We have many hydrangeas around here. One of Mei-Shun’s favorite is this in pale pink at the Ys. They are kind enough to leave two hydrangeas and one camellia in backyard, let us enjoy them from the beginning of blossom. Oh, Ms. Lespedeza, why you are so hasty? Your beauty would culminate in autumn. Please do not compete with a flower of rainy season.
nature
Visit Parks
Standard乙戸沼 Park also features irises right now. They have a lot of banners stand along flower field. On the other hand, 小石川後楽園 simply hangs a poster on the front gate. A wide pond with lotuses floating on surface helps commodious sight of the former while the latter is served by a unique looks of Tokyo Dome roof. Oh, we can see the moon in daylight between artificial and natural whites in the sky.
Japanese Culture@wkday
StandardToday we see 芒種=boshu, the 3rd of summer 二十四節気. “芒” sounds rare for Mei-Shun who searched this Chinese character read nogi. It expresses spikes in chaffs of rice, wheat, etc., which wait for 芒種 to be sown in fields. Not only to prepare for hot and humid season, she asked Shin to have lunch at a restaurant where tasty grilled eels are served.
Never Compare
StandardDumplings rather than flowers? Not for Mei-Shun and Professor S. They met at 飯田橋 Station at noon, strolled toward an Italian restaurant to enjoy good salads, pizzas and pastas. After lunch, they planned to walk down 神楽坂 slope to reach 小石川後楽園 yet shared an taxi under severe sunlight. Pretty irises and hydrangeas were at the beginning of blossom. This nicely cared garden made them almost forget time.
Baby Mantis
StandardHello, darling, welcome to Mei-Shun’s bed. It is so nice to see you, yet she has already started repellent steamer here. Indoor air is dangerous for you. Would you let her bring you onto shutters, outdoors in half? When she closes smaller windows, you will be isolated in safe space. And oh, great to find you stay there all through the night. Sunbathing place is ready to the east, please go ahead.
Foggy Equanimity
StandardThough we have serial hot days since this weekend, fog is often seen in early mornings around here. Mei-Shun found a couple of wild duck swimming together on 乙戸沼 the other day. Softly coated with mist, they looked so romantic. A cormorant stood still on a fountain head. One thing she learned after driving her car for 8 years is that fog lamps work very well in this condition.
Joy at Nara: 3
StandardWhen Shin and Mei-Shun arrived at 飛鳥寺, a pheasant guy began to declare his territory. They beat a big bell once respectively to greet him under the gaze of guardian little frog, entered the room to see handsome 飛鳥大仏. Oh, welcome to our car, dear ladybug. We heard that you have a miraculous system in wings, folded precisely and jump-open to fly. It would be applied to astronautics.
Rice Baby
StandardIt is so nice to see them grow day by day. Mei-Shun is so happy to see many birds including this wild duck couple. Or a mother and a child, bigger one was waiting for the other slimmer flying across the lane between rice paddy to slide onto water. You finally meet, congratulations. And Ms. (or Mr.) White, nice to see you here. We cannot recognize you crouching among grown-up greens.
Petits Cactus
StandardOhhhh, you are so cute. This breed survives freezing winter in our garden, grows these little babies on each “leaf” around 八十八夜=hachiju-hachi-ya, 88th day after 立春 when the last frost might cover the ground, every year. You might not feel better than a few days before — it remains raining all day today, with continued cold air from yesterday. Expected 十五夜 full moon cannot see you tonight.
Lily Bell
StandardNot of the valley though, our first one bloomed recently at the foot of Momo-chan going into green. From the beginning of solar April, our eyes have enjoyed pink represented by her of course while various cherries in public places, followed by current white including 姫空木 mother and daughter. Blue of wisteria soon, iris a little later will replace them. And rose, queen of flower would fill us with pleasure at 旧古河庭園.
meishunkikunoe 