Trudging out in the wild (or what they consider such in Japan), I have been hoping to see the Macaca known to be the worlds northernmost primate in the wild.  Finally last weekend, while exploring Shimokita fishing villages, their staunchy little faces were directing traffic, and stopped us dead in our tracks.  I shot some brilliant photos with the tele-lens (Below).  The locals in the area seem to pay no care to them, and we were rather their gawking target.  That night I was sewing a book binding when I was lucky enough to drop kick a sewing needle, successfully burying the eye end in the soft tissue of my big toe (under the bone).  After three days of limping, I knew it had broken off below where I could get to it with my self surgery (yes I tried), so I had a wonderous adventure at the Misawa Hospital, where only two people spoke broken english.  After an X-Ray proved my theory, I was escorted to a strange bed with a raptor-claw scan and then I had a Japanese Surgery.  I think I can now perform foot surgery so give me a call at your next puncture.snow-monkeys