落ち葉は土に還らせる・・・風強く、今日は一日に３回掃く

「枝垂れ花梅」はご覧の通り、きれいに紅葉しますが、その後、落葉します。葉の９割以上は庭の中に落ちて土に還りますが、木枯らしは強いので前の道にも葉が落ちてしまいます。

　今朝も気づいたので箒で掃きましたが、昼にはまた落ちてたので、先程、高帚で掃きました。私が箒で掃く姿は絵になるでしょうか。その姿を想像できますか。

　結局、この梅のすべての葉が落ち切るまでは、後10日ほどでしょう。これから毎日、気づき次第、掃きます。それでも現代、世界的に問題になってる海洋汚染となるプラスチックのゴミと違い、樹木の葉は自然に還るゴミなので掃いてて楽しいです。かなり良い運動です。落ち葉は築山に集め、土を被せます。

　追伸・・・あまりにも風が吹くので、午後３時半に前の道を見たところ、また、葉がかなり落ちてたので、結局、今日は朝、昼、夕方の3回、掃きました。

Dear my Facebook friends throughout the world

　As you can see, the weeping plum tree turns a beautiful autumnal tint, but then it falls its leaves. Over 90% of the leaves fall inside the garden and return to the soil, but because the wind is so strong, some leaves are falling on the path in front of the garden.

　I noticed the falling leaves this morning so I swept them up with a broom, but by midday they had fallen again, so I just swept them up with a high broom. Does the image of my sweeping figure by a high bloom look picturesque? Can you imagine that?

　In the end, it will probably be about 10 days until all the leaves fall. From now on, I will sweep them up every day as I notice them. Still, unlike the plastic waste that pollutes the oceans, which is a modern-day global problem, tree leaves are waste that will return to nature, so sweeping them up is fun. It's great exercise for me. Fallen leaves are collected in a artificial mound for plants and covered with soil.
　

　P.S.・・・ It was so windy today that when I looked at the path in front of the garden at 3:30pm, I saw that a lot of leaves had fallen again, so I ended up sweeping three times today: in the morning, afternoon and evening.

収穫寸前の柑橘類

　深まる秋の午後、喫茶「さんぽ道」で１時間半ほどリラックスしてきました。カフェラテを味わいつつ、私はいつも一人で行くため本を読んで過ごします。時折、ママさんと話します。喫茶の前庭は広大な畑で、ご覧のように柑橘類が収穫寸前です。この界隈一帯は広大な自然の佇まいで私のお気に入りです。

　片道２Kほどなので頑張れば歩いても行けるでしょうが、帰路も歩くことになり、往復４Kはちょっと距離があり過ぎます。このため、愛車の調子維持を兼ね、いつもＴＴで行きます。

  On today's deep autumn afternoon, I spent at the cafe "Sampo-michi" around an hour and a half relaxing. As I usually go alone, I spent the time reading a book which is the way of studying English written by Yoshifumi Saitoh, while sipping a cafe latte. I occasionally chatted with the owner. The cafe's front yard is a vast field, and as you can see, citrus fruits are about to be harvested soon. This whole area is one of my favorites for its vast natural scenery.

  It's about 2km one way, I guess, so I can walk if I try, but I'll have to walk the way back as well, so that 4km round trip is a bit too far for me. For this reason, I decided to go by Audi TT Quattro, which also keeps it in good condition.

久しぶりに牛伏山山頂に立つ

【写真をクリックし、拡大すると牛伏山山頂にいるようです。】　

　写真は今日の高崎市街地です。暫くぶりに晴れたので、先程、高崎市で最も景色のよい牛伏山山頂へ行ってきました。写真を拡大してご覧ください。上毛三山がよく見えました。高崎にお住まいの方はこの中に居たのです。左の高い建物が市役所で、右の高い建物が高崎駅近くの高層マンションです。

　この牛伏山山頂には鐘撞堂があり、山頂のため、その音は四方八方に響き渡ります。私はある願いを込めて思い切り撞きました。皆さんに聞こえたでしょうか。

　ところで、今宵は久しぶりに高崎市街地の田町と連雀町の中間にある小料理屋に行って友人と夕食です。今宵は何だか歌いたくなりました。

Dear my friends

　The photo shows Takasaki-city today. ​​It's been sunny for the first time in a while, so I just went to the summit of Mt. Ushibuse which offers the best view in Takasaki, I guess. Please enlarge the photo to see it better. I could clearly see the three mountains of Gumma Prefecture. Those of you who live in Takasaki were somewhere in this view. The tall building on the left is the city hall, and the tall building on the right is a high-rise apartment building near Takasaki Station.

