When Shin walks to the station, his wife joins these days. He heads to the west, she does to the north. Mei-Shun is lucky to see two male pheasants on the way to the nearest shrine. They look struggling for territory beside rice paddies soon watered to accommodate frogs, egrets and herons.
They have 3 breeds of 八重桜 at 乙戸沼 Park. One looks like holding a lot of 桜餅=sakura-mochi, a seasonal Japanese sweet with leaf-flower combination of brown-violet pink. Another has less browned-normal pink while the last one green-delicate shade of light pink as follows.
Our horseback riding club has many cherry trees. Three of them work as roofs for our cars. Mei-Shun was lucky enough parking in the best space last time. After lessons, she found many little passengers on her car.
It is called 乙戸沼=Otonuma Park, accommodating a quite large pond. Running/walking courses surround the pond hemmed by many cherry trees. You can see various waterfowls while pigeons play in a canal with this tiny cascade. Sporadic fountain-like spray is not to catch your eyes but to uptake oxygen into water.
Please find Momo-chan, our garden princess. How shiny she is! It seems to Mei-Shun that this 80% blossom is the best. On the other hand, 染井吉野 in the park where she walks in the morning blooms still in 30%. There are 八重桜=yae-sakura trees as well, whose gorgeous flower we could see a month later. Such diversity of spring pink makes our mind really full of joy.
This is Queen Peach, mother of Momo-chan whose slender sister is seen on this side. The latter had passed away one year after the photo below was taken. Mei-Shun heard it from mom recently, shocked so much. We have to be like 桜守=sakura-mori, gardeners who take care of famous cherry trees while growing descendants of current breeds to keep loved beauty for long time.
It was freezing this morning, representing 三寒四温 of this season with a drizzle in which nobody except for Mei-Shun uses umbrellas in her family. Oh, Tora-chan, you are kind enough to follow her to the garbage collection point. Please keep yourself dry under the eaves.
Mei-Shun practiced “Clair de Lune” by Debussy in the afternoon, wishing to see 十五夜 over such thick clouds. And it might work, when she drove to pick Shin up after dark, round silhouette of moon appeared for just a moment. Thanks a million, wind, though we have a slight chill with you.
Start of cherry blossom, represented by 染井吉野=somei-yoshino, was announced in Tokyo today. It is measured by sample trees selected all through Japan except for northern Hokkaido and southern Okinawa. Looking one of the most enjoyable jobs for the Meteorological Agency, they visit such designated sites everyday until 5-6 flowers are recognized fully open. And at home, Mei-Shun continues daily check on their garden princess. Please find narcissus knights all face toward her.
Our garden princess looks starting her preparation to come out. They say that cold winter allows Rosaceae plants including cherry, peach and pear to know clearly when to bloom on their buds. On the other hand, warm winter could keep them half-awake and half-asleep — meaning it all depends on each bud when to loose her petals.
meishunkikunoe 