The park is nearly finished - opens on 5th May next year - but the unusually early snow fall at the top of the mountain must be making laying the turf difficult! (KT)

Other sculptures are set throughout the house and garden, in the river and the grounds of Shiroishi Castle - the exhibition runs from 1st November til 14th December. (KT)

Very cold carving stone outside, still have tonsilitis pretty badly and am really missing the 40 centigrade temperature we left behind in Cairo last month.

But the sudden cold has brought out the autumn colours in full glory, and the morning frosts make everything look very pretty. (KT)

Kata (who keapt pigeons when he was a child) finally caught it and phoned the number on its leg band to arrange sending him back to his owner by special delivery service tomorrow.

Our dog Cinamon is thouroughly fed up - not only has she not been given the bird for supper, but Emily and Sean are spoiling it stupid with round the clock attention while she is being shut out of the room and ignored. (KT)

Harumi san from the British Embassy and his wife came up to plant the one for Iwate Prefecture just in front of the new building designed by the British architect we introduced to collaborate with Wakamatsu Roppongi architects as part of the new road station project and Ishigami no Oka sculpture Park re-development in Iwate Town.

Harumi san gave a very interesting talk on the Green Alliance project.

He stressed that the trees will need constant care and attention unlike my sculpture at the British Embassy which is the only permanent monument of the UK 98 Festival and requires no maintenance (I was rather flattered that he talked at length about my sculpture), and appealed to everyone to make sure that the tree is looked after.

Harumi san has also asked us to take a photograph every year of local children growing with the tree - would be quite fun if we could keep it going til they are pensioners.

There was a really good turn out for the planting ceremony with a cross section of people from the Iwate Japan British Society and local residents.

Then about 50 of them came along for an informal reception afterwards. (KT)

If you would like more information on the Green Alliance project please go to the British Embassy web site

www.uknow.or.jp

Most of the festival stall holders were in a bad temper as there have apparently been far fewer customers than usual (the cold weather seems to have exasperated the already depressed recession attitude).

But our goldfish man was sweet and 4 more fish were duly caught (to be added to all the others at home) and the festival atmosphere was restored in time to enjoy the fantastic parade. (KT)

The children made lovely cards, Kata got me a birthday present for the first time in 10 years - a new cupboard for the kitchen/living room, ten years worth rolled into one! Thank you to family in Scotland who sent lovely warm jumpers.

Wakamatsu san came round for supper (he has the same birthday and was also born in the year of the Ox - could explain why we seem to get on so well).

Tried out the apple tobacco in the water pipe we brought back from Lebanon.