最近の私は、ラッキョウを食べない日はありません。

　３月１日から始まった倉賀野町上四地区のラジオ体操会は１１月３０日の今朝で終わりました。群馬県の今朝の日の出は６時３６分で、会場へ向かうときは未だ太陽が出てないです。それでも、約３０名の会員たちは毎朝元気に会場へ集まり、ラジオ体操を続け、皆さん健康に見えます。

　丁度、写真の菊の表情のように皆さんにこにこ挨拶を交わし、あれこれ会話し、高齢化社会にあっても一人ぼっちの感覚はなく、精神的に充実している顔つきです。寒冷のため、ラジオ体操会は１２月～２月いっぱい休みとなり、来年３月から再開します。上四地区以外の方も参加していて交流の幅が広がってます。ぜひ、ご参加をお勧めします。

　ところで、私たちにとって健康は何より大切です。ラジオ体操によって筋肉の柔軟性と同時に呼吸法を養ってますが、肝心なことは「運動とは適度」であることです。勝負に拘ると無理の上に無理を重ねるので、本来の目的を逸脱してしまいます。結果的に健康を損ねてしまう例は枚挙に遑がありません。

　一方、健康維持には「食材選びが基本」で、私は日々、多種の野菜と海藻類を食してます。ビタミンと共に、カルシウム、鉄、亜鉛などのミネラルが豊富です。結果的に時間が来ると空腹感が起こります。「お腹が空くことは健康にとても良いこと」です。最近の私は、ラッキョウ、ニラ、もやし、キノコ類、玉ねぎ、そして、ワカメ、めかぶなどを多く摂取してます。中高年には筋肉量と骨量が肝心です。

Dear my overseas friends who need health and great music

　The radio gymnastics event in Kami-4th district, Kuragano-town, which started on March 1, ended this morning on November 30. The sunrise in Gumma this morning was at 6:36, so that the sun had not yet risen when we headed to the venue. Nevertheless, about 30 members gather at the venue every morning with energy, continue to do radio gymnastics, and all look healthy.

　Just like the expression of my garden's chrysanthemum in the photo, they greet everyone with a smile, talk about this and that topics, and even in an aging society, they do not feel alone and look mentally fulfilled. Due to the cold temperature, the radio gymnastics event will be suspended from December to the end of February, and will resume in March next year. People from outside the Kami-4th district are also participating, so the range of interactions is expanding. I highly recommend you to participate.

　Not change the subject, but health is the most important to us. Radio gymnastics helps us to improve muscle flexibility and breathing technique, but for us, the most important thing is that "exercise in moderation." If we are obsessed with winning only, we will push ourselves too hard, and we tend to deviate from the original purpose. There are countless examples of this resulting in poor health.

　On the other hand, the basis of maintaining good health is to "select the right ingredients," so I eat a wide variety of vegetables and seaweed every day. Along with vitamins, they are rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, and zinc. As a result, I will feel hungry when the time comes. "Being hungry is very good for our health." Lately I've been eating a lot of Rakkyo shallots, Nira of Japanese leek, bean sprouts, mushrooms, onions, as well as wakame seaweed and mekab seaweed. Muscle mass and bone mass are essential for middle-aged and older people.

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月の欠けた部分がうっすら見える

　今朝５時４０分頃、南東の空に、月齢２７．３の「下弦の月」が出てました。快晴のためはっきり見え、すぐにカメラに収めました。ご存じの通り、１１月は太陽暦【現行歴】と太陰太陽暦【旧暦】の日付が同じでしたが、実は１２月も太陽暦と太陰太陽暦の日付が一致してます。このため、１２月３日は西南の空に三日月が出て、１２月１５日は十五夜です。

　ところで、今朝の細く欠けた月をよく観察すると、写真の通り、欠けた部分がうっすらと見えてます。この部分に太陽の光が当たることはないのに、何故うっすら見えるのでしょう？

　これは、地球に当たった太陽光が反射して月面をうっすら照らしています。これは「地球照」と呼ばれる現象です。私の想像では、日本で見る場合は、太平洋に映る太陽光が月を照らしていると想われます。

　私たちが住む地球でも、満月の夜には、月は光を発してないのに月の光にかなり照らし出されます。同様に、月面も明るい地球に照らされることになります。特に、地球から見て三日月や新月に近く月の表面が大きく欠けている状態のとき、月から見る地球は満月のように明るいことから、その光に照らされることになります。月が大きく欠けている時ほど「地球照」は良く見えます。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

.....................................................

　At around 5:40 this morning, a waning moon with the phase of 27.3 appeared in the southeastern sky. It was a clear dawn, so I could see it clearly so that I quickly captured it on camera. As you know, the solar calendar [current calendar] and the lunisolar calendar [old calendar] have the same dates in November, but in fact, the solar calendar and the lunisolar calendar also have the same dates in the next December. For this reason, the waxing moon of the phase of 3 appeared in the southwestern sky on December 3rd, and December 15th is the fifteenth night of full moon.

　By the way, if I looked closely at the waning moon this morning, I could see that the crescent part is faintly visible, as in the photo. Why is it faintly visible in this part of the surface of the moon even though the sunlight does not shine on this part?

　This is because the sunlight hitting the Earth is reflected and faintly illuminates the surface of the moon. This is a phenomenon called "earthshine." In my imagination, when viewed it from Japan, the sunlight reflected on the Pacific Ocean is illuminating the moon.

　Even on Earth where we live, on nights of a full moon, the moon is illuminated by moonlight, even though the moon does not emit any light. Similarly, the surface of the moon is also illuminated by the bright Earth. In particular, when the moon is close to a waning crescent or new moon, the Earth seen from the moon appears as bright as a full moon. The more the moon is missing, the better the "earthshine" is visible.

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２２世紀を迎えられる今の小学生たち

　今日の午後２時４５分より地元・倉賀野小学校児童の下校時に合わせて、通学路の信号で交通指導をしました。今日の天候は晴れでしたが、北西の季節風が吹き寒かったです。

　しかし、子供の中には半袖半ズボンの子もいて「寒くないですか」と訊きましたが、大丈夫と言ってました。一方、子供たちが高齢期になれば２２世紀になります。「未来があって本当に羨ましい限り」と、私は思いつつ旗振りしました。

　ところで、倉賀野小の体育館の周囲を一周すると、ご覧の通り、ヘ長調４分の４拍子の校歌の楽譜が大きく書かれてます。子供のうちから世界共通の楽譜が身近であるとは、倉賀野小の教育は誠に素晴らしいです。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　Today at 2:45pm, I gave traffic instructions at the traffic lights on the local Kuragano Elementary School when the children were returning home. The weather was fine today, but the northwesterly seasonal wind made it cold.

　However, some of the children were wearing short sleeves and shorts, so when I asked them if they weren't cold, they said they were fine. By the way, when these children become elderly, it will be the 22nd century. During I was waving the flag, "I felt so envious that they have a brilliant future."

　By the way, if we walk around the gymnasium of Kuragano Elementary School, we can see the sheet music for this school song in 4/4 time in F major written in large letters. Kuragano Elementary School provides wonderful education to children at their early age, because the sheet music is global.

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自らを追い込む

　地球上に住む人類の９８％は日本語を理解しません。一方、文明の利器であるインターネットは瞬時に世界の隅々まで繋がります。このアンバランスを埋めるのに拙いフェイスブックとブログでは「英語での発信」も心掛けてます。これは２０代のインドでの日常生活が基になってるでしょう。カルカッタ【現コルカタ】の街中を歩いていても日本語は全く聞こえて来ませんでした。

　私たち日本人が日々、生活するには日本語で何不自由なく生活できます。ですから、もし、英語を身近にするのならば「自分にとって英語が必要不可欠である状況に自らを追い込むこと」でしょう。つまり「必要は発明の母」の環境作りです。一般的に、日本では試験が済めば、日常生活で英語が必要でないです。しかし、世界の人とインターネットで繋がるには英語は不可欠です。

　という私も、生活で英語が必要に迫られないことから、英単語・熟語がなかなか脳に定着しません。このため、日々「英語がどうしても必要な環境を自ら作らねばなりません。」英語でものを考えたり、英文を書くのは「脳をすっかり英語に転換」しなくてはなりません。しかし、一歩一歩ですから、私は天声人語の英文対照版を教科書とし、１日１コラムを課題として語彙を増やしたいのですが、高齢期に入った今、なかなか難しいことです。それでも、脳への定着は「繰り返し実際に使うこと」と感じてます。

　英文を書くとき、高校時代に習った「五文型」に当て嵌め、日本語ではあまりない主語を必ず入れ、三単現では動詞にsやｅｓを忘れず、便利な関係代名詞や関係副詞も使います。常に手元に和英辞典と英和辞典の両方から例文を有効利用し、「英作文は英借文である」と、いい年をして辞書との睨めっこの日々です。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

.......................................................

As you know, 98% of the people living on Earth do not understand the language of Japan. On the other hand, the Internet, a tool of civilization, instantly connects every corner of the world. To fill this imbalance, I also try to "communicate in English" on Facebook and my weblog. This is probably based on my daily life in India in my 20s as a teacher of Japanese school. Even when I walked around the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata), I had never heard any Japanese.

We Japanese can live our daily lives without any inconvenience by using Japanese. Therefore, if we want to become familiar with English, we should "put ourselves in a situation where English is indispensable to us." In other words, it is about creating an environment where "necessity is the mother of invention." Generally, here in Japan, once we have finished our exams, we do not need English in our daily life. However, English is indispensable to connect with people around the world via the Internet.

Even I, who do not need English in my daily life, have difficulty retaining English words and phrases in my brain. For this reason, I have to "create an environment where English is absolutely necessary" for me every day. Thinking and writing in English requires "completely switching my brain to English world." However, I want to increase my vocabulary step by step, using the English-version of Tensei Jingo published from Asahi Newspaper as my textbook and setting myself the task of writing one column a day, but it's quite difficult now that I'm older. Still, I feel that the key to come to stay it in my brain is to "actually use it repeatedly."

When I write English sentences or English composition, I use the "five sentence patterns" which I learned in high school, always including a subject that isn't common in Japanese, never forgetting to use "s" or "es" with verbs in the third person singular, and also using convenient relative pronouns and relative adverbs. I always make good use of example sentences from both a Japanese-English dictionary and an English-Japanese dictionary, and spend my senior days glaring at the dictionary, reminding that "English composition is English sentence borrowing."

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「倉賀野」という地名の由来を考える

　私が生まれ育った倉賀野という地名の由来は「崖の上の野原」という風に考えられると、以前に倉賀野についての研究者の講演会で聞いたことがあります。つまり、昔は「崖のことを倉」と言ったようです。その一例として、群馬県北部に位置する谷川岳には有名な「一ノ倉」という名の物凄い絶壁の山があります。

　倉賀野町を烏川を隔てた南隣の阿久津町の方から眺めると、確かに、倉賀野は東から西までずっと崖の上に成り立っていることが分かります。このため、倉賀野は大昔から水害に見舞われることがなく住みやすかったのでしょう。烏川近くの崖の上のみならず、倉賀野には数か所で遺跡が見つかってます。

　ところで、現在、私が住んでる土地は以前は畑であり、少し掘ると今でも浅間砂が出てきます。天明三年の浅間の大噴火では倉賀野にも火山灰が厚く降り積もり、田が大打撃を受け、人々は降った灰を集めて灰塚としたと伝えられます。このため、私の土地は灰塚の一部だったと考えられます。

　しかし、それとは比較できない大昔の石器時代より、人々は倉賀野に住み着いていたのでしょう。１０年ほど前に私は庭いじりをしていたとき、写真上の鋭い刃を持った「打製石器」、また、木の実などを潰したと想われる「楕円形の石と球体の石」を発見し、今でも保存し、何万年もの大昔から、この地に人々が住んでいたことに思いを馳せてます。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

.......................................................

I once heard at a lecture by a researcher about Kuragano-town that the origin of the name of the place where I was born and raised, Kuragano can be thought of as "a vast field on a cliff." In other words, in the old days, "cliff" was called "kura" in Japan. As an example, there is a famous mountain called "Ichinokura" on Mt. Tanigawadake in northern Gumma Prefecture, with a steep cliff beyond description.

When we look at Kuragano-town from the neighboring Akutsu-town across the Karas River to the south, we can see that Kuragano is indeed existed on the long cliff from east to west. For this reason, Kuragano-town has never been hit by floods since ancient times, I guess and has been easy to live in. Ruins have been found in several places in Kuragano-town, not just on the cliff near the Karas River.

Not change the subject, but the land where I currently live was formerly a field, and even now, if I dig a little, I can find the active volcano Mt. Asama's sand. It is said that during the great eruption of Mt. Asama in 1783, thick layers of volcanic ash fell on Kuragano, of course, it caused great damage to the rice fields, and people collected the volcanic ash and made it into ash mounds called Haizuka in our tongue. For this reason, it is believed that my land was a part of the ash mound.

However, people have been living in Kuragano since the incomparably ancient Stone Age. About 10 years ago, while I was working in my garden, I discovered a chipped stone tool with a sharp blade, as shown in the photo, as well as oval and spherical stones that are thought to have been used to crush nuts. I have still preserved these, and they make me think about the fact that people have been living in this land for tens of thousands of years of Stone Age.

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凄い深紅を味わう日々

　今日は少々寒かったですが、庭の落ち葉や枯れ草などを集め、庭の整備に一人黙々と働きました。仕事は二人ですれば四方山話などしながら作業が進むでしょうが、仕方ありません。

　子供のときは８人家族の末っ子として賑やかな我が家でした。その後、新たに家族が３人増えましたが、今では二人の娘たちも独立し、一緒に過ごすことはなくなり、人生とは「家族がいて平凡と感じる時が一番幸せ」と、一人暮らしになった今頃気づいてます。

　ところで、写真の植物の実は本当に深紅で、前の道を通る人の目を惹きつけ、度々「何と言う植物ですか」と問われると、私は「ここの地名クラガノマチとそっくりです」と答えます。つまり、クロガネモチです。年々、大きくなってるので、巨樹となってこの深紅の実をつければ、凄いことになるでしょう。その姿を見るまでは元気で生きていたいものです。

　今日はいつもの喫茶「さんぽ道」で初めて昼食を摂りました。昼食が外食とは私には珍しことです。一杯を含む夕食なら外食は度々です。

Dear my overseas friends

　It was a little cold today in Japan, but I gathered fallen leaves and dead grass at the garden and worked alone in silence to maintain the garden. If there were two people working together, we would chat about various topics, but I can't help it.

