夕方散歩など Evening walk etc

 パン生地の最終発酵中に夕方散歩で城北公園へ行きました。今朝ここに来たときは寒くてガチガチ震えていましたが、午後から気温が上昇して夕方には今朝と同じ服装では少し暑いくらいでした。タイガのオヤツスポットになっている築山で一休み。

While waiting for the bread dough to finish its final proofing, we went out for our evening walk.  When we came to this park this morning, it was freezing cold.  However, the temperature started rising in the early afternoon and by evening, it was too warm wearing the same outfit as this morning.  We rested on the mound which is Taiga's designated treats spot.

築山から下りて近くの草地を歩き回っていたら、白柴のオモチちゃんがやって来ました。

After coming down from the mound, we were walking about in the field nearby, when Omochi, a female White Shiba Inu arrived.

まるで「日本昔話」に出てくるような不思議な雰囲気のある子です。

She has a unique air about her - she always reminds me of a mystic white dog in a Japanese fable who turns into a beautiful woman.

オモチちゃんの飼い主さんが高級オヤツを出し始めたので、タイガが精神集中して待機しています。

Omochi's dad started pulling out treats.  He always carries expensive treats that Taiga finds irresistible, and she watches him with utmost concentration that she never shows to me.

背後で何が起きても気づかないほどの集中力。

Taiga is so absorbed that she wouldn't notice if Omochi tried to bite her tail off.

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これが散歩前に準備しておいたパン生地。今の暖かい気候では、朝の10過ぎに準備を始めて夕方には焼けるので時間短縮できます。これが冬場なら、前日の夜に始めて翌日の夕方に焼くという長時間発酵ですが、生地を捏ねない方法なのでヒマな私にはうってつけです。
I left the bread dough in a baking tin before leaving home.  I use the 'no-knead' method.  Thanks to the warm weather of early summer, by starting to prepare the dough after 10 in the morning, it is ready for baking by evening.  In winter, it would take much longer - start preparing the dough the night before, for baking in the evening the following day.  Since I have all the time in the world, I find this no-knead method much easier.

散歩から帰るとちょうど発酵が完了したところでした。こんなに膨らむのはフランス産のドライイースト（フェルミパン又はサフ）のおかげです。

When we came home, the dough had just finished its final proof.  I use French dried yeast  (either Fermipan or 'saf-instant').

焼き上がり。

Baking done.

今日のはオートミール入りの生地にしました。オートミール、ふすま、ライ麦粉、全粒粉などを加えると、胃腸の掃除をしているような気持ちになります。

Today's bread contains oatmeal.  By adding oatmeal, bran, rye, or wholemeal, I feel I am doing something good to my digestive system.

ベリー類 Berries

 ラズベリーのジョーンスクワイアは、今年は鉢植えで育てています。地植えだと地下茎であちこちに広がるので少し持て余していました。地植え果樹の主力交代の途中なので、移動しすぎるベリーを鉢で拘束している状態です。

I used to grow Joan Squire raspberry in the ground, but now they are all in pots.  As a typical raspberry, it had a habit of coming out of the ground far away from the designated area.  Now that I am in the process of shifting to jujubes from plums and apples, which will take until spring next year (the jujube plants on the upstairs balcony will have to grow sufficiently by then), I am shuffling some of the existing plants to clear the space.

10号鉢が４つと８号くらいのが2個。これ↓は10号鉢で門の階段の端っこに置いてあるものです。

Joan Squire now lives in 4 large pots (30cm diameter) and 2 smaller ones.  This is one of the large pots and sits on the step, inside of the gate.

今年の初収穫で４個。

First picking of this season.

まずはタイガ様にお披露目。濃厚な味にふんわりした風味もあります。

As always, showing the harvest to Taiga.  The berries tasted rich with a perfume-like flavour.

こちらは地植えにしたルビービューティ。地下茎が暴走しないし地上部が短いので本当に扱いやすいです。

This is Ruby Beauty (a.k.a. Raspberry Shortcake) which has been in the ground since spring last year.  Its roots do not wander away like normal raspberries.  With the short canes, this is such an easy variety to manage.

今日はたくさん採れました。

Quite a lot of picking this time.

