水ほど大切なものはありません。

　庭に設置してある野鳥の飲み水です。ところが、私がここを通る度に水が減ってます。周囲が濡れてるので、水浴もしてるのでしょう。

　最近、雨が降らないので野鳥にとって水不足と考えられます。写真では減りが少なく見えますが、容器の水がどんどん少なくなっており、１日に３回ほど水を足してます。

　同様に私たち人間も喉が渇く前に水分補給をしましょう。人間の身体の内部は６０％ほどが水といわれ、汗や尿や話してるとき口からの蒸発により、どんどん減少します。常時６０％を維持するため、私は最近、黒豆麦茶をよく飲んでます。

Dear my friends

　This is a drinking water for wild birds set up by me in the garden. However, every time I pass by, the water level is decreasing. The surrounding area is wet, so the birds must be taking a bath.

　There wasn't any rain recently, so I think there is a water shortage for the wild birds. Although the photo looks like the water level isn't decreasing much, the water is getting lower and lower, so I'm adding water about three times a day.

　In the same way, we humans should hydrate before we get thirsty. It is said that the human body is included about 60% water. If this water gradually decreases through sweat, urine, and evaporation from the mouth when we talk, we must maintain water 60% constantly. I've been drinking a lot of black bean barley tea recently.

今日の午後は防災訓練の準備に従事

　明日、倉賀野上四公園では、一般住民のための「防災訓練」が行われます。このため、今日の午後１時より、役員２０名程でテント張り、及び、炊き出しの「おにぎり作り」の練習が行われました。

　明日９時３０分より、消防署員の指導の下、一般の住民は地震の揺れを体験する「起震車」に乗り、震度５程度の揺れを体験します。例年、子供の中には怖くて泣き出す子もいます。大人も突然来る地震と、それに伴う火災を想定し、消化器の実践訓練、人工呼吸法の実践、負傷者の運搬法、全員でバケツリレーを行います。

　これらの行事を通して、上四地区の防災意識の高揚と仲間意識が一層密なるでしょう。ところで、今宵、私は高崎の某所で前祝です。お許し願います。

Dear my Facebook friends

　A disaster prevention drill for the general residents will be held tomorrow at Kuragano Kam-4th Park. For the preparation of that, we 20 officials practiced pitching tents and making rice balls.

　Tomorrow at 9:30 AM, under the supervision of fire department personnel, general residents will ride in a shaking vehicle to experience earthquake that will shake of approximately magnitude 5. As the case every year, some children burst into tears in fear. Adults will also practice using fire extinguishers, artificial respiration, transporting injured people, and a bucket relay, simulating a sudden earthquake and resulting fire.

　These events will raise disaster prevention awareness and further strengthen the sense of community in the Kam-4th district. By the way, tonight is a pre-celebration event for me at the tavern "Baku" in Takasaki. Would you please forgive me!

今の季節、樹木に巣作りする小さい赤い蟻に注意です。

　梅雨も間近となり、今日は雨模様です。ラジオ体操会を始め、外出はあまりできないでしょう。しかし、植物たちにとって雨は恵みであり、大切な栄養素で生き生きしています。樹木はもちろん、草まで繁茂し、特にドクダミには物凄い生命力を感じます。ドクダミという名前から来るのでしょう。人間に嫌われがちですが、よく観察するときれいな白い花【写真右下】です。

　ところで、昨日気づきましたが、八重桜の枝を切ったところに変な膨らみがあるので、樹皮を剥いでみたところ、驚いたことに、小さな赤い蟻の大群に巣作りされ、木がぼろぼろになってました。６０年前に亡父が植え、毎年春にきれいな花を咲かせているので枯れたら大変です。このため、昨日、巣作りされた中をすっかり削って消毒し、ご覧の姿になりました。被害の枝は直径７cmほどです。