　When I was a child, I was the youngest child in a family of eight, so that our home was very lively. Since then, three new members have joined the family, but now my two daughters became independent and I no longer spend time together, I have come to realize that life is happiest when we have a family, The damage is done.

　By the way, the fruit of the plant in the photo is really deep red, and it attracts the attention of people passing by. When I am asked what the plant is called, I answer, "It looks just like the name of this town, Kuraganomachi." In other words, it is a Kuroganemochi that means Japanese silverleaf. It is getting bigger every year, so if it grows into a giant tree and bears this deep red fruit, it will be amazing. I want to live until I see it.

　Today, I had lunch for the first time at my usual cafe, Sampo-michi. It is unusual for me to eat lunch outside. Dinner, which includes one drink, is very often.

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近未来が楽しみ・・・サクランボが収穫できるか

　昨日は一日中晴れ渡り、私は午前も午後もその大半を庭で作業に没頭しました。枯れ草や落葉し葉を集めると次第に庭がきれいになります。しかし、作業の中心は、半年前に前橋農協で手にした高さ１ｍほどのサクランボの苗木を今まで簡単な鉢に植えたままでした。このため、赤い実が生ったら家の中からその様子が見える位置に植える作業です。

　先ず、スコップで穴掘りですが、畑と違い土が硬いので作業が思うように進みません。それでも表面から２０cmほどの深さになったら多少柔らかくなりました。その後、近くのホームセンターで果樹用の土を購入してきて穴の中に入れ、将来広がる枝の方向を考え植え込みました。普段、肉体作業をしないことから、結構、疲れましたが、作業が済むと今後の成長と「赤いサクランボが生る日を想像」し、夢が広がります。実が生ったら食べにいらしてください。

　実は、サクランボを植える気になったのは山形県に住んでる甥がサクランボを贈ってくれたからです。それが余りにも美味しく、こんなに美味しいなら庭で育てみようと思いついたのです。調べてみたら、サクランボの名産地は山形県です。こんなことでも近未来に期待感が広がります。

　年を重ねてから大切な生き方は「日々、希望や期待感に満ち、次々やることがあること」でしょう。延いては、これが認知症対策に繋がり、本来は「高齢期こそ本当に楽しく暮らせる」と思います。ただ、一人暮らしの私に不足するのは話し相手です。自ら喫茶「さんぽ道」でピアノを弾いたり、高崎の小料理屋「バク」など、あちこちに出かけてみよう。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　Yesterday was a sunny day like an Indian summer, so I spent most of the morning and afternoon working in the garden. As I collected the dead grass and fallen leaves, the garden gradually became cleaner beyond description. However, the main task was to plant a cherry tree that bears red fruits about 1m tall that I got from the Maebashi Agricultural Cooperative six months ago in a simple pot. Therefore, I wanted to plant it in a position where I could see the red cherries from inside the room when it bears fruit.

　First, I dug a hole with a shovel, but unlike a field, the soil was hard, so the work did not go as smoothly as I had hoped. However, once it was about 20cm deep from the surface, it became a little soft. After that, I bought some soil for fruit trees at a nearby hardware store, put it in the hole, and planted it while considering the direction of the branches that spread in the future. I was quite tired because I don't usually do physical work, but after the work was done, I imagined the future growth and the day when red cherries would bear, so my dream spreads. Please come and eat some fruit when it bears.

　Actually, I decided to plant cherries because my nephew who lives in Yamagata Prefecture sent me some. They were so delicious that I thought I'd try to raise them in my garden. After investigation, I found out that Yamagata Prefecture is famous for producing cherries. Just this fact fills me with hope for the near future.

　As we get older, it's important to live our life "every day filled with hope and expectation, and we have some works to do after another." This will ultimately help prevent senile dementia, and I think that "it is in old age that we can truly enjoy life." However, actually as I live alone everyday, what I lack is someone to talk to. I'll go out and try various places, such as playing the piano at my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi" or visiting the small restaurant "Baku" in downtown of Takasaki-city.

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車も足元をきれいにすると、気持ちが引き締まる

　ご覧の通り、愛車は木製の車庫内に収納しており、塗装面の汚れは少なく、購入直後にコーティングもしてあるので比較的きれいに保たれてます。現役時代の殆どは同じく水色の「いすゞ１１７クーペ」で4つの職場【榛名、高商、富岡、前橋】に通勤したため走行距離は２６万キロに伸びました。これは月までの距離の３分の２に相当します。

　それに比較し、退職後のＴＴはあまり乗らないため、意識して動かさなければなりません。車で大切なことは、人間の身体に似ていて、エンジン調整が大切で適度に走る必要があります。

　昨日はオートバックスでタイヤワックスを購入し、自分でタイヤをピカピカにしてみました。このワックスはタイヤにスプレーで吹き付けるだけで磨く必要がありません。人間と同じく、足元をきれいにすると気持ちが良いものです。水色のボディーに真っ黒なタイヤで気持ちまで引き締まる感じです。

　車がきれいになったら走りたくなり、その後、倉賀野から北へ向かい、新前橋付近から高前バイパスに入り、アウディーの会社に立ち寄り、タイヤのローテーションを１２月に行うことを予約しました。ここではＣＡやサービス担当者と話をすることはとても楽しいことです。帰路は高前バイパスを南下し、車間距離を保ちつつ、しかも、車の流れに沿って、国道など広い良い道のみサーと走り帰宅しました。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

.......................................................

　As you can see, my car named Audi TT Quattro is stored in a wooden garage, so the body paint is not dirty. More over it was coated immediately after I bought it, so it is relatively clean. During most of my active years, I commuted to four workplaces such as Haruna, Takasho, Tomioka, Maebashi in the same light blue Isuzu 117 Coupe, so its mileage has increased to 260,000 km. This is equivalent to two-thirds of the distance to the moon.

　In comparison, I don't drive my TT very often after I retired, so I have to drive consciously. The important thing about a car is similar to the human body, so the engine adjustment is indispensable and it needs to be driven moderately.

　Yesterday, I bought the tire wax at Autobacs and tried to make my tires shine. I just spray this wax on the tires, and I needn't polish them. Just like humans, I feel good by cleaning feet. The light blue body and pitch black tires make me feel refreshed.

　Once the car was clean, I wanted to drive it, so I headed north from Kuragano-town to near shin-Maebashi and entered the Takamae Bypass, stopped at the Audi company and made an appointment to have the tires rotated in December. It was a lot of fun talking to the lady receptionist and service staff there. On the way back, I headed south on the Takamae-Bypass, keeping a safe distance from the car ahead and following the flow of traffic, and only driving on wide national road.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

生ってる姿も良し、食して味も良し・・・カッキーの柿

　子供の頃から柿の木があって、よく食べた記憶があります。今の土地に引っ越してからも亡父が植えました。しかし、運悪く渋が多く混ざっていて、子供だった娘たちもあまり食べず、毎年、野鳥たちの憩いの場所となり啄んでました。ところが、物は試しで、数年前、その柿の木を思い切って幹から剪定したところ、昨年から生り始め、嬉しいことに甘くなったのです。カッキーラッキーといったところです。

　調べてみると、柿にはビタミンCが豊富に含まれ、更にカロテン、タンニン、カリウムなどの栄養素も含まれてます。ご存じの通り、ビタミンCは免疫力を高め、カロテンには抗酸化作用があるため、免疫力が高まり、風邪予防にも良いとされてます。タンニンは悪玉コレステロールを減らし、カリウムは動脈硬化の予防や高血圧を防ぐ効果が期待され、年を重ねつつある私の健康維持に柿は良いこと尽くめです。

　前述の通り、柿をめざして庭に来た野鳥たちが、今年は例年より旨いぞとばかり、毎日ピーチクパーチク賑やかです。このため、昨日、私は９割ほどを捥ぎ取りましたが、未だ数個が残ってます。柿が生ってる光景は晩秋らしくて良いのですが、野鳥には３つ程残し、残りのすべてを今日、収穫します。

　毎日、昼食時にデザートとして食べてますが、一個はかなり食べでがあります。半世紀以上前、植えてくれた亡父に「美味しくなったと」伝えたいところですが、親孝行したいときに親はなしです。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　I remember eating a persimmon fruit since I was a child. My late father planted one persimmon tree after we moved to the current location. Unfortunately, the fruit was astringent, so that my daughters didn't eat much of it when they were young. Therefore, every year, the fruit became a resting place for wild birds, who would peck at it. However, I decided to prune the tree from the trunk a few years ago, and last year the fruit started to bear. What would happen, to my delight, it became sweet. Kakky is so lucky.

　After researching, I found that persimmons are rich in vitamin C, and also contain nutrients such as carotene, tannins, and potassium. As you know, vitamin C boosts the immune system, and carotene has antioxidant properties, so it is said to boost the immune system and prevent colds. Tannins reduce bad cholesterol, and potassium is expected to prevent arteriosclerosis and hypertension, so persimmons are full of benefits for maintaining my health as I get older.

　As I mentioned above, the wild birds that come to the garden in search of persimmons are bustling and picking every day, as if they felt this year's persimmons were tastier than usual. For this reason, I harvested about 90% yesterday, but there are still a few left. The sight of persimmons bearing is lovely and represents late autumn, but I will leave about three for the wild birds and harvest the rest today.

　I eat them every day as a dessert with lunch, and one persimmon is large quantity. I would like to tell my late father, who planted it for us over half a century ago, that they have become delicious, but it's to late to think of filial piety after my parents are gone.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

可能な限り、孤食を減らす

　今日の午前中、喫茶「さんぽ道」でホットコーヒーを飲みつつ、本を読みました。「さんぽ道」では、今まではコーヒーや梅ソーダを注文しただけですが、ここでは昼食もやっており、今度から時々は昼食も取ろうと思います。家での孤食より、栄養面で優れ、何より人と話すチャンスがあり私にはプラスになるでしょう。

　This morning I read a book while drinking hot coffee at my favorite cafe "Sampo-michi." Until now I've only ordered coffee or plum soda at the Sampo-michi, but they also serve lunch, so I think I'll start having lunch there occasionally from now on. It's more nutritious than eating alone at home, and best of all, it'll give me a chance to talk to people, which will be a plus for my mentality.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

「小雪」における地球の公転上の位置

　昨日は二十四節気の一つ「小雪」でした。宇宙空間に浮き、太陽の周囲を秒速約２９ｋｍのスピードで反時計回りに公転してる私たちを載せた地球は「小雪」の日に、９憶４千万㎞ある公転軌道上の一体どの辺を周遊中でしょうか。これを知るには「午前0時に真南を見る」ことです。

　最近、空気が澄んで来たので星がよく見えるようになりました。すべて一等星で形作られてる「冬のダイアモンド」は現在、日本列島の頭上に来ています。その６角形のダイアモンドの一番下に「おおいぬ座」の「シリウス」が一際明るく輝いてます。その右上に有名な「オリオン座」があり、「オリオン座」のすぐ上に「牡牛座」の一等星「アルデバラン」が輝いてます。

　この「アルデバラン」が今の季節の午前０時に、真南に輝いてますから、「小雪」の日に地球は「アルデバラン」の方向に差し掛かっています。そのすぐ右上に星の塊である「スバル星団」も確認できます。こちらは南西諸島のほぼ頭上です。私たちを載せた地球は現在どの辺を通過中であるか意識すると、次々変わる星空の景色が見られ、季節も感じられて楽しいものです。地軸が２３．５°傾いたまま公転してることで、これから北半球は真冬となり、南半球は真夏になります。

　ところで、今日は勤労感謝の日です。皆様には拙いページにアクセスを戴き感謝してます。これからも繋がりをお願いいたします。いよいよ寒さが本格的になりますから、温かくしてお過ごしください。時間が許しましたら倉賀野へ遊びにいらして下さい。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and great music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..................................

　Yesterday was "Syohsetsu" that means the beginning of snowy season and one of the 24 solar terms in Japan. We earthlings float in space and revolve around the sun counterclockwise at a speed of about 29 km per second. On the 940 million km orbit of the Earth, where is the earth carrying us on the day of "Syohsetsu"? To find out, we had better look due south at midnight.

　Recently, the air has become clearer, so the stars are easier to see. The "Winter Diamond," which is made up of all first-magnitude stars, is currently overhead in the Japanese archipelago. At the very bottom of this hexagonal diamond, Sirius in the constellation Canis Major shines particularly brightly. To the upper right of that is the famous Orion, and just above Orion shines the first-magnitude star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus.

　This Aldebaran shines due south at midnight during this season, so on the day of "Syohsetsu" the Earth is approaching the direction of Aldebaran of Taurus. Just above and to the right of that you can also see the Pleiades star cluster. This is almost overhead of the Southwestern Islands. If you pay attention to where the Earth is currently passing, you can see the starry sky changing one after another, and you can feel the seasons, which is fun. As the Earth revolves around the Sun with its axis tilted at 23.5 degrees, it will soon be mid-winter in the Northern Hemisphere and mid-summer in the Southern Hemisphere.