　There's a bell tower at the summit of Mt. Ushibuse. Because it's at the top of the mountain, the sound resonates in all directions. I rang the bell with a strong wish in my heart. I wonder if you could hear it?

　By the way, tonight I'm going to a small tavern located between Tamachi and Renjaku-cho in downtown of Takasaki for dinner with a friend. For some reason, I feel like singing tonight.

いよいよ菊が咲き、秋の深まりを見せる植物たち

　１０月下旬です。ここへ来て秋は急に深まり、今夏は日本中で北海道も含め４０°近い猛暑でしたが、その後、秋は束の間で、ニュースによると北海道ではすでに降雪があり、今日はいっそう強い寒気に覆われると予報されてます。このような気温差は何故起こるのでしょう。

　これは地軸が２３.４°ほど【南北回帰線と同数】傾いたまま地球が公転してるので、結果的に太陽高度が変化するからです。このため、北半球と南半球では季節が逆になります。現在の地軸の方向は北極星にあります。ところが、駒の先が揺れるように、自転してる地球は地軸の方向が本当に徐々に変化しつつあり、これは地球の歳差運動によるもので、その周期は26000年ほどと言われてます。遠い未来に日本は温帯でなくなる可能性があります。進化する人類はきっとこれに対処できるでしょう。

　ところで、秋の深まりと共に、我が家の庭でも早くも菊が開花してます。写真左下は日本シャクナゲの葉です。紅葉が始まり、常緑樹であっても古い葉が落葉を始めてます。それと共にすでに来春の蕾がたくさん生まれており、植物は季節を先取りしてます。

　開花以来、その名の通り、やがて１００日目を迎える百日紅【写真右下】は最後の力を振り絞って咲いてます。この写真は三階の窓から撮りました。サルスベリは紅葉後すべての葉が落葉します。平安時代ころ中国南部から入ったと言われ、すでに日本の気候に「順応し」毎年花を咲かせます。私も日々、柔軟な心で生活したいものです。ところで、今日は県議の「あつこさん」との座談会が私の家の前の集会所「ふるさと」で開かれるので楽しみです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about the change of season and great music.

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

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

　It's late October. Autumn has deepened suddenly. This summer, Japanese archipelago including Hokkaido, experienced a scorching heatwave with approaching 40° Celsius in temperatures. However, autumn was short-lived. According to the news, snow has already fallen in Hokkaido yesterday, and today a more colder front is predicted. Why does such temperature difference cause?

　This is because the Earth's axis is tilted at a 23.4° angle (the same angle as the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn) as the earth orbits, resulting in changes in the altitude of the sun. This phenomenon causes seasons to reverse in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. As you know, the Earth's axis currently points in line with the North Star. However, like spinning a top, the Earth's axis is gradually changing its direction. This is due to the Earth's precession, which is said to occur every 26,000 years. It's possible that in the distant future, Japan will no longer be a temperate zone. As it evolves, humanity in the remote future will surely be able to cope with this circumstance.

　By the way, as autumn deepens, chrysanthemum is already blooming in my garden. The leaves in the bottom left of the photo are valuable Japanese rhododendron. As the leaves begin to change color, even evergreen trees are beginning to fall their older leaves. At the same time, many buds for next spring are already forming, therefore plants are getting ahead of the season.

