Pheasant, Chinese partridge and bush warbler started to sing for their lovers. Cherry trees began to loosen their buds. Mei-Shun cooked a 筍=takenoko, young bamboo by herself for the first time. She found that 乙戸沼 Park also accommodates white magnolia trees arranged like a big one full of fist-size flowers by the pond. Narcissus blooms one after another under our garden princess.
Yes, it starts from today. That might be why our garden princess gave her first bloom. It is so interesting that the more distant a bud is from the trunk, the sooner it blooms. That makes her look like putting on a melon kimono from the bottom. Now it gets dark, your mother would play piano in moonlight scores to help you — we do not have it in the sky tonight.
When Mei-Shun walked out of a short tunnel between rice paddy, she found a tree full of white flowers shining on the green hill which accommodates the nearest shrine. It is magnolia, still in buds. Since she started walking exercise from the end of April last year, it has not been recognized so far. She is so happy to see the roster of sacred guardians augmented again.
Narcissus and tulip began to grow in our garden. They seem to appear on the ground all of a sudden, yet we know how hard they prepared. Actually, their bed works as a restroom of Tora-chan in winter — we can see her paw marks cover bare soil. What surprises and move us is that she never scratch spring greens. Oh, good girl, we cannot let you in, so sorry. Today would be the last to have such frostiness.
Narcissus, 水仙
Tulip
They are unrecognizable — which one is the last princess? A bit bigger each flower looks compared to their elder sisters. Mei-Shun feels so happy to serve for such beauty, while with a slight concern. We grew two mimosa trees in the garden, loved their fluffy flowers in light yellow. However, both of them were blown down by storm after blooming the best …
Mei-Shun Meets Princess Cymby
Mei-Shun walked to the nearest shrine as usual. She heard a pheasant guy call his partner on the way, for the first time of this year. How nice to see you again! … oh, not really because she could not catch him in sight. They are so good at hide-and-seek games, make us human beings ever losers. No problem, you kindly tell us that we are in the middle of spring with 啓蟄=keichitsu, the third of spring 二十四節気 yesterday.
Here you are, mom, on behalf of dad. Mei-Shun’s mother has a chronic dizziness. Meeting once a month is their fixed rule, with latest visit planned on February 14th. However, a symptom interrupted and forced them to postpone the appointment. Well, you have learned how to treat yourself, look fine today. That makes your younger daughter feel relieved and happy. Let’s talk about the cute bird the latter saw the other day.
As written last year, Mei-Shun was born in a leap year. Just one day longer than usual, does it do something on her character? For example, she tends to be 5 minutes late for any appointment. This is of course an awful breach of manner, yet one idea went through her head. Each day has 24 hours, which counts for 288 times of 5 minutes. Has she already consumed this “given” time? Or when she eats all up, would she be released from such a curse?
Dr. A was quick enough this time. She used to give Mei-Shun “Yes” phone calls on weekends, passing several days after 2 weeks of sample examination. Well, anyway, it is highly appreciated by the ex-inpatient. Oh, our last princess finally started to open her green-yellow dress which would turn brighter as she makes a curtsy in full bloom. Such graceful figure reminds Mei-Shun of the eldest one who kindly greeted her in buds 2 years ago, just before her operation.
Our “backyard” plum or ume has started to bloom little by little. White ones come earlier than pink, yet both buds in the same red, shining in sunlight. You can enjoy many of them along a lane to our horse riding club, patched with rice paddy. Mei-Shun’s partner today was 英二=Ei-ji, lovely chestnut-brown boy rarely named in Chinese characters. Why these boys and guys, including you, like to make fun of her by chewing saddle buffers or her riding vest?
meishunkikunoe 