　By the way, today is Labor Thanksgiving Day in Japan. I appreciate you all for visiting my humble page. I hope to keep in touch from now on. The cold climate is finally starting to set in, so please stay warm. If you have time, please come visit Kuragano-town where I live.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

味覚の晩秋を楽しむ日々

　日々、健康を維持するため「適度な」運動の励行と、食生活に気を配ってます。私の最近の傾向として、ご覧の「ピリ辛ラッキョウ」を食することが多くなりました。酢で漬けてあり味がよく、歯応えがあり、ピリ辛なので飽きが来ません。１日４～５コ食べてますが、世の中には美味しいものがあるものです。

　ラッキョウには食物繊維が豊富に含まれ、腸内環境を整えたり、コレステロール値や中性脂肪の低下、血糖値の上昇を抑える働きが考えられます。一方、骨粗鬆症の予防にニラも味噌汁に入れます。ご覧のように、事前に切っておくと、すぐに摘まんで使えます。また、玉ねぎも刻んでからオーブンで温め、胡麻油などかけて食します。私は最近、これらの野菜を多めに食してます。

　一方、晩秋の今、庭に生った柿をデザートとして食します。先日書きました通り、３年前、幹を思い切って剪定したら渋みがなくなり、世の中には美味しいものがあるものです。柿に含まれるビタミンCは免疫力を高め、カロテンには抗酸化作用【がん予防】があり、現在、昼食のデザートとして毎日１個戴いてます。

　このように食生活をあれこれ工夫してますが、実は、私には肝心なビタミンＩが不足してます。

　Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nutrients and longevity

Every day, I try to exercise moderately to maintain my health and pay attention to my diet. Recently, I have started to eat more spicy pickled shallot named Rakky in our tongue, as you can see here. They are pickled in vinegar, so it has a good taste and chewy, so I never get tired of it, I eat 4 to 5 a day. There are really delicious foods in the world.

　Rakkyo is rich in dietary fiber, which is thought to improve the intestinal environment, lower cholesterol and neutral fat levels, and suppress the rise in blood sugar levels. On the other hand, I also put Chinese chives in miso soup to prevent osteoporosis. As you can see in the photo, if I cut them in advance, I can pick them up and use right away. I also chop onions, warm them in the oven, and eat them with sesame oil. I've been eating a lot of these vegetables lately.

　On the other hand, now it's late autumn in Japan, I'm eating persimmons that have grown in my garden as a dessert. As I wrote the other day, I pruned its trunk three years ago, as the result they no longer have any astringent taste, so there are delicious fruit in the world. The vitamin C contained in persimmons boosts immunity, and the carotene has an antioxidant effect [cancer prevention], so I currently eat one persimmon every day as a dessert for lunch.

　I've been trying various ways to improve my diet, but what I'm lacking is the essential vitamin I that means love.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

鏑川の畔を藤岡まで気持ちよくウォーキング

　今日の午後、小春日和のような気候であったことから、ウォーキングしたくて身体がムズムズしてきました。このため、鏑川の土手を西南に向って１．５Kほど歩き、長くて歩きやすい新鏑川橋の歩道を行き帰り渡り【１K】、藤岡市の入り口までを往復しましたから、かかった時間は丁度１時間で、距離は４Kほどです。

　ご覧の通り、新鏑川橋の歩道は幅3ｍあり、歩道の両脇に欄干があるので交通の面からも安全です。しかも、この橋は水面から２０ｍほどの高さがあり、空気と景色が抜群に良いです。私は鼻呼吸を心掛け、４拍で吸い、４拍で息を口から吐きつつ歩きましたが、ちょっと考え事をすると自然の呼吸に戻ることもありました。ストライドは広めで、脈拍は８０位です。私の考えでは「健康をめざす運動はむやみに心臓を速く動かしてはなりません。」

　拙い体験ですが、音楽も本格的なステージで演奏すると、それなりに音色と表現に身が入ります。同様に、ウォーキングも景色など遠方がよく見え、歩きやすいコース上では、自然と姿勢や呼吸法も健康的になることを実感です。

　　

　この結果、今宵のビールは美味しくなりそうです。「こらっ、カッキーまた飲むのか」という声が聞こえて来そうです。他に楽しみがない私です。お願いです。今宵だけは特別にお許しください。それとも、いっしょに飲みに行きますか。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　This afternoon, the weather was, what we call, Indian summer so that I was itching to go for a walk. So I walked about 1.5km southwest along the bank of the Kabra River, crossed the long and easy walkway of the New-Kabra-River Bridge (500m), and went to the entrance of Fujioka-City, so it took exactly 1 hour and the round trip distance was about 4km.

　As you can see, the walkway of New-Kabra-River-Bridge is 3m wide, and there are railings on both sides, so it is safe from a traffic perspective. Moreover, the bridge is about 20m above the water surface, so the air and scenery are excellent beyond description. I tried to breathe through my nose, inhaling in four beats and exhaling in four beats, but sometimes I would return to natural breathing unconsciously when I thought about something. My stride was wide, and my pulse was around 80. I am of the opinion that, "our exercise aimed at improving health should not make the heart beat unnecessarily fast."

　It's my humble experience, when music is performed on a full-scale stage, the tone and expression become more concentrated. Similarly, when walking, if we can see the scenery in the distance clearly and it is on an easy walking course, our posture and breathing naturally become healthier.

　As a result, tonight's beer is going to taste better. I can almost hear someone say, "Hey, will you drink again, Kakki?" I have nothing else to look forward to. Please, just for tonight, please make an exception. Or would you like to go for a drink together?

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

今朝、火星とランデヴーしていた下弦の月

　文字通り、弦が下を向いてる下弦の月です。今朝５時５０分の日の出前の寒い中、外に出て撮りました。今日１１月２１日は旧暦で１０月２１日ですから月齢２１です。

　実はこの月のすぐ東に火星が輝きランデブーしていますが、月を大きく撮ると火星が入らず、月を小さく撮ると互いにピンボケしてしまったので、下弦の月だけにピントを合わせて撮りました。ランデヴーしてる星が火星と分かるのは橙色しているからです。また、今朝の月は「冬のダイアモンド」の東端にありますから、ランデヴーしてるのは恒星でないことが分かります。

　ところで、近未来に、もしかして日本人宇宙飛行士が男女で月面へ行く可能性がありますが、地球から月までの距離は約３８万Ｋｍです。と言っても、この距離について私たちはピンときませんが、実は、車を運転してる人は現在の走行距離と比べると比較的理解しやすいです。３５万Ｋは本当に遠いです。

　現在、地球の周囲を１日１６回周ってるＩＳＳ【国際宇宙ステーション】までの距離は約４００Ｋです。この距離は群馬県高崎市から岩手県盛岡市までの直線距離に等しいです。しかし、月まではその９５０倍の距離ですから如何に遠いかが分かります。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

.................................................

　This is a waning moon, because of the string pointing downwards. I went outside in the cold this morning at 5:50 before sunrise to take this photo. Today, November 21st, is October 21st in the lunar calendar, so the moon phase is 21.

　Actually, Mars is shining just to the east of this moon so that they are rendezvousing each other, but if I take a close-up photo of the two celestial bodies, Mars don't enter in the picture, and if I take a photo the moon, both will be out of focus, so I focused only on the waning moon. We can recognize that the rendezvous star is Mars because it is orange. Also, this morning's moon is currently at the eastern edge of the "Winter Diamond," so we can tell that it is not a fixed star that it is rendezvous with the moon.

　Not change the subject, but in the near future, there is a possibility that Japanese astronauts, a man and a woman, will land to the moon surface, and as you know, the distance from the earth to the moon is about 380,000 km. But, we don't really understand this distance, but in fact, for those who drive a car, it is relatively easy to understand when compared to the current driving mileage. 350,000 km is really far away beyond description.

　Currently, the distance to the ISS (International Space Station), which orbits the Earth 16 times a day, is approximately 400 km. This distance is equal to the straight-line distance from Takasaki-city, Gumma Prefecture, to Morioka-city, Iwate Prefecture. However, the distance to the Moon is 950 times that, so we can understand just how far it is.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

世界で９２位に愕然・・・へこたれず頑張りましょう。

　語学学校を世界に展開する企業Education First【本部スイス】がこのほど発表した英語圏以外の国・地方の２０２４年版「英語能力指数」で日本は過去最低の９２位に転落したと伝えられます。それにしても、あまりの低さに驚きです。令和５年の訪日外国人旅行者数は２５０７万人（出典:日本政府観光局（JNTO）と増加してます。このような急激な国際化に逆行し、英語能力の低下に歯止めがかかりません。

　この理由はいろいろ考えられます。まず、私たち日本人は遠い祖先の時代から、外国人と接する機会はなく、日本語だけで不自由なく生活ができました。現在でも、地方ではその状況は変わりません。

　日本で英語が必要なのは、高校入試と大学入試でよい成績を取るためです。つまり、生活として必要ではなく、入試の合格に必要なのです。入試が過ぎれば、英語は殆ど必要なくなります。学校の授業でも、文法を「日本語で説明する英語の授業」という感覚があり、英語の時間でも「一貫して英語のみで教える姿」はないようです。

　しかしながら、今や小学校でもＡＥＴの先生から英語を教わる機会があり、私の時代では考えられないことで、その環境に心底から羨ましく感じます。日本は島国ですが、今やＳＮＳの時代で、瞬時にして外国人と繋がります。勉強を始めるのに遅すぎることはないです。皆さん、頑張りましょう。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

...........................................................

　Education First, a company with headquarters in Switzerland that operates language schools worldwide, recently released the 2024 English Proficiency Index for non-English-speaking countries and regions. Japan has reportedly fallen to 92nd place, its lowest ever ranking. Even so, it is surprising how low the Japanese ranking is. The number of foreign tourists visiting Japan in 2024 is increasing to 25.07 million (Source: Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO)). This rapid internationalization goes against the trend and the decline in English proficiency is unstoppable.

　There are various possible reasons for this by my thinking. First of all, since the period of our distant ancestors, we Japanese have had no opportunity to interact with foreigners and have been able to live comfortably using only Japanese. Even today, the situation remains the same in rural areas, even in Gumma prefecture where I live.

　The reason why English is necessary in Japan is to achieve good results in high school and university entrance exams. In other words, English is not necessary for daily life, after passing the entrance exams. Once the entrance exams are over, English is hardly needed anymore. Even in school English classes, there seems that grammar is "explained in Japanese" and even in English classes, there is no "consistent teaching only in English." in other words, the way of immersion is not prevalent.

　However, nowadays, even in elementary schools, there are opportunities to learn English from AET teachers, which was unthinkable in my young time, so that I am truly envious of this circumstance beyond description. Japan is an island nation, but we are now in the midst of social media, and can connect with foreigners instantly. It is never too late to start studying. Let's do our best, everyone.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

野鳥も私も自分で生きる

　庭には野鳥たちがマユミの実を食べに来たり、柿の実を食べに来たり、キジバトは私が用意した水を毎日飲みに来ます。私としては常に新鮮な水に取り換えてます。

　晩秋になると、餌の少なくなる冬の前に腹ごしらえをしておくのでしょう。野鳥の気持ちが分かるのは、半世紀以上に亘りレース鳩を飼育した経験が今になって役立ってます。

　植物と野鳥への水遣りは私の毎朝の日課です。原則的に餌は撒きません。何でも人間に頼ると、彼らが自然界で生きていけなくなるでしょう。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　Wild birds come to the garden to eat the fruit of Mayumi tree and persimmon, and the Turtle Doves come every day to drink the water that I provide. I always replace the water with fresh water.

　Now, in late autumn, they probably want to fill their stomachs before winter when their food becomes scarce. My experience raising racing pigeons for over half a century has now come in handy in helping me understand wild birds hearts.

　Watering the many plants and the wild birds is part of my daily routine every morning. As a rule, I don't scatter food. If they depend on humans for everything, they won't be able to survive in the wild.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

読売新聞全国版「気流」に時計屋の隣りさんの文が掲載される

　いつも、ブログにコメントをくださる「時計屋の隣りさん」の投稿文が、本日（１９日）、読売新聞全国版「気流」に掲載されました。このため、ブログでも皆様にご紹介します。

タイトル・・・・秋に健気「ひつじ」・・・・

　以前は、稲の一生は田植えから収穫までだと思っていた。今の時期、稲刈りが済んだ稲株から、再び葉が伸び、いじらしく稲穂が出ている。刈り取った後に再生する稲は「ひつじ」と呼ばれ、青々とした清々しい「ひつじ田」の光景を作っている。

　田では、落穂をついばむスズメは見かけても、人の気配はない。ひつじはその後60ｃｍ程に成長し、穂は黄色く色づいても実は結ばない。栄養の蓄えが少なく、厳しい気候条件下では、完全な開花や実の成熟には至らないことが多いようだ。厳寒の2月頃には、そのまま立ち枯れてしまう。

　稲の新たな生命サイクルに気付いたのは8年ほど前だ。それ以来、ひつじ田を楽しみに見続けているが、穂すら出ない年もあった。今年は穂をのぞかせている。健気(けなげ)ではかない、ひつじをしばらく見守っていたい。

侘しい晩秋を彩る「菊の花」と「柿の実」

【画像は、いずれもクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】　

　今まさに晩秋で今朝も外気温が相当に冷えてます。摂氏４°です。樹木の多くは紅葉し、落葉中でも、この時季に庭を明るく彩るものは、ご覧の通り、「菊の花」と「柿」です。以前はレース鳩がたくさんいましたが、現在は、いろいろの植物が家族であり、これらは時季が来ると、孤独な私を色彩で励ましてくれます。

　最近は昼食のデザートに柿を捥いで食べますが、１個の量はかなりあり、一人には多過ぎるほどです。実は、この柿の木は今まで渋かったのですが、３年前に思い切り幹を切断し新芽を育てたところ、昨年から生り始め、しかも甘くなったのです。どちらかというと渋い私カッキーも、近隣社会のために甘くなりたいものです。

　やはり、剪定は功を奏します。楽しい声を聴かせてくれる野鳥にも柿の実をいくつか残しておき、後はすべて捥ぐ予定です。以前に書きましたが、柿の木はこの他に種類の異なる若い２本も植えたので、数年後を期待してます。果物を植えると近未来に実が生るので楽しみで、期待感は生きる力になります。

　暮れから正月に収穫できるものは「金柑」です。この他、枇杷、近未来にはイチジクです。食べ切らないほど生るものは梅です。これからも人間の知恵の一つである「剪定」を心掛け、果物の世話を通して、自然と「持ちつ持たれつの生活」を心掛けます。寒くなったら金柑を捥ぎにいらして下さい。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in nature and great music

　It is late autumn now, and the temperature outside this morning is quite cold. It's 4 degrees Celsius. Many of the trees have turned red, and even though the leaves have fallen, what brightens up the garden at this season are the chrysanthemum flowers and persimmons, as you can see. There used to be a lot of racing pigeons, but now there are many different plants as the family, and when the season comes, they cheer me up with their colors.

