収穫の喜びはもうすぐ

　この枇杷は品種名「長崎クイーン」です。１０年ほど前、小さな苗を植えたところ場所が適したのでしょうか。現在では５mほどの高さまで成長し、毎年実が生り、今年もご覧の通り、鈴なりです。ところが、生ってる位置が高いので、手の長い私でもちょっと届かず、捥げません。黄色くなる６月の食べ頃は梯子をかけるなど、あるいはすぐ近くの車庫の屋根に登って捥ぐなど工夫が要ります。

　枇杷を捥いで味見をしたい方は、収穫時に再度、フェイスブックで写真を載せますから、お近くの方は捥ぎにいらして下さい。

　ところで、私は以前にこの枇杷から枇杷酒を作りました。実は高崎駅前に馴染みの飲み屋さん「どんどん」があり、現役時代から行ってたのですが、近年、運悪く火災となり、その後は営業してません。ある晩、ここで出された枇杷酒が本当に美味しく感じたので私も真似して作ってみました。

　そう言えば、この文章を書いていて思い出しましたが、その枇杷酒が今でも大きな瓶に入ってます。３年ほど前に仕込んだものなので、すで良い味になっているでしょう。そうだ今日、５月９日は語呂合わせで「ご苦労さん」の日ですから、今までを振り返り一人で飲んでみます。飛び入り歓迎。

Dear my friends who are crazy about picking loquat.

　This loquat tree in my garden is named "Nagasaki Queen" variety. About ten years ago, I planted a small seedling, perhaps the location was suitable. Now it has grown to a height of about 5 meters, bearing fruit every year, and as you can see, it's laden with fruit this year as well. However, because the fruit is growing so high, even though with my long arms, I can't quite reach it to pick it. When it turns yellow and is ready to eat in June, I need to use a ladder or climb onto the roof of the nearby garage to pick it.

　If you'd like to pick and taste some loquats and listening to piano music played by me, I'll post photo on this page again when it's harvest time, so please come and try picking some without hesitation!

　By the way, I previously made loquat liqueur from these loquats. Actually, there was a bar I frequented near Takasaki Station called "Dondon," which I used to go to even when I was still active period. Unfortunately, it recently suffered a fire and has been closed ever since. One evening, I was served loquat liqueur there, and it was so delicious that I tried to recreate it myself.

　Speaking of which, I just remembered while writing this Facebook that I still have that loquat liqueur in a large bottle. It was brewed about three years ago, so it should already taste good, I guess. Oh, today, May 9th, is "Gokuro-san" (thank you for hard work) Day, so I'll drink it alone and reflect on the past. Drop-ins welcome.

コハクチョウ・・・今日も鏑川で泳いでた

　只今、ウォーキングから帰宅しました。もしかして、いないかと思ったコハクチョウが鏑川のいつもの場所に４羽いました。その他の鴨たちも数百羽が長閑に過ごしており、安心しました。

　「鏑川白鳥を守る会」の記録板によると今期は１２月１５日に初めて３羽が飛来し、最も多かったのは１月下旬の２０羽ほど、今日は４羽です。今日は寒くなく暑くなく、ウォーキングには、とても適温でした。今日は３Kほど歩きました。

Dear my friends

　I've just returned home from walking. I was worried that I might not see any tundra swans, but I found four in their usual spot on the Kabra River. I was relieved to see hundreds of other ducks also spending here their time peacefully.

　According to the record board of the Kabra River Swan Protection Society, the first three swans arrived this season on December 15th, the peak was around 20 in late January, and today there were only four. Today was neither too cold nor too hot, and the temperature was just suitable for walking. I walked about 3km today.

すでに来春の準備を始めてる枝垂れ八重桜

　枝垂れ桜の枝に早くも来春の蕾が出てきました。日当たりが良いのと、水を与えてるので成長が促進されてるようです。天気が良いので、これから愛車でお気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」に行ってコーヒーが飲みたくなりました。では、行って参ります。

　ところで、１年で日の入りが最も早いのは冬至ではなく、今日１２月６日頃です。計算上では高崎の日の入りは１６時２８分ですが、群馬の西南は山岳地帯なので実際は１６時２０分頃です。このため、陽射しを有効に使いたいです。

Dear my friends

  Buds for next spring have already appeared on the branches of the weeping cherry tree. The good sunlight and the watering seem to be stimulating their growth. The weather is nice today, so I feel like taking my car to a cafe for a coffee "Sampo-Michi". Well, I'm off.