去年まで地植えで道に面した塀に絡ませてあったブラックベリーのナバホも鉢植えです。こちらも地下茎であちこちから顔を出すようになりました。ナバホに関しては今後 大きな鉢植えでカラムナー仕立てにします。この品種は本来立ち木性です。YouTubeの動画でスイス人の人が見事なカラムナーのナバホを見せていて、それをお手本にします。

The Navaho blackberry also used to be in the ground but now it is in pots.  In recent years, Navaho also became itinerant and unpredictable.  In the future, Navaho will be grown in a columnar style, taking advantage of its erect growing habit.  I have seen a good demonstration by a Swiss person on YouTube, which I will emulate.

ナバホが熟すのはまだまだ先。温暖化のこんにち塀の場所では陽当たりが強すぎたらしく、去年初めて完熟寸前の実が日焼けをおこして大変なことになりました。鉢植えにして日照を調整していくつもりです。

Navaho berries will be maturing towards the end of June.  Due to the rising temperatures, this plant was getting too exposed to the sun, where it was growing until last year - the nearly ripe berries got sunburnt and spoiled.  By growing Navaho in pots, I can keep moving them to less sunny spots as necessary.

タイガのシャンプーなど After shampoo etc

 ピンク花のノコンギク「桃山」が咲き始めました。秋の花のはずが、桃山はうちでは秋よりも初夏のほうが開花に勢いがあります。デリケートな性質で最初の２年間は苦戦しましたが、３年目の今年は元気に育っています。これの他に青紫のノコンギクもありますが、そちらは普通の野菊のように10月頃に咲きます。

This is an extremely rare Japanese wild aster with pink flowers, as opposed to normal lilac-coloured flowers.  There used to be two on-line shops dealing in this variety, but they have stopped selling it because supply was unpredictable.  By sheer luck, I found a private seller 2 years ago and jumped at the opportunity.  I have since then found that it is a very delicate variety and struggled to keep it alive for the last 2 years.  To my delight, they bounced back and they seem to be thriving in my place this year.  Japanese wild asters normally flower in October, and my other variety with dark purple flowers come into season like common wild asters with lilac flowers.  However, this pink variety seems to produce more flowers in early summer instead of autumn.

種から育てたボリジが勢いよく育って、花茎が続々上がってきます。な～んか、期待とのギャップが大きいので、葉も花も利用していません。葉はサラダとして生で食べるとキュウリの風味だと言うので、一度だけ齧ってみて終わり。他にはスープや野菜炒めにも使えるそうです。葉っぱ、茎、花のガク全てにトゲトゲの毛が生えています。

The borage plants that I grew from seeds are doing exceptionally well in a pot, with flower stems coming out one after another.  I had never seen borage plants, and these are turning out to be quite different from what I imagined.  The ratio of flowers to the total plant is not attractive, and the whole plant (leaves, stems and even the calyces) are covered with spiny hairs.

エディブルフラワーと言われても、毛むくじゃらの花は童話の中の魔女が育てる植物のようなイメージです。

They say the flowers are edible, but they look like something that fairy tale witches might be growing.

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毎日タイガをブラッシングしているうちに「洗ったほうが速い！」と思い、午後にシャンプーしました。その後は自然乾燥の散歩で公園へ向かいました。

I brush Taiga's coat every morning during her moult.  However, I decided that it might be much quicker to wash her.  So, I gave her a shampoo this afternoon, followed by a walk to the park for natural drying.

歩いているうちに抜け毛が浮き上がってきます。引っ張りたい衝動をガマンして、

As she walked, loose undercoat hair started rising to the surface, but I resisted the temptation to pull it out until we arrived at the park.

公園に着きました。ブラシとゴミ用袋を持参しているので、林の日陰で休憩。

Once in the park, we went into the shade of the woodland, and I pulled out the brush and a plastic bag to collect the loose hair.

まずは浮いた抜け毛を手で引っ張って、その後にブラッシング。

Such a satisfying feeling to pull out the loose hair, before the actual brushing.

さっぱりしたところで公園の上の草地へ移動しました。

Brushing done, we went up to the upper part of the park.

ちょうど良い風が吹いていたのでオヤツタイム。

In the shade of the tall trees, we enjoyed a cool breeze.  Taiga also enjoyed her treat.

帰宅して、持ち帰った抜け毛を処分。

Having returned home, Taiga saying goodbye to her unwanted undercoat.