　Recently, I have been picking persimmons to eat as dessert with my lunch, but one piece is quite large, so it is almost too much for me. In fact, this persimmon tree used to be astringent the same as my personality, but three years ago I cut the trunk and let new shoots raise, and they started to bear fruits last year, and they are sweet. At the same time, I would like to be sweet for the sake of the neighborhood.

　As expected, pruning is effective. I will leave a few persimmons for the wild birds that provide a pleasant sound, and pick the rest. As I wrote before, I have also planted two young persimmon trees of a different variety, so I am looking forward to seeing them in a few years. If planting fruit trees, we can look forward to seeing them bear fruit in the near future. Hope gives us the strength to live.

　Kumquats are another fruit that can be harvested from the end of the year through to the New Year 2025. Other fruits include loquats, and in the near future figs. Plums grow in such numbers that I cannot eat them all. I will keep in mind to pruning which is one of the human wisdoms, and by caring for fruit, I will strive to live a give-and-take life with nature. When it gets cold, please come and pick some kumquats without hesitation.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

秋の一日・・・倉賀野祭りを楽しむ

　今日から気圧配置が冬型になり、群馬県でも未明より冷たい北西の風が吹いてます。今後、夕刻にかけ、一層気温が下がると予報されてます。このように気候が急変するとき、体調が狂いやすいので温かくして過ごしましょう。

　実は、今朝、上四公園で行われた６時３０分からの「ラジオ体操会」で、私は西の空に浮かぶ大きな下弦の月を見ながら体操しました。その月面は、いつもと図柄が異なり横向きです。もちろん、これは地球が自転してるからですが、天体の動きについて、とても不思議に見えました。

　家に帰ってから、その下弦の月をカメラに収めようとしたら、飛び込んで来た西の風景は噴煙たなびく冷たそうな浅間山です。もうそんなことは不可能ですが、２０代のとき頂上に登り、火口の巨大さに感銘し、その後、２回も登頂しました。若き日は体力と気力があったのです。頂上からは広大な関東平野や利根川の蛇行、長く連なった北アルプスの光景が未だ脳裏に焼き付いてます。

　ところで、昨日は倉賀野町祭りが倉賀野小校庭で行われ、３台の山車と、お店もたくさん出店し、およそ１０００人の老若男女で溢れ、特に子供たちは大喜びでした。私も昔の祭り気分に浸り、生まれて初めて兜をかぶって戦国時代に思いを馳せました。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music
　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..............................................

　Starting today, the atmospheric pressure pattern has turned wintery, and cold northwesterly winds have been blowing since dawn in Gumma Prefecture. It is forecast that the temperature will drop further toward this evening. When the weather changes suddenly like this, it is easy for human to get sick, so make sure to stay warm. 

　Actually, this morning, at the "radio gymnastics venue held at Kam-4th Park from 6:30, I did my gymnastics while looking at the large waning crescent moon floating in the western sky. The surface of the moon was different from usual and was facing sideway. Of course, this is because the Earth is rotating, but the movement of the celestial body seemed very mysterious to me.

　When I returned home and tried to capture the waning crescent moon at the third floor by my camera, the view to the west that caught my eye was active volcano named Mt. Asama, which looked cold and had erupted with smoke. It is no longer possible to climb it, but when I was in my 20s, I climbed to the summit and was impressed by the enormity of the crater, and then I climbed to the top twice more. In my younger days, I had the physical strength and willpower to do so. From the summit, the vast Kanto Plain, the meandering Tone River, and the long stretches of the Northern Alps are still impressed into my mind.

　Not change the subject, but yesterday Kuragano Town's festival was held in the Kuragano-Elementary-School ground, with three floats and many stalls, and about 1,000 people of all ages and genders attended, with the children especially delighted. I too was immersed in the festival atmosphere of the past, and for the first time in my life I put on an ancient helmet and reminisced about the Warring States period.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

枝垂れ紅梅に教えられる「変化と統一」

　写真は「枝垂れ紅梅」の四季による変化の様子です。春はピンクの花が3週間ほど満開となり、行き交う人に優雅な春爛漫を感じさせます。夏は緑色濃く木陰を作り、秋はご覧の通り、すべての枝が紅葉し、何とはなしに侘しさをしみじみ味わわせ、冬は落葉し、雪が降れば枝に積もり、樹木内に栄養を蓄え、春へのエネルギーに備えます。

　４本の梅すべて紅葉している現在、色彩を通して、日本には四季があることを実感させます。それにしても、樹形と色彩によって美の本質とは「統一と変化」であることを私に教えてます。同時に、枝ぶりには、何事にも耐えうる円熟さが増し、年々、樹木としての威厳が窺えます。

　私たち人間も、日々の活動において生き方に信念を持ち、一つの分野のみでなく、可能な限り視野を広げ、一度しかない人生を豊かに生きたいものです。これこそ人間として生まれた特典と言えます。

　ところで、私が生まれて以来住み続けてる倉賀野町では、今日、全地区による祭りの日です。高崎市に合併以降、町長、町会議員がいなくなり、祭りは半世紀ほど途絶えましたが、江戸時代から続く地域の祭りは笛太鼓の音が響き、幼き日々の感動が蘇りつつあります。今後、この祭りが「子供たちの未来」へと引き継がれ、賑やかだった往時の倉賀野の復興となることを願ってやみません。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

....................................................

　The photo indicates the seasonal changes of the weeping plum tree. In spring, the pink flowers are in full bloom for about three weeks, with giving passersby a sense of the graceful spring in full bloom. In summer, the deep green leaves create shade like Indian Park, and in autumn, as you can see, all the branches turn red, with creating a sense of loneliness. In winter, the leaves fall, and when snow falls, it accumulates on the branches, with storing nutrients inside the tree and preparing it for spring.

　Now all four plum trees in my garden have turned red, the colors make me realize that Japan has four seasons. Even so, the tree's shape and color teach me that the essence of beauty is "Unity and Change." At the same time, the branches become more ripe and able to withstand anything, and year by year, the dignity of the tree is appeared.

　We humans, too, should have conviction in our way of life in our daily activities, broaden our horizons as much as possible. Because our life is limited only one life so that we must live to the fullest. This is the privilege of being born as a human being.

　Not change the subject, but today is the day of a district-wide festival in Kuragano-town where I have lived since I was born. After the town was merged into Takasaki-city, the town no longer has a mayor or many town council members, therefore festivals ceased for about half a century. However, the local festival which has been held since the Edo period, resonates with the sounds of Japanese flutes and drums. It is bringing back memories of childhood days. I sincerely hope that in the future this festival will be inherited to "the children of the future," and It will help restore prosperous Kuragano to its former self.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

ウォーキングで晩秋の倉賀野を満喫したい。

【画像をクリックすると、臨場感が出ます。】

　庭の樹木たちはいよいよ一年の活動を終え、ついに落葉となり、朝から落ち葉を掃く作業です。一方、それとバトンタッチするかの如く、今度は私たちの番とばかり、菊たちが色とりどりに開花となり、まるで庭先で来訪者を出迎えるように咲いてます。

　ところで、今年も残すところ４５日。人間の私も華やかな菊の開花に負けず、剪定など植物の世話、ピアノの練習は音程を考える必要がないので、その分、音色を考えた練習、勉強というより生活に結びついた英作文、スーパーへの食材探しなど、動きのある生活を心がけ、如何にして認知症対策ができるか正念場になってます。それには一人暮らしを満喫せず、いろいろの人とお会いし、対話が鍵と考え実践したいです。

　今日はお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」で、ホットコーヒーを味わいつつ、ママさんやお客さんとの会話を楽しんだり、また、故郷・倉賀野の晩秋を味わうためウォーキングし、併せて、筋肉や血流を良くしたいと思います。そうだ、家から「さんぽ道」まで、その名の通り、今日は散歩して行ってみよう。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

　..........................................................

　The trees in the garden have finally finished their yearly activities, and the leaves have finally fallen, so I started sweeping up the fallen leaves in the morning. Meanwhile, as if taking over from them, the chrysanthemums have begun to bloom in a variety of colors, as if they are their turn to welcome visitors to the garden.

　By the way, there are only 45 days left in this year. As a human being, I am trying to keep up with the gorgeous chrysanthemums, taking care of plants such as pruning, practicing the piano without thinking about the pitch, I think about the tone quality. Writing English compositions that are more related to life than studying, looking for ingredients for longevity at the supermarket, and other activities. I am at a critical point now in my life to think about how I can take measures against senile dementia. To do this, I don't want to enjoy living alone, but rather meet various people, so that dialogue is my key, and I must put it into practice.

　Today, I will enjoy conversations with the proprietress and customers at my favorite cafe, "Sampo-michi," while tasting hot coffee, and also take a walk to enjoy the late autumn of my hometown, Kuragano, and at the same time, improve my muscles and blood circulation. That's right, I will take a walk from my home to the ``Sampo-michi'' (it means Walking Path), as the name suggests.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

今月は太陽暦と旧暦の日付が一致し、今日１５日が満月

　今月は珍しく太陽暦と太陰太陽暦(旧暦)の日付が一致しています。このため今日１１月１５日は旧暦では１０月１５日ですから満月です。しかも、七五三です。群馬県の今夜の空は薄い雲が広がっており、１７時３０分に撮影したところ少々ぼんやりしています。

　ところで、人類が初めて月に降り立ったとき、私はインド滞在中で、地元カルカッタ市の新聞にも大きく報道され、その見出しは「Man lands on the moon」でした。

　近未来に日本人宇宙飛行士が月面着陸する可能性があると言われてます。果たして、どの辺に降り立つのでしょうか。

Dear my Facebook friends throughout the world

　As you notice, this month is unusual, so that the solar calendar and the lunisolar calendar (old calendar) dates coincide. Because of this, today, November 15th, is October 15th in the old calendar. Therefore tonight is a full moon. It is also Shichi-Go-San that means Children's festival for 7, 5,３years) in Japan. Tonight in Gumma Prefecture, the sky is covered with thin clouds, and the photo I took at 5:30 pm appears a bit hazy.

　Not change the subject, but, when mankind first went to the moon surface, I was staying in India as a teacher of Japanese school and this news was widely reported in the local Calcutta newspaper, with the headline "Man lands on the moon."

　It is reported that there is a possibility that a Japanese astronauts will land on the moon in the near future. Where moon surface will they land, really?

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

１１月中旬に、稲穂の芽が出ている

　写真は近くの田んぼの風景です。１１月中旬の今朝、撮影しました。稲刈りをした後なのに、稲穂が芽を出し、まるで、６月下旬の田植えの後のようです。実は、昨日、倉賀野小児童の下校パトロール中に気づきました。これも気候変動の顕著な表われでしょう。

　先日も書きましたが、最近の直射日光は今までとは違い、特に晴れてる日の太陽はかなり眩しく、しかも、暑いと感じます。一方、日本の南には、１１月中旬にしては珍しく台風が３つも横並びしてました。田んぼの状態はこのような事とも無関係ではなさそうです。しかも、日本列島では、晩秋なのに夏日になることが起こってます。

　実は、NASAによると、太陽の活動は約11年周期で活発な時期と静穏な時期を繰り返し、活発な時期には黒点の数や太陽フレア（太陽の表面で起こる爆発現象）の発生数が増加し、静穏な時期には減少します。11年周期のなかで活動が最も活発な時期は「極大期」、反対に最も静穏な時期は「極小期」と呼ばれ、今年は「極大期」であると言われてます。

　近年、地球温暖化という言葉がよく使われ、世界各地では山火事や、大洪水が起こってます。この現象は地球だけに原因があるのではなく、太陽活動の活発さが原因の一つとも考えられます。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..........................................................

　The above photo is a nearby rice field. I took this photo this morning in mid-November. Even though the rice has already been harvested, the ears of rice have sprouted, as if they had been planted in late June. In fact, I noticed this phenomenon yesterday while patrolling the way home from school for the children of Kuragano-Elementary-School. This is also a clear sign of climate change, I guess.

　As I wrote the other day, recently, the direct sunlight has been different from before, and it is particularly bright on sunny days, and I feel very hot. Meanwhile, in the south of Japan, there were three typhoons side by side, which is unusual for mid-November. The condition of the rice fields seems not to be unrelated to this hot weather. Moreover, according the news, in the Japanese archipelago, it is experiencing summer days even though it is late autumn.

　Actually, according to NASA, solar activity alternates between active and quiet periods in a cycle of about 11 years, and the number of sunspots and solar flares (explosive phenomena on the surface of the sun) increases during active periods, and decreases during quiet periods. The period of greatest activity within the 11-year cycle is called a "maximum," while the quietest period is called a "minimum," and this year is said to be a "maximum."

　The term of global warming has been used frequently in recent years, and wildfires and major floods have occurred all over the world. This phenomenon is not caused solely by our Earth, and active solar activity is also thought to be one of the causes.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

晩秋から初冬は、ヒートショックに気をつける

　今朝の日の出は６時２０分【群馬県】で、正午の太陽高度は３５°です。５時４５分にブログを書いてますが、未だ、外は暗いです。同時に朝外出するには温かくして出掛けなけれなりません。最近、６時過ぎにラジオ体操会に行くのに手袋をしてます。このように早朝時は寒冷であり、群馬の平野部でも気温は一桁です。

　ＮＨＫ「健康ライフ」より・・・・

　今の季節で特に中高年が最も注意すべきは「ヒートショック」です。つまり、私たちは急激な寒暖差を避けなければなりません。寒暖差が最も著しいのは「寒い脱衣場」と「熱い浴槽」です。これによって血管が縮まり血圧が高くなって、今度は急激に血管が広がって血圧が下がり、この血圧の差は脳梗塞になりやすい状況です。

　ところで、風呂場で亡くなる人は年間で推定１９０００人で、これは交通事故死の５倍の人数です。高齢者が多いですが、中高年でもあり得ることで、周囲で見守らなくてはなりません。という私も一人暮らしですから、冬季は自宅の風呂には入らず、もっぱら近くの日帰り温泉です。

　風呂場での注意としては、浴槽から急に立ち上がらないこと。入浴前にコップ一杯水を飲んでおくこと。これから本格的な寒冷の季節になります。気づき難い寒暖差をなくし、お互いにヒートショックを未然に防ぎましょう。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

...................................................