　As the name suggests, the crape myrtle (bottom right) is about to reach its 100th day since her flowering, and is exerting its final strength to bloom. This photo was taken from a third-floor window. Crape myrtle loses all its leaves after the leaves turn red. It is said to have been introduced from southern China around the Heian period, and has already "adapted" to Japan's climate, blooming every year. I should live each day with a flexible mind like the crape myrtle. By the way, I'm looking forward to today's roundtable discussion with prefectural assembly member Ms. Atsuko, which will be held at the Furusato community center in front of my house.

　

自然環境抜群の喫茶「さんぽ道」で寛ぐ

　午後３時頃より、お気に入り喫茶「さんぽ道」で１時間半ほど過ごしました。私はいつも一人で行くので常に１冊本【糸川英夫著】を持って行きます。ところが、丁度、ママさんのお父さんが見え、彼と広い田畑の景色が見える窓際でずっと話をしてました。珍しいことてす。

　この喫茶のピアノは開店時にお父さんの提案で設置したようです。このため、暫くぶりに１０分ほど弾かせて戴きました。この建物はご覧のように天井が高いので音がよく響きます。私のテーマであるノクターンb mollと２曲弾きました。

　Starting around 3pm, I spent around an hour and a half at my favorite cafe, Sampo-michi. I always go alone, so I always bring a book (by Hideo Itokawa, this time) with me. However, it happened that the owner's father came at the same time, so that we ended up chatting for the whole time near the window, overlooking the vast rice paddies as photo indicates. That's quite unusual.

　The piano in this cafe was apparently installed at the father's suggestion when the cafe opened. This allowed me to play for around 10 minutes after a long time. As you can see, the building has a high ceiling, so sound resonates well. I played two pieces, including my theme, Chopin's Nocturne in B minor.

忘れがちな「光合成」の大切さ

【写真をクリックし、拡大してご覧ください。】

　１０月１０日、目の愛護デーです。群馬県の日の出は５時４６分、正午の太陽高度は４６°、日の入りは１７時１５分で、昼の時間は１１時間２９分と大分短くなりました。フェイスブックを書き始めた朝５時は未だ暗く、外気温は摂氏１８°で涼しさを通り過ぎ寒さを感じます。気候は夏の猛暑から一変し、周囲に風邪を引いてる人もいます。皆さん、お互いに体調管理をしっかり致しましょう。

　庭の樹木は紅葉が進み、八重桜は早くも落葉が始まり、一抹の寂しさを感じます。しかし、落葉しても根は成長し続け、来春の開花に向け準備していることを考え、温かくなる日中に少々水を与えてます。

　私が目指す「光合成に満ちた森の中での生活」は今夏も十分に達成できました。しかし、キンモクセイ、西洋シャクナゲ、日本シャクナゲ、柑橘類など常緑樹もあるので、晩秋から冬季になっても人間の生命にとって最も大切な「光合成」は行なわれ続けます。

　写真は実が赤くなった「マユミ」です。実は、このマユミは種が零れ、自然に生えた幼木です。高さは未だ１ｍほどで現在、植木鉢に植えてあります。今日の予定の一つは、このマユミを庭の入り口に直植えするつもりです。来客を迎えても、この色彩なら目に付かれることでしょう。果たしてどんな来客があるでしょう。色彩を十分に味わって晩秋を感じたいものです。

Dear my friends who are crazy about seeing autumnal tint and great music.

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

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

　Today is October 10th for Eye Care Day. In Gumma Prefecture, sunrise is at 5:46 AM, the sun's altitude at noon will be 46°, and sunset will be at 5:15 PM, significantly shortening the daylight hours to 11 hours and 29 minutes. It was still dark when I started writing this Facebook at 5 AM, and the outside temperature was 18° Celsius, so I felt cold, not cool. The weather had changed dramatically from the intense heat of summer this year, and some people around me had caught colds now. Everyone, please take good care of your health due to changing the temperature.

　The trees in my garden are turning red, and the double cherry blossoms have already started to shed their leaves, which makes me feel a little sad. However, even after the leaves fall, their roots continue to grow for preparing for next spring's blooms, so I give them a little well water during the warmer days.

