夕方散歩 Evening Walk

 練馬区の今日の最高気温は33℃だったそうです。近年の猛暑の夏に体が慣れたせいか、私は33℃までなら、隣家の日陰になる1階で扇風機だけでも楽に過ごせるようになりました。ときどき２階のバルコニーへ出て、先日開花が始まった無核金絲棗の苗を眺めたりしたほどです。おびただしい数の花が咲いているので、初年度ながら数個の収穫が期待できそうです。

夕方散歩の時間もまだ暑かったけど、２,３日前までの暑さに比べれば、季節的に何かが変わったような空気でした。

The maximum temperature today in our Nerima Ward was 33℃.  Due to the extreme summer heat of recent years, I can tolerate up to 33℃, and by staying downstairs which is in the shadow of my next door's house.  I felt comfortable enough during the day to go out on the upstairs balcony to look at the Seedless Gold Thread jujube plant which started flowering a few days ago.  It has abundant flowers, probably enough to produce a few fruits in the initial year of growth.

It was still hot at the time of our evening walk, but I felt something different in the air, compared to the hot and humid weather until a few days ago.

日もだんだんと短くなってきて、今日は早めに出てきたつもりでも、日暮れっぽい風景を感じます。

Also, days are visibly getting shorter.  We left the house earlier than usual but already the scenery was looking like an early evening.

先日、何年ぶりかで会えた幼馴染のゴールデンのクリスちゃんと今日もばったり。クリスちゃんとタイガは生年月日が同じで、昔はよく一緒に遊んだ仲良しなので、私のなかでは特別な思いがあります。

We ran into Chris, a female Golden Retriever, whom we had not seen for years until a few days ago.  Chris and Taiga share the same birthday and year.  As puppies, they played together constantly.  So, I get a special feeling when I see them meeting like this.

クリスちゃんがずっと尻尾を振ってくれて、別れがたかったです。

Chris was wagging her tail all the time, and it was hard to leave.

帰り道の途中にある、いつもの広場を目指します。

We headed for Taiga's favourite field which was on our way to the exit of the park.

私の好きなアオギリの木が写真の中央に位置し、背後の西の空は不安定そうな雰囲気です。

My favourite solitary tree situated in the middle of the photo, with an evening sky looking a little unstable.

良い風が吹いていたので、しばらく休んでから帰りました。

There was a nice breeze, and we rested on the grass for a while before going home.

突然の土砂降り Sudden Downpour

 午後の2時半頃に、突然 土砂降りになりました。ちょうどタイガの午後のトイレ散歩から戻ったところだったので、ほっと一息。バルコニーの皇帝ナツメ苗は結構大きいので、暴風で倒れないか心配で見に行きました。

At around 2:30 p.m., we had a downpour of rain - I am not sure whether it had been forecast or not.  Luckily, we had just come back from Taiga's quick toilet walk after lunch.  I was now worried that the tallest jujube plant in a pot might be knocked down by the strong wind and rushed to the upstairs balcony.

雨がシート状で横切っていきます。

Sheets of rain were passing by between my house and the neighbour's.

今年の皇帝ナツメの枝ぶりは剪定なしでも結構スカスカなので、どうやら倒れずに済みました。

This tree last year was dense with new branches but, this year, it is looking airy without pruning, so the strong wind caused no problem.

去年の今頃は着果が多すぎて、惜しみながら最終的に10個まで減らして完熟期を迎えましたが、今年は間引きの必要はないようです。枝数が少ないのは、たぶん、10号ロングスリット鉢では既に根詰まりしているからだと思います。今度の冬に根っこを切り戻すか、または１階に降ろして鉢増しするかの選択です。バルコニーには8個の10号鉢が置いてあるので、これ以上重量で負担を大きくしたくないところです。

This time last year, the tree had countless young fruits, and I kept picking them down to 10 fruits to mature - no such need this year.  I suspect that the reason why the plant does not have many branches is due to the roots being pot bound.  This is the second year in the 30cm diameter pot, and it is already getting too small.  In the coming winter, I will have to either cut back the roots or take it downstairs to repot in a larger one.  I already keep 8 of 30 cm diameter pots on the balcony and do not want to increase the weight.