　ご存知の通り、一般の黒い蟻は地中に巣作りしますが、小さな赤い蟻は樹木の中に巣を作ります。平素、私はサルスベリが被害に遭わぬよう気をつけてましたが、今回、八重桜がやられました。しかし、以前に切断した枝なので、樹木全体への影響はないでしょう。これからもしっかり見守ります。

　ところで、玄関先のアマリリスに再度新たな蕾が出てきたので、また、暫く楽しめそうです。百合もこれから益々咲く気配です。花弁の先が紅いのが特徴です。お近くの方は見にいらして下さい。

Dear my friends

　The rainy season is just around the corner in Japan, therefore it's raining today. I am probably not able to go outside, including the radio gymnastics. However, the rain is a blessing for the plants, and they are thriving. Not only the trees, but even the grass is thriving, particularly the Houttuynia cordata has an incredible vitality. This is probably where the name Houttuynia comes from. Because this plant's name comes from foul smelling. People tend to dislike it, but if we look closely, we'll see that it has beautiful white flowers (bottom right photo).

　By the way, I noticed yesterday that there was a strange bulge where I cut a branch of a double cherry tree, so I peeled off the bark and was surprised to find that a swarm of small red ants had made a nest and the tree was in tatters. My late father planted it 60 years ago, and it blooms beautifully every spring, so it would be a disaster if it withered. For this reason, I completely scraped off the inside of the branch where the nest was made and disinfected it, as you can see. The damaged branch is about 7 cm in diameter.

　As you know, ordinary black ants make their nest underground, but the small red ants make their nest inside trees. I usually take care not to let my crape myrtles get damaged, but this time the double cherry tree was damaged. However, since it was a branch that was previously cut, it should not have affected the whole tree. I will continue to keep a close eye on it.

　By the way, new buds have appeared again on the amaryllis in front of the entrance, so it looks like I will be able to enjoy them for a while. The lilies also look like they will bloom more and more from now on. She is characterized by her red petal tips. If you are in the area, please come and see her.

年令を重ねるほどに、筋肉を鍛えたい

　ドイツのルー（Wilhelm Roux1850－1924）は、現代のスポーツ科学やトレーニング科学の基礎となる考え方を提唱し、それは1、「筋肉は適度に使えば発達し」、2、「使わなければ萎縮(退化)し」、３、「過度に使えば損傷する。」というものです。これは、ルーの法則と呼ばれてます。

　超高齢化社会に突入してる我が国において、私たちは、特に２の「筋肉は使わなければ委縮(退化)する」というルーの法則を念頭に置いて生活すべきでしょう。私たちの筋肉は年々足から衰えるので、逆に、足を意識的に鍛錬することがアンチ・エイジングへの第一歩と考えられます。

　一方、不思議なことにウォーキング中は全身の血流が改善し、脳内の血流もスムースになることから、歩いていると頭の中でいろいろ考えられることは平素、実感することです。現代社会ではデパートや駅など公共施設内でも、エレベーターやエスカレーターの機械化が進んでいます。また、近くであっても歩かず、つい車で行ってしまいがちです。

　このため、年を重ねた(？)私は写真のような階段を見つけると昇り降りを１０回ほど繰り返します。階段の昇り降りは簡単であっても、下半身の筋肉鍛錬にこれほど効果があるものは他にないでしょう。上半身はご覧の鉄アレイ、力士が行う「テッポウ」は日常生活と共にあります。これらは上半身の肩や腕、背中を鍛えるので、ピアノを弾く私にとって指を痛めません。「ルーの法則は老若男女を問わず万人に当て嵌まる」ことです。

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

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

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

　Wilhelm Roux (1850-1924) of Germany proposed the basic idea of ​​modern sports science and training science, which is: 1. "Muscles develop if used moderately," 2. "They atrophy (degenerate) if not used," and 3. "They are damaged if used excessively." This is called Roux's Law.