　My purpose of "living in a forest full of photosynthesis" was fully achieved this summer. However, there are also evergreen trees in the garden such as Fragrant Olive, Western Rhododendron, Japanese Rhododendron, and citrus fruits, so photosynthesis which is the most important process for human life, continues even in late autumn and winter as well.

　The photo shows a Mayumi tree with red fruit as you can see. In fact, this Mayumi tree is a young tree that grew naturally from a seed that was dropped. It is still only about 1m tall and is currently planted in a flowerpot. One of my plans for today is to plant this Mayumi tree directly at the entrance to the garden. This color will surely catch the eye when I have guests. I wonder what sort of lady guest I will welcome? I want to fully enjoy the colors and get a feel for late autumn with guest.

「寒露」の日に地球は公転軌道上のどの辺を通過中でしょうか。

　今日は二十四節気の一つ「寒露」です。朝６時３０分に始まる倉賀野町上４公園でのラジオ体操会のとき、半袖では涼しさを通り過ぎ寒さを感じるほどで、季節は秋本番に向ってます。

　ところで、「寒露」の日に地球は公転軌道上のどの辺を通過中でしょうか。

　と言っても、一周９億４千万㎞程ある地球の公転軌道上には地上のように目安となるものはありません。唯一、地球の現在位置を教えるものは恒星です。宇宙空間にたくさん存在する恒星の中でも太陽系を囲むようにある星座は「黄道十二星座」と言われ、この星座たちは地球から見ると太陽が通る道です。ですから地球もこの「黄道十二星座」の方向に季節ごとに公転してます。

　実は、深夜０時に真南の「天の赤道付近」を見ると、現在、「魚座」があります。紀元前では、この星座はチグリス川とユーフラテス川に例えられ、その少し右上に「秋の四辺形」も来ています。これはメソポタミアの広大な肥沃の土地に例えられていました。「秋の四辺形」の中に小さな星が二つ並んでますが、紀元前のメソポタミアでは「天窓から地上を覗いている神の目」と考えられていたようです。

　なお、一見したところ、「魚座」はインドの形に瓜二つです。特に南インドのマドラスに相当する方向に現在の地球は差し掛かってます。私は若き日にマドラスの海岸で海水浴をしたことがあり、「魚座」を見ては遥かな青春を思い出します。

Dear my friends

　Today is Kanro which is one of the 24 solar terms in Japanese calendar. During the radio gymnastics session at Kuragano-town Kami-4th Park, which begins at 6:30 AM, it is cold, not just cool, in short sleeves, so autumn is well underway.

　By the way, tell me the orbit of our Earth is passing through on Kanro, today.

　As you know, there are no landmarks like on Earth, as the Earth's orbit is approximately 940 million km in circumference. The only thing that tells us Earth's current location are the fixed stars. Among the many fived stars in space, the constellations that surround the solar system are called the "Zodiac," and as seen from Earth, these constellations are the path of the Sun. Therefore, the Earth also orbits in the direction of these "Zodiac" constellations with each season.

　In fact, if you look due south near the celestial equator at midnight, you will currently find Pisces. In pre-Christian times, this constellation was likened to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and slightly to the upper right, that is the Autumnal Quadrilateral, which was likened to the vast fertile land of Mesopotamia. Two small stars line up within this Autumnal Quadrilateral, and in pre-Christian Mesopotamia they were thought to represent "the eyes of God looking down at the earth through a skylight."

　By the way, at first glance, Pisces looks exactly like the shape of India. In particular, the Earth is currently coming in the direction of the city of Madras in southern India. I used to swim on the coast of Madras in my youth, therefore, when I see the constellation of Pisces, I am reminded of my distant adolescence.