朝散歩 Morning Walk

 朝の公園へ向かう途中、久しぶりに柴犬のキトちゃんに会えました。現在７歳の本来は小柄の子ですが、美味しいご飯を沢山もらってコロっとした体形です。

On our way to the park this morning, we met Kito for the first time after a very long time.  Kito is a 7-years old, female red sesame Shiba Inu.  She should have grown into a small Shiba Inu, but she gets delicious food way too much.

子犬の頃は道で会うと遠くからでもソリ犬のように勢いよく走ってきたのですが、久しぶりの再会のせいか腰が引けています。

When Kito was a puppy and spotted Taiga from a distance, she would come running like a sled dog.  After not seeing each other for a long time, Kito hesitates in coming close to Taiga.

タイガが身を乗り出すと、びっくりした様子を見せます。

When Taiga leaned forward, Kito looked startled.

でも、タイガが飼い主さんに挨拶を始めると、すかさず後ろから臭い嗅ぎ。

However, when Taiga started greeting Kito's mom, she lost no time in sniffing her backside.

ちょうどそこへ近所のシン君がやって来ました。

There came Shin, our neighbour's long-legged boy.

タイガと挨拶しながらも、

While he was saying 'hello' to Taiga,

初めてみるキトが気になる様子です。

he kept looking at Kito whom he met for the first time.

キトは暑さの影響で息が浅く、安全のために早く帰宅したほうが良さそうでした。

Kito's breathing was getting shallow in the heat and humidity, and we thought she should go home as soon as possible for her safety.

疲れてトボトボと歩き始めましたが、ちょっと哀愁だだよう後ろ姿。

She started trudging, with an air of melancholy.

今朝は城北中央公園まではいかず、手前の四中横の草地で休憩です。

This morning, we did not make it to the Johoku Central Park but stopped at the nearest field across the Junior High School.

ここは風が来るので、この根っこに座ってタイガのオヤツタイムによく利用します。

This spot is always breezy, so we often use this place for Taiga's treat time.

夏は冷凍庫で作った氷水。

In summer, she gets ice water prepared in the freezer.

喉を潤して落ち着いたら、自家製チキンジャーキーです。今の季節、ブルーの３段網に広げてバルコニーに朝から吊るしておくと、一日で完成します。

After the drink, her favourite chicken jerky.  The sun is so strong in summer that the paper-thin slices I make get dry within a day, by hanging them on the balcony in a drying net.

オヤツのあとは風に当たりながらリラックス。今日も一日元気で。

After the treat, she lay on the grass enjoying the breeze.  It was a nice way to start the day.

無核金絲棗が開花 Seedless Gold Thread jujube flowering

 スペースと水やりの都合から、バルコニーの狭い場所に移動させてあった無核金絲棗には、２週間ほど前から蕾着きの新梢が出始めていました。それが今朝みたら本格的に咲き始めていました。

Due to the shortage of space and for the ease of watering, the Seedless Gold Thread jujube plant has been placed in a narrow space of the balcony.  I noticed new branches starting to come out with flower buds on, about 2 weeks ago.  This morning, the flower buds were open almost in full force.

見やすくするために、白い壁が背景になるよう移動。去年の12月に配達された輸入苗３品種（無核金絲、早脆王、蟠棗）のうち、一時は成長がストップして枯れるのではと心配したこの苗が、現在最も順調に成長しています。枝数が増えただけでなく葉っぱが拡大したので、非常に充実した苗になりました。

So as to observe the plant more easily, I moved it against the white wall.  Of the 3 imported cultivars that arrived in December last year as bare root trees, this Gold Thread ended up growing much more vigorously than the other two, even though it stopped growing and looked like dying at one time.  Not only there are more branches now, but the leaves are large and broad which indicates maturity of the plant.