　In Japan, which is entering a super-aging society, we should especially keep in mind Roux's Law 2, "Muscles atrophy (degenerate) if not used." Our muscles weaken from the legs year by year, so conversely, consciously training the legs is considered the first step to anti-aging.

　On the other hand, strangely enough, while walking, blood circulation throughout the body improves and blood circulation in the brain also becomes smoother, so we often feel that walking allows us to think about various things in our heads. In modern society, elevators and escalators are becoming increasingly mechanized even in public facilities such as department stores and stations. Also, even if it is close by, we tend to go by car instead of walking.

　For this reason, even as I get older (?), whenever I come across a staircase like the photo, I go up and down it about 10 times. Going up and down stairs may be simple, but there is nothing more effective for training the muscles in the lower body. For the upper body, dumbbells, and the "teppou" exercises performed by sumo wrestlers are part of my daily life. These exercises strengthen the upper body's shoulders, arms and back, and these don't injure my fingers due to my playing the piano. "Lou's Law applies to everyone, regardless of age or gender."

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

テント張りを頑張ります。

　　
　９月29日(日)は倉賀野上四地区で防災訓練が予定されています。場所は毎朝ラジオ体操会が行われてる倉賀野上四公園です。この防災訓練は住民参加による、ＡＥＤの使い方、消火器の使い方、煙からの脱出法、起震車による揺れの体験などです。

　このため、前日である明日の夕方には役員でテント張りの準備があります。テント張りは結構難しく、途中で大風でも吹いたら大変です。人数が多くなければ組み立てられません。

　昨今は自然災害も多いので、本番を想定して真剣に訓練をしたいと思います。写真のテントは以前に組み立てたときのものです。

Dear my friends who need evacuation drill

　A disaster prevention drill is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, September 29th, in Kuragano Kami-4th district. It will be held at Kuragano Kam-4th Park where radio gymnastics is held every morning. Residents will participate in this disaster prevention drill and it will include artificial respiration using AED, how to use a fire extinguisher, how to escape from smoke, and experiencing shaking by getting on a shaking vehicle.

　For this reason, tomorrow evening, the day before, the officials will be preparing to set up the tent as you see in the photo. Setting up tent is quite difficult, and it would be a disaster if a strong wind blew while we are making. It would be difficult to set up unless there were a large number of people.

　There have been a lot of natural disasters recently in Japan, so we would like to train seriously, simulating the real disaster. The photo is from a previous time when we set up the tent.

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

自然の脅威でなく、自然の恩恵を享受したい

　台風10号は動きが遅いと共に、進路が定まらず、いったん海上に出たり、再度、上陸しそうな気配で迷走してます。まるで、青春時代の私のようです。そのため、遠く離れた各地にまで爪痕を残してます。

　今日は９月１日で「防災の日」です。 今から１０１年前の今日、大正12年（1923年）9月1日11時58分に、相模湾北西部を震源とするマグニチュード7.9と推定される関東大地震が発生しました。亡き両親の話では「倉賀野町でもかなり揺れ、立っていられなかった。」とその恐怖を話してました。夜には「東京の空が真っ赤だった」そうです。

　「災害は忘れたころにやって来る」。日々、叫ばれてる南海トラフ沿いの大規模地震（マグニチュード８～９クラスと想定されてる）は、今後３０年以内に発生する確率が７０～８０％といわれてます。

　世の中、予想もしてない危険なことが起こり得ます。車の運転は車間距離を充分に取り、気をつけます。昔、怖いものは「地震、雷、火事、親父」でしたが、確かに、私も父が怖く感じ、よく怒られました。今振り返ると、まともに話などした体験はありません。商店を営んでいたことから、子供を育てるため仕事に必死だったのでしょう。どこかに連れてってもらった体験も皆無です。しかし、大学の入学式で、後を見たら保護者席に父が来てました。見守っていてくれたのです。また、私が現在住んでる広い土地も６０年ほど前、父が購入してくれたものです。

Dear my friends abroad

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

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

　Typhoon No. 10 is moving slowly and its course is undecided, heading out to sea once, then wandering as if it might make landfall again. It's just like my adolescence. That's why it has left its scars in far places.

