益子町は１年のうち約８ヶ月間、アウトドアーに適した良い気候です。
家の庭で友人達と過ごすと日本の田舎を感じるのではなく、カリフォルニアのキャンプグラウンドを思います。暑い日でも庭にある高い木が日陰を作るので涼しく過ごせます。一番大きな山桜の木の下には、地中に埋め込んだどっしりとしたピクニックテーブルがあります。そこでお互いに用意した沢山の食べ物とリラックスな時間を共有します。

Eight months of the year, Mashiko is warm enough to enjoy one’s self outdoors.  When we are relaxing in our garden, I can easily imagine myself as being in some California campground instead of at my home in rural Japan.   The trees provide cool shade when the temperature climbs.  Under the biggest one of all, a Mountain Cherry, is a large picnic table, the legs of which are embedded in the ground.   It’s there that we and our friends have had many enjoyable meals, often contributed to in some fine way by every person in attendance.

私は何種類かのスモーク料理、チキンや魚、ソーセージを、勿論私の手作り食器に盛りつけ提供します！

My input is usually some hot-smoked dish, such as chicken, fish, or sausage…also, of course, my tableware!