　This morning the sun rises at 6:20 in Gumma Prefecture, and the altitude of the sun at noon was 35°. I'm writing this Facebook at 5:45, but it's still dark outside. At the same time, if we go out in the morning, we have to dress warmly. Recently, I've been wearing gloves to go to radio gymnastics after 6:00. As you notice, it's cold in the early morning, and even in the plains of Gumma, the temperature is in the single digits.

From NHK's "Healthy Life"・・・・

　The middle-aged and elderly people especially should be most careful to "heat shock." in this season. In other words, we must avoid sudden changes in temperature. The most significant change in temperature is in a "cold changing room" and a "hot bathtub." This causes blood vessels to contract, raising blood pressure, it then suddenly expands and lowers blood pressure, and this difference in blood pressure makes people more susceptible to cerebral infarction.

　Not change the subject, but an estimated 19,000 people die in the bathroom every year, which is five times the number of people who die in traffic accidents in Japan. Most of these people are elderly, but it can also happen to middle-aged, so those around need to keep an eye on them. Since I live alone myself, I don't use bathroom at my home in the winter, but instead go to day spas nearby by Audi TT Quattro including to adjust its engine.

　Some things to be careful of in the bathroom. we don't get up from the bathtub suddenly. Drink a glass of water before getting in the bath. The cold season is about to begin in earnest. Let's eliminate temperature differences that are hard to notice and prevent heat shock each other.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

経済研修に参加

　今日は午後１時より、証券会社で経済の研修を受けてきました。トランプが次期米国大統領になるので、３月頃まで円安傾向になる気配です。果たしてどうでしょう。アメリカ経済が成長し、延いては日本経済に波及するでしょうか。

　健康と経済は私たちの大きな生活基盤なので、両面とも専門家に負けないようこれからも研究し、実践を続けます。人間の脳に大切なことは今後への期待感です。

Dear my overseas friends

　Today, from 1pm, I attended an economics training session at a security firm in front of Takasaki-station. Because of Mr. Trump becoming the next US president, it looks like the yen will continue to weaken until around March. What will happen? Will the American economy grow and have an impact on the Japanese economy?

　Since health and economy are major foundations of human's life, I will continue to research and practice both areas so that I can keep up with the experts. What is important for the human brain is a sense of expectation for the future.

来週、再来週は、星の観察によい機会です。

【画像をクリックすると、画像が明瞭になります。】

　先ず、土居裕子さんの澄み切った歌声を聴きましょう。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R28KlYNwcI

１１月中旬となり、いよいよ星空がきれいに見えるようになりました。１５日が満月なので、来週になれば下弦の月となって月の出が遅くなり、しかも細くなるので、星の観察にはよい機会になります。

　ご覧の「冬のダイアモンド」をご自身の目で、未だ捉えてない方は、是非、今年こそ６個の一等星で囲まれ、上から、カペラ、アルデバラン、オリオン座のリゲル、冬の大三角の下で光り輝くシリウス、プロキオン、双子座のポルックスで成り立つ「大きなダイアモンド」を捉えてください。すでに日本列島の頭上にやって来てます。私が初めて「冬のダイアモンド」を自らの目で捉えたときは、余りの大きさに感銘したものです。

　冬のダイアモンドの最も下にあって、夜空で最も明るい一等星「シリウス」は今の季節では午後９時頃に東の方ですが、時間と共に次第に南にやって来ます。今宵は午前０時にちょうど南東の方角で輝いてます。また、星は１日で約1°西に移動します。

　ご存じの通り、人類の先達は「地球が、太陽と最も明るいシリウスに挟まれた瞬間」を１年の初めとして暦を作りました。つまり、「シリウス」が午前０時に真南に来た瞬間が２０２５年１月１日です。除夜の鐘が鳴ってるとき、是非、真南を見て確認してください。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in astronomy and calendar and music

　First, let's listen to Yuko Doi's clear singing voice. The title of music is "winter constellation".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R28KlYNwcI

　It's mid-November, so the starry sky is finally starting to look beautiful. The full moon is on the 15th in his month, so next week it will be a waning moon, which will cause the moon to rise later and become thinner, making it a good opportunity for us to observe the stars.

　If you haven't yet seen the "Winter Diamond" by your own eyes, please try to see this "big diamond" surrounded by six first-magnitude stars, such as Capella, Aldebaran, Rigel in Orion, Sirius shining below the Winter Triangle, Procyon, and Pollux in Gemini, this time. It has already come over the Japanese archipelago, and northern hemisphere. When I first saw the "Winter Diamond" by my own eyes, I was impressed by its huge size.

　Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is at the bottom of the "Winter Diamond" and is in the east at around 9pm at this time, but gradually moves to southern direction as time passes. Tonight it is shining exactly southeast at midnight. The star also moves about 1° west in one day.

　As you know, our human predecessors created the calendar using the moment when the Earth was sandwiched between the Sun and the brightest star, Sirius, as the beginning of the year. In other words, January 1st, 2025 will be the moment when Sirius comes due south at midnight. When you hear the bells ringing on New Year's Eve, be sure to look due south to check.

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美しいもの

　上の写真は以前に榛名高校に勤めていたことから、時々訪れていた群馬県の榛名富士と榛名湖です。ここは平地より気温が１０度ほど低いです。頂上へはロープウェイで行けます。頂上から富士山が見えます。ここはほぼ日本の真ん中といわれてます。フェイスブック友人であるニュージーランドのスペンス一家と行ったことがあります。

　左下は以前に行ったことがある国立高崎総合病院です。右下はムガル帝国第5代皇帝シャー・ジャハーンが、死去した愛妃マハルのため建設したタージマハールです。ユネスコの世界遺産に登録されてます。２０代のインド滞在中にここを訪れたとき、大理石の建物の中に入ったら高い所に大きな蜂の巣がありました。

　ところで、美しいこの三つの写真に共通することは何でしょう。

　それは見た通り、左右対称であることです。左右対称のものは他に何があるでしょう。それは私たちの身体で、本当に不思議です。

　The photo above is of Haruna Fuji and Lake Haruna in Gunma Prefecture, which I used to visit occasionally when I used to work at Haruna High School. The temperature here is about 10 degrees lower than the plain. We can go to the summit by ropeway. We can see Mt. Fuji from the top. This place is said to be almost in the center of Japan. I have ever been to there with my Facebook friends, Spence family from New Zealand.

　On the bottom left is the National Takasaki General Hospital, which I have visited before. On the bottom right is the Taj Mahal, built by the fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife Mahal after she passed away. It is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. When I visited here during my stay in India at the city of Calcutta in my twenties, I went inside the marble building and found a large beehive high up.

　By the way, what do these three beautiful photos have in common?

　As you can see, they are symmetrical. What else is symmetrical? It is our body which is really mysterious.

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気になる・・・近年の太陽光の異常な暑さ

　朝晩の気温は大分低くなってる今日この頃です。ラジオ体操会場近くの温度計は今朝６時２５分のとき８°Ｃでした。群馬県の今日の日の出は６時１８分でしたから、ラジオ体操が始まる頃やっと明るくなり始めます。このため、１１月いっぱいで、暫く休みになり、来春３月１日からまた始まります。朝の日課として行き帰りを含め、朝３０分間、身体を動かしてるので空腹となり、朝食が美味しいです。

　写真の蕾は庭のアセビですが、不思議なことに、蕾は赤くても開花すると真っ白になります。植物は寒くなると赤くなるものが多く、庭では、この他にクロガネモチ、マユミの実が今を盛りに真っ赤です。金柑の実もそろそろ食べ頃ですので味見にいらして下さい。お茶を飲みながら歓談し、ご希望であれば、拙いピアノ演奏ですが、お聴きください。

　ところで、朝晩は寒くとも、近年、日中は晴れれば異常と想われるほど暑くなります。これは単に地球温暖化というより、最近は太陽活動が盛んになっていると私は考えてます。直射日光に当たると今までとは異なり、太陽光の強さが異常なほど暑いです。太陽が活動期に入ったようです。

　しかし、夜間や朝晩は気温が低いので、健康維持には、例えば、飲み物は温かいものにすると喉、気管、鼻などの調子が良くなるように感じます。今日も全身の体調維持のため、姿勢と呼吸を意識して歩きます。年を重ねても、「いつまでも歩けること」を私の今後の大きな目標にしてます。

Dear my overseas friends who like music and health

　The temperature in the morning and evening has been dropping quite lately. The thermometer near the radio gymnastics venue was 8°C at 6:25 this morning. The sunrise in Gumma Prefecture, Japan, was 6:18 this morning, so it finally starts to brighten when the radio gymnastics starts. For this reason, the radio gymnastics will be on a break for a while at the end of November, and will start again on March 1st next spring. As my morning routine, I move my body for 30 minutes in the morning, including on my way to and from the gymnastics avenue, so I get hungry and my breakfast is delicious beyond expectation.

　The buds in the photo are Japanese andromeda in the garden, but strangely enough, even though the buds are red now, she turns pure white when she blooms. Many plants turn red when it gets cold, and in the garden, the fruits of the Kuroganemochi and Mayumi are also bright red currently. The kumquats are about to be ripe, so please come and try to taste. We are able to chat over tea, and if you hope, you can listen to my clumsy piano playing.

　Not change the subject, but even though it may be cold in the morning and evening, in recent years, when it is clear during the day it becomes unusually hot. This is not simply due to global warming, but the solar activity has been increasing recently, I guess. When exposed to direct sunlight, the intensity of the sunlight is abnormally hot, unlike before. It seems that the sun has entered a period of activity.

　However, as the temperature is low at night and in the morning and evening, I feel that in order to maintain our health, for example, drinking warm drinks helps improve the condition of our throat, trachea, nose, etc. Today, I walked with being conscious of my posture and breathing in order to maintain the health of my entire body. My big purpose for the future is to be able to walk forever, even as I get older as centenarian.

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滝廉太郎作詞作曲「秋の月」

【画像をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】　

　今宵はよく晴れ、月齢１１の上弦の月が南東の空高く出ています。一方、西南の空には「宵の明星」が出てます。両者は先日【地球から見ると】近くに並び、ランデブーしてましたが、群馬県では雲っていて見えませんでした。

　現在、NASAでは「アルテミス計画」が進められており、２０２５年以降に日本人宇宙飛行士が月面着陸を目指していると伝えられてます。もし実現すれば日本の宇宙探査の大きな転換点です。

　光はいつも変わらぬものを、ことさら秋の月の影は、などか人にものを思わする。などか人にものを思わする。ああ鳴く虫も同じ心か、ああ鳴く虫も同じ心か、声の悲しき。・・・滝廉太郎作詞作曲

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnpQQ63Lmoc

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in astronomy

　It's a clear evening, with the waxing crescent moon at the phase of 11 high in the southeastern sky. Meanwhile, the Evening Star is in the southwestern sky. The two celestial bodies were lined up close to each other the other day when they rendezvoused, but they were not visible in Gumma Prefecture, Japan, due to the clouds.

　Currently, NASA is working on the Artemis Project, and it is reported that Japanese astronauts are aiming to land on the moon surface after 2025. If this project comes to fruition, it will be a major turning point for Japanese space exploration.

　Light is always the same, but the shadow of the moon, especially in autumn, makes people think of something. It makes people think of something. Oh, do the insects that sing have the same heart? Oh, do the insects that sing have the same heart? Their voices are sad. ...Lyrics and composition by Rentaro Taki who is a famous Japanese composer.

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今朝も驚く、マユミの赤さ

【画像をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】　

　今日１１月１１日は１９１８年（大正7年）にドイツとアメリカ合衆国が停戦協定に調印し、４年あまり続いた第一次世界大戦が終結した日です。主戦場となったヨーロッパ各国では、今日を祝日とし、再び戦争を起こさないようにと設けられた「世界平和記念日」です。また、日本で今日は「介護の日」です。

　ところで、庭では、ご覧のマユミの実は、このマユミの親よりずっと濃い赤になってます。親子なのに不思議なこともあるものです。私は塀のそばの台に植木鉢ごと載せ、前の道を通る人たちの目の高さに置いあります。このため、多くの人の目に留まるでしょう。晩秋から初冬の荒涼とした佇まいの中で、私に「何事にも情熱を持って事に当たれ」と教えているようです。

　私自身、気持ちは青年でも年を重ねつつあります。しかし、今のところ健康です。今朝も６時３０分からのラジオ体操会場まで歩いて行き、多くの方々と挨拶し、歓談し、一日が始まりました。最近考えてることは、日々のウォーキングこそ下半身に筋肉が付き、しかも、「空腹となる」ので健康の基盤です。

　自分は「今どこに居るかと」言えば、常に筋肉の中に居ます。ウォーキングの良さは、走ることと違い、脈が速まらないです。また、呼吸が乱れないです。肺から二酸化炭素を排出し、植物の光合成に因って作り出された貴重な酸素を取り入れる呼吸こそ、スムースな血液循環の基盤と考えてます。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

....................................................

　As you know, today, November 11th, is the day that Germany and the United States signed a ceasefire agreement in 1918 , ending the First World War, which lasted for over four years. In European countries, where the main battlefields were fought, today is a national holiday, and is designated as "World Peace Day" to prevent war from happening again. Meanwhile, in Japan, it is "Caregiving Day."