  By the way, the earliest sunset of the year is not the winter solstice, but around today, December 6th. Calculated sunset in Takasaki is 4:28pm, but southwest Gunma is mountainous, so the actual time is around 4:20pm. For this reason, I want to make good use of the sunlight.

今こそ剪定の時季、昨日、白梅枝垂れによじ登る

【画像をクリックし、拡大すると臨場感が出ます。】

　写真は今年３月に撮りました。まるで倉賀野梅林と言えるほどです。左は紅梅枝垂れ、右は白梅枝垂れ、中央は紅白に咲き分ける品種「思いのまま」です。それにしてもよい名前です。冬季は太陽高度が３３°となり、荒涼とした光景ですが、太陽高度が３７°に上がる立春頃から、梅は地球の動きの変化を察知し、次第に蕾が膨らみ、２月中旬～３月中旬に満開になります。今から３ヶ月後には再度このような光景になるので、ぜひ、鑑賞にいらして下さい。お茶を楽しみつつ、人生を語りましょう。

　ところで、右の白梅枝垂れは３０年前に当時の愛車「いすゞ１１７クーペ」のトランクに根を入れ幹は外に出し、埼玉県花園町から運びました。それが今では考えられないほどの成長です。直射日光を嫌う「シャクナゲ類」には半日陰を提供することから好都合です。しかし、余りにも枝が伸び過ぎ、昨日、私は梯子をかけて高い位置までよじ登り、大胆に剪定しました。下で梯子を支えてくれる人はいないので【涙】、自らが落下する危険に注意しつつです。

　昔から「桜切るバカ、梅切らぬバカ」の教えを思い出し、花が良く咲き、美味しい梅の収穫を期しての作業です。「何事もしっかり目的を持つと、人間の身体は自然とよく動く」と感じます。作業後、落下した枝の数は思いのほか多く重く、その片づけも一仕事です。

　

　ところが、一日の作業を思い出しつつの昨日の夕食は、結果的に、食前酒が余りにも美味しく充実しました。一緒に一日を振り返ってくれる人がいない寂しさはあります。しかし、必ずや、梅が「開花とたくさんの実」で応えてくれるでしょう。

Dear my friends who are crazy about human's joy and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation into English for our mutual understanding will be done after my breakfast in Japan time.

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

　It isn't exaggerated that this scenery truly resembles Kuragano Plum Grove. This photo was taken in March of this year. On the left is a weeping red plum as you saw before, on the right is a weeping white plum, and in the center is the "Omoi no mama" variety, which blooms in both red and white. And what a splendid name it is. In winter, the sun's altitude reaches 33° here in Gumma prefecture, Japan, creating a bleak scene. However, around the beginning of spring, when the sun's altitude rises to 37°, the plum trees sense the Earth's changing movements, so that their buds gradually swell, then reaching full bloom between mid-February and mid-March. It will be a scene like this again in three months, so please come and appreciate it. Let's enjoy tea and talk about life from now on.

　By the way, the weeping white plum on the right was transported from Hanazono-Town, Saitama Prefecture, 30 years ago, with its roots placed in the trunk of my beloved "Isuzu 117 Coupe" and the trunk outside. It's hard to believe how much it has grown since then. It provides partial shade for rhododendrons, which dislike direct sunlight. However, the branches had grown too long, so yesterday I put up a ladder, climbed up high, and boldly pruned them. There was no lady to hold the ladder from below [tears], so I had to be careful not to fall.

　As you know, remembering the old adage, "A fool cuts down cherry, a fool doesn't cut down plum," I worked in the hopes of ensuring plentiful blooms and a delicious harvest of plums. I feel that "when we humans have a clear purpose in everything, we human body naturally moves well." After working, the number of fallen branches was unexpectedly large and heavy, and clearing them away was quite a task.

　However, as I reminisced about the day's work at dinner last night, the aperitif ended up being incredibly delicious and fulfilling. It was a bit lonely without lady to reflect on the day with me. But I'm sure the plums will respond with "flowers and lots of fruit."

[Click on the image to enlarge for a more realistic look.]