今宵は「中秋の名月」・・・しかし、毎年必ず仏滅

　今日は太陽暦で１０月６日ですが、旧暦では８月１５日です。このため今宵は十五夜で、しかも「中秋の名月」です。最近は夜の時間が長くなり、お月見には最適な季節です。月が見える東の窓際に母が作った月見まんじゅうやススキを飾った子供の頃が思い出されます。どの家でもちゃぶ台にこれらのお供えをしたことから、子供たちは近所の月見まんじゅうを内緒で失敬する竹やりを作ったものです。近年は、そのような微笑ましい風習はなくなりました。

　ところで、カレンダーでお気づきの通り、十五夜である中秋の名月は「毎年必ず仏滅」です。これは未来永劫、変わりません。仏滅とは古代中国から伝わった陰陽道で万事に不吉とする日です。なぜ、中秋の名月を毎年、仏滅としたのでしょう。不思議なことです。

　ご存知の通り、六曜の順番については、先勝～友引～先負～仏滅～大安～赤口の順に決まってます。しかも旧暦の月の初日が決定されてます。このため旧暦では「毎年、月日と六曜は一致」します。旧暦の１月１日は先勝から始め、２月１日は友引から、以下、３月は先負、４月は仏滅、５月は大安、６月は赤口から始まり、同様に、７月１日は先勝から始まり、８月は友引、９月は先負、１０月は仏滅、１１月は大安、１２月１日は赤口から始まります。

　一方、旧暦で秋とは７月が初秋、８月は中秋、９月は晩秋ですから、旧暦の８月１日は前述の通り、友引から始まるので、日を順に数えると８月１５日の十五夜は必ず仏滅になります。このように旧歴では「中秋の名月」以外でも年中行事について六曜が決まります。例えば、３月３日の旧ひな祭りは毎年・大安であり、旧七夕は毎年・先勝と決まり、この晩は彦星と織姫星が「七」日目の「夕」刻の半月に乗って天の川を渡り、１年一回会うことが許されます。恋は「先」手、必「勝」なのでしょう。

　ところで、東に上る「中秋の名月」をオーストラリアなど南半球で同時に見ると、月の紋様が７０°ほど反時計回りに変わり、日本で見るウサギが餅をつく姿とは異なります。地球が丸いので月を見る人の立ち位置の緯度が変わるからです。世界の国々では、北半球の高緯度と低緯度及び南半球で月の紋様が異なって見えます。また、地球の自転により、時間の経過と共に紋様は時計回りに変化します。朝、西の空にある満月を見ると分かります。

　それにしても、何故、太陽と月はほぼ同じ大きさに見えるのでしょう。太陽と地球間の距離は約１億５０００万㎞であるのに対し、地球から月までの距離は約３８万Ｋｍであるこから、太陽までの距離は月までの距離の約４００倍です。一方、太陽の直径は月の直径の４００倍なので、宇宙空間にできる図形は相似形となり、地球から見る太陽と月の大きさはほぼ同じに見えます。

【本文が長いので英訳は部分的になります。

　

Dear my friends who are crazy about the astronomy great music.

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

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

　Today is October 6th on the solar calendar, but August 15th on the lunar calendar. Therefore, tonight is the 15th night of the full moon, and also the Mid-Autumnal Moon. The nights are getting longer these days, making it the perfect season for moon-viewing. I'm reminded of my childhood, when my mother would decorate the eastern window where we could see the moon with my mother's handmade moon-viewing manju and pampas grass. Every household had these offerings on the low table, and children would make bamboo spears to secretly steal the moon-viewing manju from their neighbors. These heartwarming customs have disappeared in recent years.

　By the way, as you may have noticed on the calendar, the 15th night of the full moon, the Mid-Autumn Moon, falls on a day of Butsumetsu every year. This will never change. Butsumetsu is a day considered unlucky, by a philosophy introduced from ancient China. So why is the Mid-Autumn Moon designated a day of Butsumetsu every year? It's a mystery.

　As you know, the order of the Rokuyo 6days repeating is set as Sensho - Tomobiki - Senpu - Butsumetsu - Taian - Shakko. Furthermore, the first day of each month in the lunar calendar is determined. For this reason, in the lunar calendar, "every year, the date and the Rokuyo always coincide." January 1st in the lunar calendar starts with Sensho, February 1st with Tomobiki, March with Senpu, April with Butsumetsu, May with Taian, and June with Shakko. Similarly, July 1st starts with Sensho, August with Tomobiki, September with Senpu, October with Butsumetsu, November with Taian, and December 1st with Shakko.