　In the garden, the fruit named Mayumi tree you see here is a much darker red than her parent. Even though they are parent and child, they can do strange reality. I have placed her flowerpot on a stand by the path, at eye level for people passing by on the path in front of my garden. This is why it will catch the eye of many people. In the desolate appearance from late autumn to early winter, it seems to teach me to "work everything with passion."

　Although I am a young man in heart, I am getting older. However, I am healthy for now. This morning, I walked to the radio gymnastics venue from 6:30 and started today by greeting and chatting with many participants. What I've been thinking lately is that daily walking builds our muscles in the lower body, makes food taste better because it makes us hungry, and is the foundation of good health. Hunger is the best sauce.

　If you ask me where I am right now, I am always inside my muscles. Walking is unlike running, it doesn't speed up our pulse. It also doesn't disrupt our breathing. I believe that breathing, which exhales carbon dioxide from the lungs and inhales in precious oxygen produced by plants through photosynthesis, is the foundation of smooth blood circulation.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

輸入車ショーを見学

　高崎問屋町のビエントで開かれていた「ぐんま輸入車ショー」を見てきました。多くの人で賑わってましたが、平素からいろいろの車を見る機会があるので、思いのほか惹きつけられた車はありませんでした。アウディーとしては「スパイダー」を是非、展示して欲しかったです。

　現代ではどの車も性能は素晴らしいので、私としては「視界の良さと運転のしやすさ」、「安定感あるスタイル」、それに「斬新なボディーカラー」、「扁平率の低さ」に注目してみました。

　今乗ってるＴＴQuattroの走行距離は１万７千Ｋなので、未だしばらくは乗るつもりでいます。ただ、生産中止になったので、果たして今後、ＴＴの後継車は出るでしょうか。

Dear my overseas friends

　Yesterday, I went to see the "Gumma Import Car Show" at Viento in Tonyamachi, Takasaki-city. It was crowded with people, but since I usually have the opportunity to see a variety of imported cars, there was nothing that really caught my eye. As for Audi, I would have liked to exhibit the Spyder.

　In General, all modern cars have great performance, so I paid attention to the good visibility and ease of driving, low center of gravity and stable style, the innovative body color, and the low aspect ratio of tire.

　The millage of TT Quattro I'm currently driving has 17,000 km now, so I plan to keep it for a while longer. However, since production has been discontinued, I wonder if there will be a successor to the TT in the future.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

今日から「家族の週間」です。

　菊のことを英語では舌を噛んでしまいそうな発音でchrisanthemumです。庭には数種の菊が咲いてます。また、近所でもあちこちで色彩の異なる菊が咲き始め、何とはなしに侘しい晩秋の佇まいにホッとする瞬間です。昨日の写真といい、今日の菊といい温かな印象を与えてくれます。これからは今まで以上に年間を通じて菊の世話をし、種類も増やしたいと思います。

　ところで、今日から「家族の日」が始まります。私の場合、一見、一人暮らしですが、2人の娘に恵まれ、比較的近くに住んでるので、すぐに会える状態です。また、年に数回ですが、食事会をしてます。この時は父親として本当に楽しい時間です。二人とも正式な社員として毎日働いており、その点、私は安心して見ていられます。

　私としては、娘たちに負担がかからぬよう健康には人一倍考え実践してます。そのためには、人生一度きりなので、一つの場面のみでなく、いろいろに興味を持つと結果的にそれなりの知識も必要となり、研究し、結果的に体も動かすので健康に効果があるでしょう。「何でも見てやろう、いろいろしてみよう」は認知症対策に最も効果があると考えてます。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

...................................................

　The English pronunciation of chrysanthemum is tongue twister which is a bit difficult to pronounce for though an American. There are several kinds of chrysanthemums blooming in the garden. Also, chrysanthemums of different colors are starting to bloom here and there in the neighborhood as well, and it's a moment of relief to see the lonely late autumn appearance. Yesterday's photo and today's chrysanthemums give us a warm impression. From now on, I would like to take better care of my chrysanthemums throughout the year and increase the variety of it.

　By the way, as you know, today is the start of "Family Day". In my case, I seem to live alone, but I am blessed with two daughters who live relatively close by, so I can see them easily. We also have dinner parties a few times a year. These are really fun times for me as a father. Both of them work every day as official employees, so I can watch over them with peace of mind.

　As for me, I think about and practice health more than anyone else so that my daughters haven't a burden, I guess. To achieve this, we humans only have one life, so if we are interested in many fields, not just one scene, we will need to acquire a certain amount of knowledge, doing research, and ultimately moving our body, which will be beneficial for our health. I believe that "trying to see everything, trying different things" is the most effective way to combat senile dementia.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

秋も深まり、カッキーが柿を食べる

　いよいよ秋も深まり、今朝ラジオ体操会場の気温は３°Ｃでした。あの暑かった今夏の猛暑から一変し、私たちの身体の調子は気候の変化に付いていけないほどです。私たちは決して「うたた寝」せず、自らの生活を律していくより方法はありません。という私は喉や鼻、そして呼吸器官を痛めやすく、生まれ故郷・倉賀野をウォーキングするとき、「しっかり息を吐くこと」に重点を置いてます。これが意外と効果があります。

　ところで、写真の如く、いよいよ到来した菊のシーズンです。しかし、菊は何故１１月に咲くのでしょう。人間の、とりわけ私の孤独で寂しい生活に「何を弱音を吐いてるのだ」と生きる力を示しているようです。私は庭の植物たちから精神力を培うことが多いです。一方、昼食のデザートには庭に生った柿を一つ食べ、糖尿を防ぐ観点から、普段甘いものをほとんど口にしないので美味しさは一入です。しかし、カッキーが柿を食べると共食いです。

　一方、寒くなると、心臓の働きに負荷が多過ぎるので、足の中の血液を高い位置にある脳まで持ち上げる血液循環を心臓だけに負担させず、脹脛内の筋肉にも負担させるつもりで鍛えます。これには「キャフレイズ」が効果があり、今朝も台の上につま先を乗せ、踵の上下運動を２００回やりました。今日は午前８時半より、地区の不燃物の回収と業者のトラックへの積み込み作業があるので地区の役員と仕事を頑張ります。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..................................................

　Autumn is finally approaching winter. and the temperature at the radio gymnastics venue this morning was 3° Celsius. It has changed completely from the scorching heat of this summer to the end of autumn, and my body is not keeping up with this climate. There is no other way than to never "nap" and regulate my life. I tend easily to hurt my throat, nose, and respiratory organs. I make it a point to "breathe deeply" when walking in my hometown of Kuragano. This is surprisingly effective.

　Not change the subject, but as you can see in the photo, the chrysanthemum season has finally arrived. But why do chrysanthemums bloom in November in Japan? She seems to show the strength to live, saying "What Kakky is complaining about" especially my lonely life. I often cultivate my mental strength from the plants in my garden. On the other hand, for dessert at lunch, I ate a persimmon from the garden, and since I usually don't eat much sweets to prevent diabetes, it was especially delicious. However, when Kakki eats a persimmon, it is real cannibalism.

　On the other hand, as you know, when it gets cold, the heart tends to load down too much, so I train to circulate the blood in my legs to the brain which is located high up, but I must train the muscles in my calves. So "Calf raising" is effective for this, and this morning I put my toes on a platform and did the heel up and down movement 200 times. Today, from 8:30 a.m., I will collecte non-burnable waste from the Kami-4th area and loading it onto a contractor's truck, so I will work hard together with the officials of this area.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

長寿会「お知らせ版」に掲載された拙いブログ

　今朝６時に計測したところ、外気温は９°Ｃ、気圧１０３０ｈＰａ、湿度５３％です。群馬県は朝からよく晴れており、特に気温の冷えが著しいです。

　ところで、今回発行され、近くの掲示板に載った倉賀野町上四地区の「長寿会お知らせ版」には、私の拙いブログ記事が掲載され、嬉しいと共に多くの先輩諸氏に読まれるので、内心恥ずかしさもあります。それでも　歴史内容には正確さが求められることから現地に赴き、公的な立て看板の説明文に基づき取材してます。以下、掲載文を載せます。

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

　倉賀野町には「古堤」と、通常、鯉池と呼ばれる「新堤」の二つの灌漑用溜池があります。写真は「古堤」です。「新堤」は、天明３年(１７８３)に着工し、足かけ４年の歳月をかけ、天明６年に完成したものです。天明年間は稀に見る多難な時代で、天明３年７月には浅間山が大噴火し、倉賀野近辺でも火山灰が２０～３０cmも降り積もり、田畑は壊滅的な打撃を受けてます。その後も、天候不順で大凶作となり、いわゆる天明の大飢饉が発生しました。

　このような困難を乗り越えて造られた新堤は、その後、倉賀野町の東部・東南部の田畑を潤してきました。現在、建設当初より若干狭くなりましたが、今なお、現役の用水池として機能し、また、四季を通じで渡り鳥の飛来など独特の水辺の風景を演出しています。

　一方　写真の「古堤」について、私が倉賀野小５年の頃、担任教師に連れらクラス全員で写生に来たことがある堤で、当時の広さは推定８０ｍ×８０ｍほどで、子供心に広い池であったことが脳裏に浮かびます。しかし、昭和３０年代になり倉賀野保育園開園にあたり、古堤の南半分が埋め立てられ、現在は写真のように北半分が残るのみです。

　新堤より１００年ほど前、つまり、３５０年ほど前の江戸時代前期に造られたこの古堤は、現在では農地が激減し、その役目は殆ど終わっても、由緒ある古堤が現存してることは、令和時代に生きる私たちが目で確認できる倉賀野の歴史的事実の一つです。時折、渡り鳥が羽を休めてる光景が見られます。ここは諏訪神社のすぐ東にあります。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..........................................................

When it was at 6 am this morning, the outside temperature was 9°Celsius, the air pressure was 1030hPa, and the humidity was 53%. Gumma Prefecture has been sunny since the morning, but, the temperature is particularly cold.

　By the way, my humble blog post was published in the "Chojukai Notice Edition" of the Kami-4th district of Kuragano-town, which was recently published and posted on a local bulletin board. I am happy, but also secretly embarrassed, as it will be read by many seniors. Nevertheless, accuracy is required for historical content, so I went to the site and read the explanations on the official signboard. The published text is below.

　Kuragano-town has two irrigation ponds, the "Old pond", and the "New pond" which is usually called the "Koi Pond." The photo shows the "Old pond." Construction of the "New pond" began in 1783 and took four years to complete in 1786. The Tenmei era was a time of rare hardship because of a major eruption of Mt. Asama in July 1783, causing 20-30cm of volcanic ash to fall in the Kuragano area, dealing a devastating blow to the fields. Further bad weather led to poor harvests, resulting in the so-called Great Tenmei Famine.

　The new pond was built in spite of these difficulties, and has irrigated the fields in the eastern and southeastern parts of Kuragano-town. Although it is now slightly narrower than when it was first built, it still functions as an irrigation reservoir, and creates a unique waterside landscape with migratory birds flying in throughout the year.

　The "old pond" in the photo is one that I came here to sketch with my classmate when I was in the fifth grade at Kuragano Elementary School, accompanied by my homeroom teacher. At the time, it was estimated to have been about 80m x 80m in size, and I can recall it being a large pond in my child's mind. However, in the 1950s, when Kuragano Nursery School opened as you see left side, the southern half of the old pond was filled in, and now only the northern half of pond remains.

　This old pond was built in the early Edo period, about 100 years before the new pond, that was about 350 years ago. Although farmland has now drastically decreased, so its role has almost been fulfilled, the fact that this historic old pond still exists is one of the historical facts of Kuragano-town that we who live in the Reiwa era can confirm with our own eyes. Occasionally, migratory birds can be seen resting their wings here. This place is just east of Suwa Shrine.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

喫茶「さんぽ道」で今日一日を振り振りかえる

　今宵は良く晴れ、旧暦では１０月７日ですから月齢７の「上弦の月」が出てます。この月のかなり右に「宵の明星」も一番星として出てます。月は、大統領選挙で湧いた地上の人間社会とは無関係に４６億年ほど大昔から地球の周囲を約３８万㎞の距離を保ちつつ、反時計回りに周遊してます。もしかして、近未来に日本人宇宙飛行士がこの月面に立つ可能性があると伝えられてます。

　今日は先程５時まで１時間ほど喫茶「さんぽ道」でホットコーヒーを戴きつつ、静かに一日を振り返ってました。それにしても、喫茶店に向かう頃は太陽が一際明るかったですが、帰路にはもう西の空に沈んでしまい、立冬の日没の早さを感じます。

　今日は暫くぶりに、１０分ほどピアノを弾きました。夕刻であったことから女性客が３人程でした。弾いた曲はゆっくり「イエスタデー」、定番である「雪が降る」などです。

Dear my friends abroad

　It's a clear evening, so that since it's October 7th on the lunar calendar, the waxing crescent moon is its seventh phase. The evening star is also shining to the far right of the moon. The moon has been orbiting counterclockwise for about 4.6 billion years, maintaining a distance of about 380,000 km from our earth, regardless of the human society on Earth that has arisen due to the presidential election. It is said that Japanese astronauts may land on the surface of the moon in the near future.

　Today, I spent about an hour at the cafe "Sampo-michi" until 5 o'clock, quietly reflecting today while drinking hot coffee. Even so, the sun was particularly bright when I headed to the cafe, but on my way back it had already sunk into the western sky, therefore I felt how early the sun set on the Rittoh that is beginning of winter.