ナツメなど Jujubes etc

 先日の網掛ケージの出来に気を良くして、今度はバルコニーに置いてあったケールも網で保護することにしました。2階のナツメ苗の間に点在していた状態でモンシロチョウがやって来ると、狭いバルコニーを移動しながら追い払っていたのですが、ナツメの枝に服が引っ掛かってしまいがちでした。ケールを一箇所に集約して網掛することでチョウの産卵の心配が無くなります。ポルトガルケールはバルコニーに３株、庭に２株。普通のケールはここに４株、庭に１株。

Having confirmed the usefulness of the vegetable cage that I built a few days ago, I decided to cover the kale plants on the upstairs balcony, by gathering them in one place.  These kales had been placed between jujube pots, and whenever I saw cabbage butterflies, I had to walk sideways chasing the insects.  Every time I did so on the narrow balcony, my clothes got caught by jujube branches.  By covering the kales with a net, I no longer have to worry about green grubs.  Having sacrificed one pot of each variety, I now have 5 plants of each, including the ones in the garden.

庭の棗は、今年の春に地植えにした皇帝ナツメと、鉢植えの日本ナツメ。これ↓は皇帝です。

The jujubes in the garden are one 'Emperor' and one Japanese variety.  This tree in the below photo is Emperor which I planted in the ground this spring.

２階のナツメ苗はおびただしい数の花が咲いていますが、着果の兆しは無し。対して、遅れて咲き始めたこの皇帝は、授粉の確認ができる箇所がたくさんあります。でも、本格的な着果が期待できるのは７-８月の猛暑のなかでの開花です。

The jujubes on the upstairs balcony have tons of flowers but no sign of fruit setting.  In contrast, the Emperor started flowering late but I can see numerous flowers that seem to have successfully pollinated.  However, I must not forget that it is really flowers of July-August, during extreme heat, that result in serious fruit setting.

こちら↓は２年前の７月に買った日本種の苗。そのときは猛暑の時期だったので、そうっと鉢増ししただけで、去年の春に絡まった根っこをほぐして徹底的に粘土の土を洗い落としました。そのショックで去年は全く成長なし。今年の春にやっと新梢が出てきて、それがもう50cmほどに伸びています（赤矢印が今春のスタート点）。

This is the Japanese jujube that I bought in July 2024.  We were in the middle of a heat wave then, so I simply potted it without disturbing the roots.  In spring last year, I washed off the heavy clay soil and cut a great deal of entangled roots.  The shock to the plant was too much and there was no growth during last year.  However, this spring, new branches shot out and they are already 50cm long (the red arrows indicate the starting points of this year).

花数も去年より多い。

And, it has more flowers than last year.

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今日も暑かったですが、夕方は乾燥した涼しい風が吹くなか、城北公園へ向かいました。草丈が伸び始めた草地に座り込んでリラックス。

It was another hot day today.  In the evening, we had cool breezes and we set off to the Johoku Park, where we sat down and relaxed among the tall grass.

タイガが目でオヤツを催促。ヨダレが風に揺れている。

Taiga urging me to pull out the treat, with her saliva swaying in the breeze.

今日のは牛タンの乾燥皮で、完全無添加です。

A healthy treat - dried skin of cow's tongue with no additives whatsoever.

カリカリ音をたてて満足そうに食べています。

She savours it making a crackling sound.

あっ、カンタ。

She spots Kanta in the distance.

カンタはタイガより４歳ちかく年下なのに、タイガはいつも低姿勢で挨拶します。しっぽが完全に右側に倒れている。

Kanta is nearly 4 years younger than Taiga, but she always greets him as if she were his junior.  Notice her tail falling to the right - she likes him a lot.

カンタはシュッとした甲斐犬です。

Kanta is a sharp-looking Kaiken.

紫色の舌班が見えます。タイガの舌班は口の奥に小さなのがあるだけ。

He has purple stains on his tongue.  Taiga's spot is much smaller and is located at the back of her mouth.

帰りしな、タービュレンのルイ君にも会えました。ルイ君はタイガより１歳下の12歳で、幼馴染です。
On our way home, we met Louis, a male Belgian Tervuren.  He is 12 years old, and one year younger than Taiga.  They have been good friends since they were puppies.

家の近くまで来ると暗くなり始めていて、東の空に満月がかかっていました。

By the time we reached our neighbourhood, it was getting dark, and I noticed a full moon in the east.

西の空は夕焼け。明日も暑くなりそうです。

In the west, there was a shepherd's delight, indicating another hot day tomorrow.