　Today is September 1st, which is Disaster Prevention Day in Japan. 101 years ago today, at 11:58 on September 1st, 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake occurred including mainly Tokyo, estimated to have a magnitude of 7.9, with its epicenter in the northwestern part of Sagami Bay. My late parents told me about the fear, saying, "Even in Kuragano-Town, the shaking was so strong that they couldn't stand up." At night, they said, "The sky over Tokyo was bright red."

　"Disasters strike when we forget about them." It is said that the probability of a large-scale earthquake along the Nankai Trough (estimated to be a magnitude 8-9 class), which is being called out recently, occurring ratio within the next 30 years is 70-80%.

　In this world, unexpected and dangerous occurrence can happen. When driving, we need to be careful and keep a spacious distance from the car in front of us. In the past, the things I was scared of were "earthquakes, thunder, fires, and dad" in olden days. I certainly felt my father scary, and he would often get angry at me. Looking back now, I don't remember ever having a proper conversation with him. He ran a store, so I guess he was busy working to raise his 6 children. I also never had the experience of him taking me anywhere. However, at my university entrance ceremony, I looked back and saw my father in the parents' seats. He was watching over me. Also, the large area which I currently live was purchased by my father about 60 years ago.

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

豪華に開花させるには、日々、地道な作業あり

　今朝５時に撮影した「サルスベリ」です。梢の南側から咲き出してます。しかし、未だやっと４分咲きです。下の枝に蕾が生じているので、日に日に開花すると想われます。予定では１０月中旬まで咲き続けます。しかし、それには私も頑張らなくてはならないことがあります。

　実は、このサルスベリにとって天敵がいます。一体何だと思いますか。その数、数万匹です。私としては日々その天敵を排除することが日課の一つになってます。その天敵は幹や枝の中にトンネルを作り、その奥に巣を作り、暮らしたり、産卵したり、冬眠します。

　何も対処せずにいれば、幹内部の穴はますます広がり、正に蝕まれ、樹木の寿命に悪影響が出るでしょう。その天敵とは、「小さい赤い蟻」です。本来、日本にはいなかった蟻で、私の推測では、明治以降、外国から木材が輸入されたとき、その中に紛れ込んで日本に上陸し、増えたものと考えられます。

　それにしても、この蟻の個体数は無限と言えるほどです。今日も頑張って排除します。この他にも天敵がいます。それは今や群馬県の果物農家で問題になってるクビアカツヤカミキリです。こちらは幹に直径５ミリほどの大きな穴を開け、内部で産卵し、時々幼虫が出てきます。この他の天敵はこれも最近耳にする「カメムシ」です。確かに亀の形に似てます。

　このように、一見華やかで、百日紅とも書くサルスベリは、その名の通り、百日ほど咲き続け、優雅に咲きますが、その裏で樹木そのものも、管理する人間も懸命な努力が必要です。

　何の道でも、物事を成功させるにはその陰で懸命な努力や対策なしには達せられません。今日も、天敵排除と巨樹に見合う水の量を与える仕事をサルスベリに依頼されてる私です。８月に満開になったら見にいらして下さい。お茶と共に「有意義な人生」について歓談いたしましょう。

Dear my overseas friends who like flowers and great music

　This photo of the Crape Myrtle was taken by me at 5am this morning. It's starting to bloom from the southern side of the treetop. However, it's only 40% in bloom. Buds are appearing on the lower branches, so it will probably bloom more day by day. It's expected to continue blooming until mid-October. However, there's something I have to work hard for.

　If possible as you know, in fact, Crape Myrtle has a natural enemy as a destiny. What do you guess it? There are tens of thousands of them. One of my daily routines is to eliminate these natural enemies. These natural enemies make tunnels inside the trunks and branches, and at last, they make nests deep inside them, where they live, lay eggs, and hibernate as well.

