昨日まではちょっと動くと汗ばむ陽気でしたが、今朝は一転、木枯らしのような風が吹いて冬らしい朝でした。散歩帰りに通りすぎた民家のクチナシの実がとても綺麗でした。
Up to yesterday, it has been unseasonably warm. This morning, it really felt like a winter day with chilly breeze. The gardenia tree in the neighbourhood has eye-catching, beautiful fruits.
There are many culinary uses for this fruit and I like colouring the rice when making stir fried rice. This variety has large, single-petal flowers. Although not as showy as the double-petal variety, the plant is attractive enough when in full bloom. I will certainly get a plant next time I see one in the shop.
その近くの民家のサザンカも満開で綺麗。
The sasanqua flowers nearby - a typical winter sight.
帰宅して玄関前でくつろぐタイガ。こんなに寒い日でも、退屈な家の中に入りたがらない。
Taiga relaxing near the porch. Even on a cold morning like this, she prefers sitting here instead of coming inside, which she finds boring.
私はタイガに付き合って、外でコーヒーを飲みました。コーヒーは好きな飲み物ではないけど、必要に迫られて毎日１-２杯飲んでいます。ネットで見た情報ですが、コーヒーには脳の血流を整える作用があるそうです。私は年をとってから季節の変わり目に頭痛がするようになりましたが、コーヒーを飲むことでそれが解決しました。今では飲み止めると季節に関わりなく頭痛が戻ってきます。
ジッと前の道を見つめてファンの方々が通るのを待っています。
She watches the street in front of the house in case her fans pass by.
I had my morning coffee outside to keep her company. Coffee is not my favourite drink but I need to take it so as to avoid getting a headache. As I got older, I began to suffer from headaches when seasons changed. I read an article which said that coffee helped regulate the blood flow in the head. It worked with me, only by drinking 1 or 2 mugs a day. Nowadays, if I stop drinking coffee, headache comes back regardless of seasons.
正月用に買った寒菊。写真無しのラベルから「ピンク系」の花が咲くとは分かっていましたが、実際に咲いてみると二重咲きで、八重が好きな私にはちょっと期待はずれ。お店に残っている「きょうだい」たちはまだまだ蕾なのに、この苗は鉢増し・施肥されたからか、正月前に満開になりそうです。
地植えにして初年度のリスボンレモンが色づいてきました。6個しか生っていないので、どう利用するかじっくり考えてからにします。もうスイーツ作りの動画は止めたので、今年の8月以来、一度も甘いものを食べていません。非常に体調が良くなって、夕方のジョギングも再開しました。でも、年末にかけて何かのスイーツにレモンを利用する予定です。
The Lisbon Lemon planted in the ground earlier this year has produced 6 fruits and they are becoming ripe. I stopped making sweets in summer this year and I have not eaten any sweets since. I used to feel tired all the time, but now I feel so great and have taken up jogging in the evening again. However, I will use the lemons for sweets over the Christmas/New Year period.
I got this winter chrysanthemum for the forthcoming New Year. When I bought it, the plant had tight flower buds. Now growing in a large pot with fertiliser, the flowers are opening too early. Its 'sisters' are still in the shop and their flower buds remain small and tight.
寒菊を眺めていたら、タイガがそうっとやって来ました。何の要求もせずに、ほんとにジミなワンコです。
As I was wondering over the winter chrysanthemum, Taiga approached me by stealth. She is so unobtrusive that I sometimes wish she behaved like a demanding, talkative dog like those I see on the YouTube. Taiga is Kaiken - very stoic and patient.