　

柿の効能を見直す

　昨年生り過ぎたのが原因でしょうか。今年は柿が４個生ったのみです。その代わり、大きくで一度に１個をすべて食べ切れません。お皿に載せてあるのは１個の半分のみでも、それでもこんなにあります。味については、渋みはなく、甘さは普通であり、少し硬めです。このため、来年は樹木も大きくなり、たくさん生ると期待してます。

　というのは、前にお伝えしましたように、この柿の木は６０年前に父が植えたもので、４年ほど前、幹の途中に新芽が出たのでそれを残し、その上から幹を切ったのです。その後、その新芽が成長し、昨年から生り始めました。写真右は、上の黄色いのが今年生った柿で、下の赤いのが普通の柿で、比較すると大きさが分かります。

　ところで、今まで柿が生っても、その殆どを野鳥へのプレゼントとしてました。しかし、近年食べたら、かなり美味しく、これからは年齢を重ねた私の栄養補給として食べることにしました。調べてみると、柿の栄養的効能はたくさんあるようです。昔から「柿が赤くなれば医者が青くなる」といわれたようで、主な栄養素は、免疫力を高め風邪を引きにくくするビタミンCが豊富といわれます。こうなると、もうすべてを野鳥にやれません。来年は食べにいらして下さい。

Dear my friends

　Perhaps It harvested too many persimmons last year. so that this year, It only harvested four. However, they're extremely big I can't eat one in one time. Even though there's only half of one on the plate as you see in the photo, there's still so much. As for the taste, it's not bitter, has a normal sweetness, and is a little firm. So, I'm hoping the tree will grow larger and produce more persimmons next year.

　As I mentioned before, this persimmon tree was planted by my late father 60 years ago. About four years ago, a new bud sprouted halfway up the trunk, so I left it and cut the trunk above it. The bud then grew and began to produce last year. In the photo below, the yellow one on top is a persimmon that grew this year at my yard, and the red one on the bottom is a regular persimmon, you can see their size by comparing them.

　By the way, until now, whenever I harvested persimmons, I would give most of them as gifts to wild birds. However, in recent years, I've found them to be quite delicious, so I've decided to eat myself as a source of nutrition as I get older. By researching, it seems that persimmons have many nutritional benefits. It has been said that "When persimmons turn red, doctors turn blue." The main nutrient is said to be rich in vitamin C, which boosts immunity and makes it less catch a cold. At this point, I can no longer give them all to the wild birds. Please come and try to tase some next year, as usually please listen to my piano playing as well.

来年に期待するカッキー家の柿

　この写真は以前に撮ったものです。昨年は柿が生り過ぎました。その反動でしょう。今年は４個きり生らず、貴重です。このため、可哀そうですが、メジロなど野鳥君に食べられないように早めに捥ぎます。捥ぎ終わったら適宜剪定し、来年のために養分を蓄えます。

　来年は肥料を施し、豊作にするので、カッキーの柿を味わえるでしょう。

※今日は午後２時半頃より、カメラを持ち、桜木町の鯉池方面まで往復３Ｋほどウォーキングに行きました。ストライドを広めにとり歩きました。途中、二人の新たな人【女性・男性】と話しました。また、昔の県会議員の娘さんとも暫くぶりに立ち話をしました。

 

　This photo was taken by me several years ago. Last year, there were too many persimmons. Perhaps this is a reaction. This year, only four persimmons have grown, so that they are precious. For this reason, although it is regrettable, I will pick them early to prevent them from being eaten by wild birds such as white-eyes. After picking them, I will prune them appropriately to store nutrients for next year.

　Next year, I will fertilize the persimmon tree to ensure a good harvest, so please taste Kakki's persimmons.

※Today, starting around 2:30pm, I brought my camera and went for a 3km round trip walk to the carp pond in Sakuragi-cho. I made effort to walk with a wide stride. Along the way, I spoke with two new people (one lady and one man). I also had a brief chat with the daughter of a former prefectural assembly member after a long interval.

降雨が少なく、井戸水が時々涸れる

【アセビの蕾です。蕾は赤くても、花は白です。】　

　群馬県北部は山岳地帯のため気候は日本海側に属し、現在、藤原地区は大雪です。一方、私の住む南部は関東平野の最西部であり、気候は太平洋側に属します。時々、上州名物の空っ風が吹きまくり、この冬は特に寒く感じます。また、１１月頃より殆ど雨が降らず、乾燥してます。

　このため、１００本程の植物の世話に日々夢中な私は与える水に困ってます。庭の植物へは水道水でなく、井戸水だからです。先日、とうとう井戸が涸れてしまい、その後一度、雨が降りましたが、地下まであまり浸み込まないようで、蛇口を捻っても水に勢いがなく、ついに全く出なくなりました。現在、地下水が自然に上昇するのを待ってる状態です。ただ、冬季は植物がそれ程、水を必要としないので枯れることはないでしょう。

　家の中で冬を越してる「君子蘭」や「ハイビスカス」そして、一部の「西洋シャクナゲ」には水道水を与えてるので、こちらは心配はありません。君子蘭は例年一月中旬に蕾が生まれるので、もうそろそろかと日々浮き浮きしています。

　それにしても、何故、私は来る日も来る日も植物の成長に夢中なのでしょう。考えてみると、それには理由が三つあり、今は亡き両親が庭を花いっぱいにしていた遺伝子が現在の私に蘇っているのでしょう。もう一つは、私自身が、色彩豊かな植物の開花を「一つの芸術」と捉えているからです。それにプラスして、光合成が盛んな森の中で暮らす「健康への願望」です。

【写真下は、今朝は勢いよく出てる井戸水です。】

Dear my overseas friends who are interested in Nature and great music.

