaka said on Feb 18, 2008....

  crybabylu and silverW, thanks for the birthday wishes and comments on the photos. I miss my time at SoulCast but I have very little computer time at work these days (and no Internet at home). I hope you two are doing well.

• silverwhisper said on Feb 18, 2008....

  yep, doing well, thank you for asking, hotaka. :>
  
  ed

• littleMamaMo said on Feb 19, 2008....

  The photos are beautiful. Happy Birthday! Nice to see you again (or at least your blog) all the best wishes for this new year.

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