　If nothing is done, the holes inside the trunks will get bigger and bigger, and they will literally eat away at the trunks, which will have a negative impact on the lifespan of the trees. These natural enemies are "small red ants." These ants were not originally found in Japanese archipelago, and I guess they landed in Japan after the Meiji era since 1867, hiding among the lumbers imported from abroad.

　Even so, the population of these ants is so large that it can be said to be infinite. I will do my best to eliminate them again today. There are other natural enemies, too. One of them is the red-necked long-horned beetle, which is currently causing problems for fruit farmers in Gumma Prefecture. This beetle drills a large hole about 5 mm in diameter into the trunk, lays eggs inside, and larvae occasionally emerge. Another natural enemy is the "stink bug," which we have also heard of recently. Its shape certainly resembles a turtle.

　Like this, the crepe myrtle, which appears gorgeous at first glance and is also written as "100-day crape myrtle in Kanji," blooms gracefully for about 100 days, as its name suggests, but behind the scenes, both the tree itself and human who manage it require hard work.

　No matter what path we take, we cannot achieve success without hard work and measures behind the scenes. Today, I have been asked by the crepe myrtle to eliminate natural enemies and give it the amount of water appropriate for its size. Please come and see it when it is in full bloom in August. Let's chat about "meaningful lives" over tea. Then, let's listen to music together including my piano performance.

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

見ただけでも、冷たく美味しそうな水

　百円ショップで買ったコップに水を入れると「あら、不思議！」水が青くなり、それと共に「氷が浮かんでいるように見え」て、本当に美味しく飲めます。もちろん冷たい水を入れて飲んてます。

　今日の群馬県は本当に暑いです。インド人もびっくりでしょう。発表されてる温度はあくまで「日陰で測ったもの」ですから、実際の外は摂氏４０度を超えてると想われます。水分補給を「喉が渇く前に」行いましょう。

Dear my friends

　When I pour water into a glass which I bought at a 100-yen shop, it's amazing! The water turns blue and it looks like ice is floating in it, and it's really delicious to drink. Of course, I put cold water in it and drink it.

　It's really hot in my Gumma Prefecture today. Even Indians would be surprised. The temperatures announced are only measured in the shade, so it's probably over 40 degrees Celsius outside. Make sure you drink water before you get thirsty.

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

開花は峠を過ぎ、樹木は緑一色に変わる

　つい一ヶ月半前の３月は寒い日が続いたため、例年と異なり、桜の開花はもとより、花桃なども２週間ほど遅くなってから咲きました。ところが、あの寒さを忘れるほどにゴールデンウィーク中はすでに３０°近くになった日々が続きました。

　しかし、今日からは梅雨の前触れの如く、関東以北は雨が続く気配です。結果的に気温の下降に私たちの体調はついていけなくなりがちです。

　この時季に生活上、注意する点は二つあり、一つは、風邪を引かないようにします。ついうっかり、うたた寝すると喉を傷めます。ということは、恥ずかしながら私自身が体調を崩しました。

　もう一つは、すでに食中毒の季節に入ってます。「冷蔵庫を過信せず」、生ものなどは買い置きしないことでしょう。日にちが経つと、海藻類のうち生ワカメは溶けてきます。モズクも日にちが経過すると色褪せてきます。ですから、購入後は早めに使用します。

　と言うものの、自然界はバランス上、良く出来ており、今まで気にしてた大陸からの黄砂や、杉・ヒノキの花粉は減少し、空気は清々しくなります。芍薬などを除き私の好きな花は少なくなりましたが、ご覧の通り、樹木は緑色濃く一変し、梅の実が日に日に大きくなってます。雨が一時的に止んだら屋外に出て、良い空気を胸一杯吸いつつ身体を動かし、柔軟性と共に筋肉の維持増強に努めたいです。

Dear my Facebook friends abroad

　Just a month and a half ago, in March, we had a series of cold days, so unlike usual, not only cherry blossoms but also peach blossoms started blooming about two weeks later in our nation. However, during Japanese Golden Week, the temperature was already close to 30 degrees Celsius, so that we forgot how cold it was in March.