　By the way, why do the Sun and the Moon appear to be almost the same size at a glance? The distance between the Sun and the Earth is about 150 million km, while the distance from the Earth to the Moon is about 380,000 km, so the distance to the Sun is about 400 times that of the Moon. On the other hand, the diameter of the Sun is 400 times that of the Moon, so the shapes formed in space are similar figure, therefore, the Sun and Moon appear to be almost the same size when viewed from our Earth.

夕方、倉賀野町をウォーキング

　午後４時頃より、倉賀野町の街中をウォーキングしました。私はスマホで何歩歩いたなどは考えず、その時の気分で、行ってみたいコースを歩きます。今日は途中で、私のブログにアクセス戴いてる横町の女性宅を訪れ、玄関先で１０分ほど楽しく話ができました。

　３年ほど前に、彼女はブログを見て、私の家を探して訪れたことがあります。それ以来の知り合いです。倉賀野町のことを研究したり、倉賀野町のためにいろいろ頑張っておられ、彼女は明るくひまわりのような方です。

　ウォーキングは多少ストライドを広げて約２Kほど歩いたので運動効果はありました。内心、お腹が空いたので目的は達成です。私たちの「身体は食べ物で出来てる」ことを考えると、健康の基本は適度の運動と食事です。皆さん、１０月初めての週末を有意義にお過ごしください。

　Starting around 4:00 PM, I walked around the town of Kuragano. I didn't check my smartphone to see how many steps I'd taken, but instead walked wherever I felt like going. Along the way, I stopped by the home of a young lady at Yokomachi who frequently visits my blog, and we had a lovely 10-minute chat on the front her porch.

　About three years ago, she saw my blog, and searched for my house, and visited. We've known each other ever since. She's been researching about Kuragano-town and working hard for Kuragano-town, to the core. She is bright and like a sunflower.
  　

　I widened my stride a bit, walking about 2km, so it was a good workout. I was hungry, so my purpose was achieved. Considering that our bodies are made of food, the foundations of good health are moderate exercise and a good diet. I hope everyone has a significant first weekend of October.

秋の月

　この写真は午後５時に撮った月齢１１の月です。未だ空が明るいため、輪郭がはっきりしてません。日没後の６時過ぎになったらもう一度、撮り直します。この写真は６時過ぎに撮り直したものです。楽しみな中秋の名月(十五夜)まであと４日です。

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

　「カッキーよく行くね。」と言われそうですが、今日も午後３時から４時半頃まで喫茶「さんぽ道」でアイスコーヒーを戴きつつ、一人ですから珍しく読書に没頭しました。途中から女性客が見えて「あっ、ピアノを弾く人」という風に言われましたが、今日、私は読書のみでした。それにしても、ここは私にとって落ち着ける環境であると共に、時折、会話の機会があるので有益です。

　同時に、車で往復１５分程度ですから、愛車の調子を維持するには便利です。すでに１００回以上行ってるので、ママさんも駐車場に入る水色の車を見て、私が来店したことにすぐ気づかれるようです。

　This photo was taken by me at 5 PM, showing 11 days of phase of the moon. Because the sky is still light, the moon's outline isn't clear. I'll take it again after sunset, just after 6 PM. There are four days left until the anticipated harvest moon.

　You're probably thinking, "Kakky, you come here a lot," but today, from 3 PM to 4:30 PM, I was enjoying the iced coffee at the cafe "Sampo-michi," and, since I was alone, unusually I was engrossed in reading a book. A lady customer came halfway and said, "Oh, the piano player," but today, I was only reading. Regardless, this place is not only a relaxing environment for me, but also a valuable place where I occasionally have the opportunity to chat with a lady.

　At the same time, it's only about a 15-minute drive going and back, making it convenient for keeping my car in top condition. In fact, I've been here over 100 times since June of last year, so it seems the Mama recognizes me when my light blue car coming into the parking lot.