　The simultaneous interpretation for your understanding will be done after my breakfast Japan time.

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

　The northern part of Gumma Prefecture is mountainous, so its climate is on the Sea of ​​Japan side, so that the Fujiwara district is currently experiencing heavy snowfall. On the other hand, the southern part where I live is in the westernmost part of the Kanto Plain, therefore its climate is on the Pacific side. The dry winds that are a specialty of Gumma prefecture sometimes blow hard, so I feel this winter particularly cold. Also, since around November, it has hardly rained, so it has been dry.

　Because of this phenomenon, I am busy taking care of about 100 plants in the garden every day, but, I am having trouble giving them water. This is because I give the plants well water, not tap water. The well finally dried up the other day, and although it rained once afterwards, but it seems that the water did not seep into the ground very well, so that even when I turned the faucet, the water had no force, and eventually it stopped coming out altogether. Currently, I am waiting for the groundwater to rise naturally. However, the plants do not need much water in winter, so they will not die, I guess.

　The Kaffir Lily and Hibiscus that spend the winter inside the house, as well as some of Western Rhododendrons, are given tap water, so there is no need to worry about them. The kaffir lily's buds usually form in mid-January, so I am excited that it will be born soon.

　Not change the subject, but why am I so fascinated with growing plants day after day? When I think about it, there are three reasons. Perhaps the genes of my late parents, who filled their garden with flowers, are revived in me today. Another reason is that I personally consider the colorful flowering of plants to be "One of arts." In addition to that, I have a "desire for health" with living in the midst of a forest where photosynthesis is thriving.

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

クロガネモチの実がすべて食べ尽くされる

　私の家では人間は一人ですが、野鳥は何十羽と飛来します。住んでる地名の倉賀野町に発音が似てるクロガネモチは１２月中旬頃には未だ赤い実が鈴なりでしたが、新年を迎えてから、どれ程か美味しかったのでしょう。ご覧の通り、すべて食べ尽くされました。

　ちょっと寂しい気がしますが、昨年の晩秋に私も十分に鑑賞したので悔いはありません。それどころか、クロガネモチは年々、樹木が成長し、もっと多くの実をつけるでしょう。そして、いつの日か野鳥には食べ切れないほど赤い実が生るでしょう。

　基本的には、人間も野鳥も生きるという点では同じです。食事と水によって生かされ、野鳥はきれいな声でさえずります。私も負けずにピアノをきれいな音で弾いてみよう。

Dear my overseas friends who are crazy about nature and great music

　There is only one human in my house, but dozens of wild birds fly in my garden. The Round Leaf Holly which sounds similar to Kuragano-town where I live, was still full of red berries in mid-December last year, but they must have been delicious for wild birds. After the new year, as you can see, they were all eaten up.

　I feel a little sad, but I had appreciated enough of them in late autumn last year, so I have no regrets. On the contrary, the Round Leaf Holly will grow even more year by year and bear even more berries, I guess. And one day in the future there will be so many red berries that the wild birds will not be able to eat them all.

　Essentially, humans and wild birds have the same destiny as living in this world. They are kept alive by food and water, and wild birds sing with beautiful voices. I will try to play the piano with beautiful sounds without losing.

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

「落ち葉はゴミ」の概念を持たない

　今日で１０月も終わり、ご覧の通り、庭の樹木に落葉が始まりました。ここは前の道なので、毎朝、ラジオ体操会に行く前に帚で履く作業が始まりました。枝が前の道に出ないように剪定してますが、それでも葉は風に揺れてひらひらと周囲に落ちます。この葉は早春の２月に咲く枝垂れ紅梅の葉です。葉を落とし、これから１月末まで、蕾を膨らませる準備が始まります。

　実は、私は健康のために「光合成が盛んに行われる森の中の一軒家」を理想としてます。これから１１月～１２月は落葉のシーズンですが、大切なことは「落ち葉はゴミ」の概念を持たず、集めた落ち葉は築山に載せ、集積できたら、その上から土を被せて自然に帰します。これで自然の栄養となり、延いては築山が年々少し高くなる利点があります。