　However, from today onwards, it seems that the rain will continue north of the Kanto region, as if it were a harbinger of the rainy season. As a result, our physical condition tends to be unable to keep up with the changes in temperature in this season.

　During this season, there are two things to be careful about in our daily life. One is to avoid catching a cold. If you accidentally take a nap, you will hurt your throat. So, shamefully, I myself have a sore throat.

　The other thing is that we are already in the season for food poisoning. Don't put too much faith in your refrigerator and don't stock up on perishables. As the days pass, the raw seaweed of wakame will start to melt. The color of mozuku also fades over time. Therefore, we have to use it as soon as possible after purchasing.

　However, the natural world is well-balanced, for instance, the yellow sand from the Asian continent and pollen from cedar and cypress trees, which we worried about before, have decreased, and the air has become fresher. With the exception of Shakuyak peonies which I indicated yesterday, my favorite flowers have decreased, but as you see, the trees are turning green deeply and the plums are getting bigger day by day. Once the rain stops temporarily, I would like to go outside, breathe in the fresh air, move my body, and maintain and strengthen the flexibility of muscles.

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

懐かしいお酒「船尾瀧」に再会

　今宵は懐かしい日本酒「船尾瀧」を一人寂しく、しかし、 心豊かに戴くつもりでゲットしました。このお酒はあちこち探しても、なかなか見つかりませんでした。

　私は家では、お酒の量を少なくしてます。この一瓶は１８０㏄ですから一合です。もっと飲みたいところですが、「ちびりちびり飲める」ことに無上の幸せを感じつつです。

　というのは、男性の病の代表格である「前立腺肥大」の原因の一つが「お酒の飲み過ぎ」と考えられることから、最近は量を自粛してます。でも、皆さんと飲む機会があれば、自粛を解除ですからご安心ください。

　一方、「前立腺がん」のＰＳＡ検査では、私の年令では４以下が望ましいところ０．３２１であり、かなり低く、これはまるで青年の数値ですから心配ないと考えます。

　実は、１０年以上前には高崎駅前の「炙りやどんどん」で度々マスターにこの「船尾瀧」を勧められ、時間も忘れ美味しく飲んでました。しかし、残念にも「どんどん」は火災で店を閉め、本当に寂しい限りです。今宵は「昔を偲んで」美味しい群馬の銘酒「船尾瀧」を、ちびりちびり戴きます。

Dear my overseas friends

　Tonight, I will drink the nostalgic Japanese sake ``Funaodaki'' lonely, but with the intention of enjoying it with a full heart. I searched everywhere for this alcohol, but I couldn't find it.

　I drink a little of alcohol at home. This bottle is 180cc. I would like to drink more, but I feel extremely happy to be able to drink just a sip.

　This is because drinking too much alcohol is thought to be one of the causes of prostate enlargement which is a typical male disease, so I've been restraining myself from drinking alcohol lately. However, please feel assured that if I have a chance to drink with you, I will be able to lift my self-restraint.

　On the other hand, as my result of the PSA test for "prostate cancer" was 0.321, which is preferably 4 or less for my age, therefore which is quite low, so I don't worry about it because this is a young man's number.

　In fact, more than 10 years ago, I was often recommended this "Funaodaki" by the master at "Dondon'' tavern in front of Takasaki Station, and I lost time due to drinking it so deliciously. However, unfortunately, "Dondon" has closed due to a fire, and I am truly lonely. Tonight, I will "remember the past" and enjoy a sip of Gumma's famous sake "Funaodaki". Of course, I am remembering the faces of all my Facebook friends. Especially you!

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