　Today, I played the piano for about 10 minutes after a long interval. Since it was evening, there were about three lady customers. The music I played included the slow version of "Yesterday" and "Snow is Falling" which is one of my favorite melodies.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

地上も天空も大きな節目の今日

　地球上ではアメリカ大統領選挙でトランプ氏の当選確実が伝わると同時に、すぐに反応したのが米国株価で、その大幅な上昇に世界の多くの人が驚愕したことでしょう。この状況は経済に強い彼に期待する大きな表われでしょう。それはダウ１５００ドル以上、ナスダック５００ポイント以上で、近年、こんな凄い上昇を見たことがありません。日本経済に波及してほしいものです。

　それと共に、彼がアメリカ大統領になったことで、中東やウクライナで続く戦乱が、果たして、収束に向かって行って行くでしょうか。

　ところで、話題は地上から宇宙へと変わりますが、今日は二十四節気の一つの「立冬」です。一周９億４千万kmほどある地球の公転軌道上の、どの辺の空間を、私たちを載せた地球は現在進んでいるでしょうか。地球の公転速度は秒速約２９kmという途轍もないスピードです。

　ご存知の通り、太陽系の周囲には黄道十二星座がほぼ等間隔で並んでます。このため、それらの星座を見て、私たちは現在の地球の位置を知.ることになります。地球が公転軌道上の何処に今浮いてるかを知るには、午前０時に真南を見れば分かります。

　そこには「牡羊座」が光り輝いてます。ですから、立冬とは、公転してる地球が「牡羊座」の方向に来た日です。「牡羊座」の位置は星が固まって光ってる有名な「スバル星団」のすぐ西です。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..........................................................

　On Earth, as soon as it was announced that Mr. Trump had won the US presidential election, the US stock market immediately reacted, and many people around the world were astonished by the large increase. This situation is a great sign of the expectations placed on him, who is strong in the economy. The Dow rose by more than $1,500 and the Nasdaq rose by more than 500 points compared by previous day, and we have not seen such a huge increase in recent years. I hope that this will have an impact on the Japanese economy.

　At the same time, will the ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine come to an end now because he has become the US president?

　By the way, our topics are now moving from the earth to space, and today is the "Rittoh" meant beginning of winter, one of the 24 solar calendars in Japan. Where in the space are we moving on the Earth's orbit which is about 940 million km in circumference? The Earth's orbital speed is an incredible 29 km per second.

　As you know, the 12 zodiac constellations are lined up at almost equal intervals around the solar system. For this reason, by looking at these constellations, we can find out the current position of our Earth. To find out where the Earth is currently floating on its orbit, simply look due south at midnight.

　The constellation Aries shines there. Therefore, the "Rittoh" is the day when the Earth moves in the direction of the constellation Aries. The position of Aries is just west of the famous Pleiades star cluster, which is a cluster of shining stars.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...　【上の拙い英文をネイティヴの発音で聴くとき、コピーして、ここに貼り付けてください。】

年令を重ねても、必要なことは今後への「期待感」

　廊下に並んだ君子蘭たちです。５月から昨日まで外で育ててましたが、１１月となり、そろそろ朝晩の寒さのため葉が萎れるので陽の当たる温かな家の中に引っ越しです。君子論のことを英語でKaffir Lilyという通り、アフリカのユリという意味ですから、原産地はアフリカといわれます。このため、寒さに弱いです。昨日の夕方に枯葉などを取り除き、青々した状態で室内に入れ、早速、水を与えました。鉢には土がいっぱいですから重たかったですが、腰を痛めませんでした。

　この君子蘭たちは、元々、隣のご主人から戴いた１本でした。それが増えたのです。彼は県庁に勤め、群馬県教育界の重鎮でしたが、悲しいことに数年前に他界されました。その後、君子蘭は年々株が増え、ご覧の通り、どの鉢にも４本生えてますが、右から２番目の鉢には５本が育ってます。ですから現在の株数は２５本です。これからも、根元にまた子供が生えるでしょう。

　君子蘭の一般的な開花時期は３～４月ですが、今の育ち具合から推定すると１月中旬には開花しそうです。ここは温室のように温かいので、年末には蕾が生まれる可能性があります。

　実は、庭に温室を作り育てる計画でしたが、それでは温室の中に行かなければ花が見られないので、例年通り、家の中で花を観賞できるように廊下に並べました。なお１２月から、数本の西洋シャクナゲの鉢もここに入り冬を越します。シャクナゲは４月に外で咲かせます。君子蘭が咲いたら、見にいらして下さい。人生に花が咲かない私ですが、植物の花はいろいろ咲きます。こんな生活でも今後に期待感が生まれ、年齢を重ねても、生きる力が湧いてきます。

Dear my overseas friends who like both of nature and music

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

.................................................

　These are Kaffir Lilies lined up in the southern hallway. I had been raising them outside since last May until yesterday, but now it's November, so that the leaves will wilt due to the cold morning and evening, so I'm moving them inside the house where the sun shines so that they will be warm. As the English name for the Kaffir Lily suggests, it means African lily, so it is said to have originated in Africa. For this reason, they are weak to the cold. Yesterday evening, I removed the dead leaves and brought them inside the hallway while they were still green, and immediately watered them. The pot was full of soil, so it was heavy, but I didn't suffer from lumbago.

　Originally, this Kaffir Lily was a single plant presented to me by the man next door. It has multiplied. He worked at the Gumma prefectural office and was a leading figure in the education world, so I came under the influence of him. Sadly he passed away a few years ago. Since then, the number of Kaffir Lily has increased year by year, and as you can see, there are four in each pot, but five are growing in the second pot from the right. So the current number of plants is 25. More plants will probably grow at the base in the near future, I guess.

　In general, the flowering season of Kaffir lily is March to April in Japan, but judging from how it is growing now, it looks like it will bloom in mid-January, because it's warm here, like a greenhouse, so buds may appear by the end of next January.

　Actually, I had planned to build a greenhouse in the garden and raise them there, but if so I would have to go and see the flowers inside the greenhouse, so as usual, I lined them up in the hallway so that I could enjoy them from inside the house together with you. Also, from next December, several potted western rhododendrons will also be placed here to overwinter. The western rhododendrons will bloom outside in April. Please come and see the kaffir lilies when it blooms. I don't bloom flower as my life, but various plants bloom. Even with this kind of lifestyle, I feel a sense of expectation for the future, and it gives me the strength to live, even as I get older.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

「進取の心」が持てるだろうか

　一人暮らしの高齢者【気持ちは青年？】として、一日の生活に変化がないと精神衛生上、良くないので、午後２時から、広大な田畑が見渡せるお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」に行き、１時間ほど過ごしました。今日は珍しく曽野綾子著の本を一冊持参し、アイスコーヒーを戴きつつ読書してました。

　ところが、珍しく途中から一人の女性客が話しかけて来て、植物の育て方や、高齢者施設にお務めらしく施設の話など話され、初対面ですが、私も失礼がないように応対しました。このため、今日はピアノは弾かず、歓談でした。

　ところで、最近コーヒーに目覚めた私は体内のある変化に気づいています。それは、コーヒーを飲むと、結果的に「体内の管を広げる作用がある」と気づいています。例えば、「気管を広げ、呼吸を楽にしたり、一方、尿管を広げる」ようです。

　早い話が「トイレの回数が多くなり、失礼ですが、勢いも良くなり」、健康に重きを置く生活をめざす私には有難いことです。大切なことは、年を重ねても今までの生き方に固執せず、新たに変化ある生活を求めると「進取の心」が芽生え、精神的にも柔軟になり、アンティエイジングにプラスすると信じます。

Dear my overseas friends

　As I became elderly person living alone [but still young in heart?], If the lack of variety in my daily routine is bad for my mental health, so at 2pm I went to my favorite cafe, "Sampo-michi," which overlooks the vast fields, and spent about an hour there. Today, I brought a book written by Ms. Ayako Sono, which was unusual for me, and read while enjoying my iced coffee.

　However, halfway through, a lady customer started talking to me, which was unusual for me, and she told me about how to raise plants and about the elderly care facility, as she seems to work there. Although it was our first time meeting, I responded respectfully. For this reason, I did not have an opportunity to play the piano today, and we just chatted.

　Not change the subject, but having recently discovered coffee, I have noticed a change in my body. I have noticed that drinking coffee has the effect of "widening the tubes in the body." For example, it seems that "it widens the trachea, making breathing easier, and on the other hand, it widens the ureter."

　In short, "I go to the bathroom more often than usual. Allow me to say, urinating is amazing speed" which is a blessing for me as I aim to live a life that values ​​health. I believe that the important thing is not to cling to the way I have lived my life as I got older, but to seek out new and changing lifestyles. This will give me a more enterprising spirit and make me more mentally flexible, which will help with anti-aging.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　

０．９％の不思議

　群馬県の今日の日の出は６時１１分、日没は１６時４３分、太陽高度は３８°です。このため昼の時間は１０時間３２分と大分短くなりました。季節はすっかり晩秋となり、気温の下降と共に、私たちは風邪を引きやすくなるので、うたた寝などしないように気をつけなければなりません。

　風邪気味になると、私の場合、先ず鼻の調子に症状が現れるので、くしゃみが出たりして、体調が変だなと感じたら、鼻の洗浄機によって鼻腔内を洗います。この場合、ただの水やお湯では痛くで洗えません。このため「塩分濃度０．９％のぬるま湯」で洗ってます。それには、ご覧の入れ物に、ぬるま湯を入れ、小さいスプーン一杯の塩を加えて洗浄です。その後、鼻の通りがよくなり、頭もすっきりします。今更ながら、鼻呼吸の大切さを感じてます。

　ところで、何故、０．９％でしょうか。ご存じでしょうが、その理由は、私たちの血液の塩分濃度は常に０．９％に保たれているからです。

　私は、血圧測定により、体内に塩分を摂り過ぎたと感じた場合は、カリウムを含む野菜や果物の摂取が良いと考えてます。 カリウムには、ナトリウムを体外に排出しやすくする働きがあり、摂り過ぎた塩分を調節するのに役立ち、血圧の正常化に良いと考えてます。今後、気候が寒冷になると身体が冷えやすくなります。このため、日々、適度な運動を取り入れ、身体を温めたり、血液循環を良くして、やがて来る冬に備えます。

Dear my friends who like reading in English

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

...................................................

　Today in Gumma Prefecture, sunrise is at 6:11, sunset will be at 16:43, and the sun's altitude is 38° at noon. This means that the daylight hours becomes quite short at 10 hours and 32 minutes. It is already late autumn, and as the temperature drops, we are more susceptible to catching cold, so we must be careful not to doze off.

　When I feel coming down with a cold, the first symptom shows up my nose, so if I start sneezing or feel unwell, I use a nasal cleaner to wash my nasal cavity. In this case, it hurts to wash with plain water or hot water. For this reason, I wash with "lukewarm water with a salt concentration of 0.9%." To do this, I fill the container shown in the photo with lukewarm water, add a small spoonful of salt, and wash. After that, my nose becomes clearer and my head feels refreshed. Even now, I realize the importance of nasal breathing.

　By the way, why 0.9%? As you may know, the reason for this is that the salt concentration in our blood is always kept at 0.9%.

　If my blood pressure indicates that I have taken in too much salt, I think it's an ideal way to consume vegetables and fruits that contain potassium. As you know, potassium helps to easily excrete sodium from our body, which helps regulate excess salt intake and normalizes blood pressure. As the climate gets colder these days, our bodies become more susceptible to getting cold. For this reason, I will incorporate moderate training every day to warm my body and improve my blood circulation in preparation for the coming severe winter.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

明日の夕刻、西南の空に「月と金星がランデヴー」か

　今日の夕方、西南の空に暫くぶりに金星が明るく出ていましたが、気づかれましたか。明日は旧暦の１０月５日ですから、夕刻には西南の空に写真のような細い月が出ます。しかも、ラッキーなことに、そのすぐそばに金星が出るので「ランデブー」しているでしょう。

　金星はこれから当分の期間、おそらく来年２月頃まで、西南の空に出るので、毎晩のように見られると思います。ご存じの通り、金星は地球より内側を巡っているので、地球から見ると、常に太陽の近くですから、深夜には決して出ません。明け方【明けの明星】か、夕刻【宵の明星】のみです。明日の夕刻、細い月と金星のランデブーに期待しましょう。何か良いことがあるかもですね。

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in astronomy

　Did you notice that Venus appeared brightly in the southwestern sky this evening after a long interval? Tomorrow is October 5th on the lunar calendar in Japan, so in the evening the thin moon will appear in the southwestern sky in Northern hemisphere as shown in the photo. What's more, lucky for earthlings, Venus will appear right next to it, so they will be "rendezvousing" together.

　Venus will be appearing in the southwestern sky for the time being, probably until around February next year, so you should be able to see it almost every evening to night. As you know, Venus orbits inside the Earth, so it is always close to the Sun as seen from our Earth, and so it never appears late at night. It only appears at dawn [as the morning star] or in the evening [as the evening star]. Shall we look forward to a rendezvous with the thin moon tomorrow evening. Something good might happen!

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

楽譜は先人が創造し、後世に引き継がれた優れた文化遺産

　昨日の「文化の日」に書きまし通り、人類が創り出した「文化」という遺産は次代へ引き継がれます。その中でも実に優れたものの一つに「楽譜」あります。今の楽譜が完成したのは、想像するに15世紀以前ではないでしょうか。日本へは明治初期に入って来たと想われます。人類の先達は、如何にしてこんな便利なものを発明したのでしょう。私は今更ながら感心してます。後世に生きる私たちは、誰でも実はその恩恵に浴してます。

　平素、楽譜に接しない人でも、音楽を聴いたり、好きな歌があって楽しく歌えます。しかし、音楽の殆どは今は亡き作曲家が楽譜にして残しておいたために、私たち後世に生きる人間は歌や名曲を楽しむことができてます。歌は一旦脳に入ってしまうと、その後は楽譜が読めなくても歌えるものです。しかし、楽譜があるからこそ、私たちはテレビなど放送によって歌を覚えたりしてます。また、名曲を楽しめたりできる事実があります。

　このため、一般的には楽譜が読めなくても不都合しません。しかし、読書で世界が広がるように、楽譜についても自らの力で今まで知らなかった歌を歌えるようになれば喜びは広がります。楽譜の読み方は、そのつもりで練習を繰り返し、慣れれば比較的簡単に読めて、楽器の力を借りなくても歌えるようになります。吹奏楽指導の経験では、楽器を持てば楽譜が読めても、声では新たなメロディーを歌えないことが多かったです。自らの声で音程とリズムを正しく取れ、歌えることが楽譜を読む本質です。

　楽譜を読む上で一つの壁は、シャープやフラットがある例えばイ長調や変ホ長調などの調性です。しかし、これも一般的には「移動ド」で読めば、簡単にクリアーできます。ト音記号のすぐ右にある調性を示す♯シャープでは最も右が【シ】の位置であり、同様に、♭フラットの最も右の位置が【ファ】です。そして、歌うとき「ドレミファソラシド」の順番は変わりません。

Dear my friends who like reading in English

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my radio gymnastics held in the nearby park and breakfast in Japan time.