　日本中の山岳地帯では、石器時代よりこの自然現象が繰り返されてきてます。一方、金木犀や、ツツジ、シャクナゲ、金柑などは年間を通して青々してる常緑樹ですが、よく観察すると新緑前に少しずつ落葉し、新たな葉が生まれてます。

　ところで、皆さん「植物の葉で、最も大きい葉は何の木でしょう。」最近、私はこの樹木を植えたので、近未来には収穫できた実を味わえる期待感があります。それは「イチジク」です。このため、イチジクの大きな葉は昔からヨーロッパでは「恥ずかしいことや嫌なことを隠す」という意味で使われていたようです。イチジクが生ったら味見にいらして下さい。

Dear my friends who like to taste fruit

　Today marks the end of October, as you can see, the trees have started to shed their leaves. This is the path in front of my garden, so I have started the task of sweeping them away with a broom every morning before going to the radio gymnastics held in the park. Sometimes I prune the branches so they don't stick out to the path in front of the garden, but the leaves still sway in the wind and flutter down around the area. These leaves are from weeping plum trees that bloom in February in early spring. After they shed their leaves, they will begin to prepare for the buds to swell until the end of January.

　Actually, for my health, I consider it my ideal to live in a house in the middle of a forest where photosynthesis is active. From now until December, it will be the season of falling leaves, but it is important not to think of fallen leaves as garbage. I bring the leaves I collect on the Tsukiyama that means artificial hill for plants, and when they are piled up, I cover them with soil and return them to nature. This work provides nutrients for nature, and the hill will become a little taller year by year, which has the advantage of making it a little taller than before.

　This natural phenomenon has been occurring in mountainous areas all over Japan since the Stone Age, I guess. On the other hand, evergreen trees such as fragrant olive, azalea, rhododendron, and kumquat remain green all year round, but if we look closely, we will see that they gradually lose their leaves before the new leaves appear.

　By the way, everyone please tell me about my question, "What tree has the largest leaves in any plant?" I recently planted this tree, so I'm looking forward to being able to taste this fruit which harvests in the near future. It's the fig. For this reason, it seems that the large leaves of fig have long been used in Europe to mean "to hide embarrassing or unpleasant things." When the figs are ripe, please come without hesitation and taste it and chat and listen to my piano performance.

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

あちこちに咲いてる・・・・今が盛りのサルスベリ

　朝、ラジオ体操会場に行く10分程の距離の途中でも、今を盛りにあちこちでサルスベリが咲いてます。しかも、赤あり、ピンクあり、紫あり、白ありで色彩はいろいろです。余り花のない時季だけに目立ちます。この植物の利点は百日紅とも書くように長い期間咲いてることです。私のサルスベリは例年１０月上旬まで咲き続けます。

　概して、サルスベリの樹勢はよく近年の猛暑の日本によく適応し、暑さに強いようです。私の前の家では、一度咲き終わった後、家の人がすべて剪定したら、再度、蕾がたくさん出て来て二度目として咲き始めてます。これを見ても生命力が旺盛なことが分かります。

　原産地であるビルマや中国南部から、推定で平安時代ころに日本に輸入されたと考えられます。その後、１０００年経過した今では日本国内で広く咲いてるでしょう。写真の上の赤は私の庭のサルスベリですが、紫は近所のもの、白は倉賀野町の私の知人宅のサルスベリです。

　

　先日書きました自然に生えたサルスベリの子供は順調に育っており、近未来は庭が一層色彩的になりそうです。

Dear my friends abroad

　Even on the 10-minute walk to the radio gymnastics venue in the morning, crape myrtle flowers are in full bloom here and there. They bloom in a variety of colors, including red, pink, purple, and white. They stand out during the season when there are not many flowers. The advantage of this plant is that it blooms for a long period of time, as the name suggests. My crape myrtle usually continues to bloom until early October, so the duration is around 100 days.

　In general, crape myrtle trees seem to be well suited to the recent heatwaves in Japan, and they seem to be strong against heat. At my front house, after the tree had finished blooming once, the owner pruned it all, and many buds appeared again, and it started to bloom a second time. This shows that it has a strong vitality.

　It is believed to have been imported to Japan from its native Burma or southern China around the Heian period. Now, 1,000 years later, it is likely to bloom widely throughout Japan. The red one in the photo above is from my garden, the purple one is from a neighbor, and the white one is from a friend of mine in Kuragano-town.

　The baby crape myrtle that grew naturally, which I wrote the other day, is growing well and it looks like the garden will become even more colorful in the near future.

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