It’s the middle of October. That means that it is autumn now, right? That depends on the day. The high temperature last Thursday was 30 degrees. That’s definitely summer weather! Then, it dropped down to 23 degrees last Sunday. It was a wonderful autumn day, and on Monday morning, the temperature was only 13.5 degrees. Now, it’s back up to 26 degrees during the day. I have to ask myself, “What should I wear?” I hear this question everywhere: from my family, from my friends, and especially from the weather reporter on the TV news. When I’m not sure, I wear a short-sleeved shirt, and I carry a jacket with me. (111 words)

Throughout history, countries have used markers along main roads to show you how far you are from the center of the country. In England, they used stones that marked the miles from London, so we call them “milestones.” The Tokugawa government made markers called “ichirizuka” at the beginning of the Edo period. One “ri” is about 4 kilometers, and the “ichirizuka” were two little hills, or “tsuka,” with trees on them. They showed how far it was to Nihonbashi in Edo. Most of the “ichirizuka” are gone now, but I sometimes drive past the Kasadera “ichirizuka” in Nagoya. It is along the old Tokaido that connected Edo to Kyoto. It is 88 “ri” from Nihonbashi. (116 words)

Yesterday, the TV sports announcer began with some big news about Ohtani Shohei. His dream is coming true. He is going to the World Series for the first time! Although he has been one of the best players in Major League Baseball for several years, his team wasn’t very strong. Then, this year, he moved to the Dodgers, and his new team won more games than any other team in the National League. In the playoffs, the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres first, and now they have beaten the New York Mets. They are the National League champions. They will play the New York Yankees, the American League champions, in the World Series. I’m rooting for the Dodgers! (119 words)

As you may know, I do tap dancing. This weekend, we had a two-day performance at a small theater in Nagoya. There were about 80 performers, from beginners to veterans. The teachers choreographed dances for their classes, and the guests included a jazz pianist and bass player. Altogether, there were more than 20 dances. This time, I was in four dances with four different kinds of music, from rap to a jazzy samba. It was hard work, and it required teamwork, but we enjoyed it and got to know each other much better. I know that the people who came to the performance also enjoyed it. They clapped so long and loud that we came back out on stage for a second bow.  (123 words)