..................................................「長文なので第2段の英訳を省きます。」

As I wrote on Culture Day yesterday, the heritage of culture created by human beings will be inherited to the next generation. One of the most outstanding inheritances is musical notation. I imagine that modern musical notation was completed before the 15th century. It is thought to be introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period. How did our remote ancestors invent such a convenient culture? I am impressed, even though, we who live in the future are actually all benefiting from them.

In general, it is not a problem if we cannot read musical notation. However, just as reading, we broaden our world, our joy will also expand if we can sing songs which we have never heard before using music scores by myself. If you practice repeatedly with the intention of reading music, you will be able to read it relatively easily and sing it without the help of an instrument. In my experience as a brass band instructor, even if people can read music when they have an instrument, they often cannot sing new melodies with their voices. The essence of reading music is to be able to sing and get the pitch and rhythm right with our voice.

One hurdle in reading musical notation is the key of A major or E flat major, which has sharps and flats. However, this can generally be easily overcome by reading using "movable do system". The rightmost position of the sharp, which indicates the key immediately to the right of the treble clef, is the position of C, and similarly, the rightmost position of the flat is Fa. And when singing, the order of "do re mi fa so la si do" does not change.

https://ttsreader.com/ja/...

　　

残気をしっかり出しつつウォーキング

　今朝、前の道から撮った「マユミ」です。先日の「マユミ」の兄弟で、こちらが年上です。やはり、植木鉢に植えてあり、現在、前の道から見やすい位置にセットしてあります。１１月になり、こちらも日に日に実が赤くなってきました。

　それにしても、自然が織り成す色彩は人を惹きつけます。しかも、年々大きくなり、年々見応えが期待できます。このように、花でなくても庭が色彩豊かになるので、夏季に水をたくさん与え、大切に育てます。

　ところで、今日の夕方、故郷・倉賀野町をウォーキングしました。呼吸は４拍吐いて、４拍吸う呼吸法にしてます。「肺に溜まってる古い残気(炭酸ガス)をしっかり出すこと」が体内に酸素が増え、疲労感が減ると感じます。

Dear my friends abroad

　This is a photo of Mayumi tree taken from the path in front of my garden this morning before going radio gymnastics. It is the older sibling of the Mayumi which I took the other day. It is also planted in a flowerpot, and is currently set in a position where it can be easily seen from the path in front of my garden. It is now November, so that the fruit on this plant is also getting redder day by day.

　The colors created by nature are truly captivating human's eye. What's more, it grows larger every year, making it more spectacular to see year by year. In this season, even without flowers, the garden can become colorful, so I give it lots of water in the summer and take good care of it.

　Not change the subject, but this evening I went for a walk in my hometown named Kuragano-town. I am using the four-beat breathing technique, I breathe in and out for four beats. I feel that "getting rid of the old residual air (carbon dioxide) that has accumulated in the lungs" increases the amount of oxygen in my body, as the result, it relieves fatigue.

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人間の心を捉える・・・文化芸術活動

　昨日まで日本列島に居座り、大雨を降らせた温帯性低気圧が太平洋に抜け、今朝の群馬県には秋の陽射しが降り注いでます。今日の日の出は６時０９分、太陽高度は３８°、日入りは１６時４５分です。不思議なことに１１月３日は統計的に晴れの特異日といわれ、今日も良く晴れ、朝のラジオ体操会も青空の下、３０人程と共に倉賀野上４公園で気持ちよくできました。

　ところで、今日は文化の日です。文化とは人間だけに与えらた「真善美を追究する」もので、今までに獲得した知識・知恵を次代に伝達します。その核心は「人の心に感動を与える高度な精神活動」です。文化は学問、芸術、そして人間が関わる多くの領域を言います。

　たまたま、私は芸術の一つ「音楽教育」を職業としていたことから、今では趣味として、ピアノやギター、ソプラノサクソフォーンを演奏します。それでも年を重ねた現在は、ピアノを弾くのが最も「自らの心境を表現できる」と感じるようになってます。それは全身の力の入れ具合でピアノやフォルテを弾けるからです。

　ところで、特に、最近感じることは、明治以降に作詞作曲された「日本の心を歌う名曲の数々」は誠に素晴らしい文化と感じてます。日本の光景‣日本人の心情をこれほど余すところなく歌い継ぐ文化遺産はないと心底から思ってます。これらは子供たちに残したい日本の名歌です。

　 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9DkVdbWRSc

　これら芸術・文化に触れ、心が癒されたり、感銘・感動したり、生活に潤いを与えることは人間本来の喜びです。可能であれば、鑑賞・観賞するのみでなく、自ら演奏したり、絵を描いたり、工芸作品を作ったりすることは精神生活を一層豊かにするでしょう。学習に遅すぎることはありません。

 

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in culture

　The tropical depression that had been lingering over the Japanese archipelago with bringing heavy rain has now moved out into the Pacific Ocean, and autumn sunlight is shining down on our Gumma Prefecture this morning. Today's sunrise was at 6:09, the solar altitude at noon was 38°, and the sun will set at 16:45. Strangely enough, November 3rd is said to be a statistically sunny days every year, and it is sunny day today as well. About 30 people enjoyed the morning radio gymnastics at Kuragano-kami 4th Park under the clear blue sky.

　By the way, today is Culture Day in Japan. Culture is the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty that is given only to humans, and it transmits the knowledge and wisdom that we have acquired to the next generation. Its core is "advanced mental activity that moves people's hearts." Culture refers to academics, art, and many other areas that involve human's mental activities.

　By chance, I used to work in music education, which is one of the arts, so now I play the piano, guitar, and classical soprano saxophone as hobbies. However, now I'm older than your imagination, I feel that playing the piano is the best way to "express my own state of mind."

　Incidentally, what I've felt particularly recently is that the "numerous masterpieces that sing of the Japanese heart" written and composed since the Meiji era are a truly wonderful culture. I truly believe that there is no other cultural heritage that so thoroughly sings the sights and feelings of Japan. These are Japan's famous songs that we would like to leave to our children forever.

　It is an innate human joy to be exposed to this art and culture, to be soothed in our heart, to be impressed and moved, and to enrich our life. If possible, I think that not only appreciating arts but also playing it yourself, drawing a picture, or creating a work of art will further enrich your mental activity. It's never too late to learn.

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運転で平素、心してること

　今日から三連休なので、交通にはお互いに充分気をつけましょう。

　私は運転免許証を２０才のときに取得しましたが、最初の就職がインドであったため、その滞在中に有効期限が切れてしまうことは分かってました。このため、事前に国際免許証に書き換えました。しかし、その国際免許証も滞在中に有効期限が切れてしまいましたが、帰国後に再試験なく、事務手続きのみで比較的スムースに日本の普通免許証に書き換えることができました。

　実は、私はそろそろ免許証を返納する年齢ですが、日々「安全運転には何が必要か」しっかり考え運転してるつもりです。生活は「人に頼れず、すべて自ら行なわざるを得ない状況」なので、今のところ返納しません。その代わり、運転で重要なことを次のように考え、実践してます。

１、早朝と夕暮れ、及び夜間に運転しない。早朝は道路が空いていることや、多くの車が目的地へ急いでいるので、一般的にスピードが速く危険です。また、夕暮れ時や夜間は前方が見難いです。ましてや、雨が降ってると更に見え難いです。

２、通勤・通学時は道路が混んでるので、通学路を車で通過しません。

３、狭い道は出合頭があり得るので通過しません。広い道路のみを運転します。車とは遠回りしても目的地への到着時間はほとんど変わりません。

４、前方に横断歩道がある場合、徐行し、すぐに停止できるようにスビートを落とします。歩行者が横断しようと待ってるときは「必ず停止」します。【道路交通法第38条】

５、車間距離を充分に取ります。交通状況は予想外に変わります。運転中、考え事をしません。運転に集中します。

６、冷静な気持ちで、焦らず、急がず運転します。スマホは絶対使いません。

７、カーブしてる道路では遠心力が働き、車が外側に行きやすいので、スピードを落とし、ハンドルをしっかり握ります。

８、譲り合いの精神で運転します。かなり前方で右折車が待ってるときは、先に通過させます。これは渋滞緩和の一つです。

９、歩行者である子供、高齢者、そして、１１月１日より法的に厳罰になったスマホ自転車には特段の注意を払います。バックするとき、歩行者の存在が見え難いので確認を怠らない。

10、コンビニなど比較的近くへは車を使わず歩いて行きます。

Dear my friends abroad who like driving in your county

　It's a three-day holidays starting today in Japan, so let's be careful on the roads.

　When I recall the young days, I got my driver's license at the year of 20, but I knew that it would expire because my first job was in India at Calcutta-City as the Japanese school's teacher. For this reason, before going there, I changed it to the international driver's license in advance. However, that international driver's license also expired while I was in India, but after returning to Japan, I was able to change it to a Japanese regular driver's license relatively smoothly with just the paperwork and without having to take a re-examination.

　Actually, I'm about to return my driver's license to the authority, but I try to think carefully about "what is necessary for safe driving" every day. I don't return it for now because my life is "a situation where I have to do everything myself without relying on others." Instead, I think about and practice the following important ways about driving.

1. I don't drive early in the morning, at dusk, or at night. In the early morning, the roads are empty so that many cars are rushing to their destinations, so the speed is generally fast and it is dangerous. Also, it's hard to see for me ahead at dusk and at night. It's even harder to see ahead when it's raining.

2. The roads are congested during work and school commutes, so I don't drive through school routes.

3. I don't drive through narrow roads because there is a possibility to occur an immediate collision. I drive only on wide roads. If we taking a detour, it will not change the time to reach our destination.

4. If there is a crosswalk for pedestrian ahead, drive slowly and slow down so that I can stop immediately. Always stop if a pedestrian is waiting to cross. [Article 38 of the Road Traffic Act]

5. Keep a sufficient distance between vehicles. Traffic conditions change unexpectedly. Also, I don't think about other things while driving. Concentrate on driving.

6. Drive calmly, without rushing or hasty. Never use a smartphone.

7. On curved roads, as you know, centrifugal force works and car tends to go to the outside, so slow down and hold the steering wheel firmly.

8. Drive with a spirit of compromise. If a car is waiting to turn right far ahead, I pass it first. This is one way to ease traffic jam.

9. Pay special attention to pedestrians such as children and the elderly, as well as bicycles using smartphones, which became subject to stricter penalties from November 1st 2024. When backing up, be sure to check for pedestrians as it is difficult to see them.

10. When going to relatively nearby places such as convenience stores, I make it a rule to walk instead of using the car.

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目的は１０月の反省会だったが、つい気持ちが高揚す

　昨晩は１０月の反省会をやり過ぎて、今朝の目覚めは普段より大分遅く、９時頃やっと朝食でした。昨日は倉賀野から高崎の街中まで歩いたため、歩き過ぎの傾向で、結果的にお酒のめぐりがスムースで、つい思いのほか楽しく過ごしていました。

　その後、どうしたことでしょう。気持ちが高揚し、柳川町のピアノのあるお店で「ベサメムーチョ」など弾きつつ、二次会をしてしまいました。ですから昨晩は帰路まで合計７Kほど歩きました。このため、普段の運動不足は解消できても、今朝まで疲れが残り、ぐっすり休みました。今はもう大丈夫です。でも、孤独な一人での生活から精神的に脱皮でき、充分楽しめました。

　ところで、肝心な反省内容ですが、人間とは少々嫌なことがあるとイライラしやすいものです。１０月に、私もいくらかそのような気持ちになってしまったことがあり、大きな反省点です。今年もあと２ヶ月なので「心を大きく持ち」、つまり、寛大な精神で社会との接点を大切にし、少しでも相手の方に嫌な印象を与えないようにし、年末を迎えようと思います。

　写真のキジバトは庭に用意した水を毎日飲みに来て、ホッとした時間を過ごしてます。同様に、私も「心の平安」にこそ重点を置き、令和６年のまとめの２か月としたいです。待ち遠しい「天声人語２０２４秋号」の発売は今月２５日頃なので、それまでは庭の樹木の手入れと共に、「読書の晩秋」として書物に目を通す日々としたい。

Dear my friends　

  Last night, I had too much of a reflection chance for October, so I woke up much later than usual this morning and finally had breakfast at around 9:00. Yesterday, I walked from Kuragano-town to downtown Takasaki-city, so I walked too much, and as a result, the alcohol flowed smoothly and I ended up having a much more enjoyable time than I expected.

　What happened after that? I was feeling high, so I went to a piano tavern in Yanagawa-cho and played "Besame Mucho" and other music for the second-party. So last night I walked about 7km in total on my way home. Because of this, even though I was able to overcome my usual lack of walking, I was still tired until this morning and took a good rest. I'm fine now. But I was able to mentally break away from the lonely life of being alone and enjoyed myself thoroughly.

　By the way, as for the important thing to reflect on October, In general, humans tend to get irritated easily when something unpleasant happens. In October, I also felt that way to some extent, and it's a big matter to reflect on. There are only two months left in this year, so I want to "keep a big heart," that is, value my connections with society with a generous spirit and try not to give others a bad impression, as it approaches the end of the year.

　The turtle dove in the photo comes every day to drink the water I have prepared in the garden, and spends a relaxing time there. Similarly, I would like to focus on "peace of mind" and use these two months to sum up the year of Reiwa 6. The eagerly awaited "Tensei Jingo 2024 Autumn Edition" will be released around the 25th of this month, so until then I would like to spend my days tending to the trees in my garden and reading books as a "late autumn reading season."

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