これは苗の左側。

This is the left side of the plant.

左側に少しズーム。

Even closer look on the left side.

これは苗の右側。

This is the right side of the plant.

右側にズーム。

Up close on the right side.

例の「郎棗」にも沢山の花が出ていましたが、それらの開花が終わった直後なので、現在花が咲いているのはこの品種だけです。虫が来てくれると良いのですが。

The Lang jujube recently had lots of flowers, but they have just finished.  So, this tree is the only one in bloom right now.  I hope insects will visit the tree.

新しい枝は茶色くなり始めているので、木質化する前段階です。

The stems of the new branches are beginning to turn brown, which means they will become wooden before long.

モミジ盆栽 Maple tree bonsai

 赤葉モミジの盆栽が今日やっとできました。

A bonsai with red leaf maple seedlings has been set up, at last.

3日ほど前に足をつけて日光干しにして乾燥させました。

I attached the legs to the pot 3 days ago and left it on the upstairs balcony so that it would dry fast in the full sun every day.

乾燥させたあとでも、この材質には弾力性があり、粘土というよりは樹脂製の素材です。手にとると全然重みがなくて、本当にこれで役割を果たせるのか不安になるほどです。

Even after getting dry, the pot is somewhat soft and resilient - it feels more like resin, rather than clay.  When I hold it in my hand, it feels light as tissue paper, and it makes me worry if this is really going to do the job as a bonsai pot.

植え付け作業を外でやると蚊の大群に襲われるので、部屋の中で行います。軽石を発芽苗が植わっていた土と混ぜて用土にします。仕上げは水で湿らせておいたコケ。

I gathered all I needed in a room upstairs, since doing it outside would attract a swarm of mosquitoes.  I mixed the pumice with the soil of the seedlings.  The moss is for the finishing touch.

初めての試みにしては、いとも簡単に作業を終了。この器を作り終えた時点では「大き過ぎ！」と思って絶望していましたが、実際に苗を植えてみると、たぶんコケが体裁を整えてくれたおかげで、大失敗というほどには感じていません。でも、いつかお店でまともな鉢を見かけたら、それに植え替えます。

Even though I had never set up a bonsai before, the work was done in no time.  When I made the pot several days ago, I was dismayed to see how large it was relative to the sizes of the seedlings.  However, after actually planting the seedlings, I thought they looked not too bad, probably thanks to the effect of the moss.

こうやってみると、赤葉モミジって結構カワイイですね。たくさん種を蒔いたうちの４個だけ発芽して、うち１個は緑色の葉。そして赤葉のうちの１本は、最近近所へ嫁に行きました。当初考えていた「３本仕立て」よりは、この２本のほうが余裕があって良かったです。ちなみに、緑色のを使わなかった理由は、成長スピードが赤葉とは全然異なり、今では30cm近くに伸びているので、一緒の鉢に盆栽として植えるには適していないからです。

Seeing the seedlings in the pot, I am amazed how pretty they look.  I sowed many seeds in autumn last year, but only 4 of them germinated.  One of them was a normal, green leaf maple.  Of the 3 red leaf maples, one was given away to my neighbour recently.  Although, originally, I was thinking of a bonsai with 3 red leaf maples, I think that would have been too crowded.  As to the green leaf seedling, its growth habit is too different - it is now as tall as 30 cm, and not suitable for use with the red seedlings in the same bonsai pot.

コケはいくらでもあったので、気前よく使いました。

I used the moss generously to cover the surface of the soil.

鉢に足が着いていると水はけに関して安心です。

It was worth adding the legs to the pot for better drainage.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

今日も発狂しそうなほどの蒸し暑さでした。今の時期、毎日は買い物に出なくて良いよう、まとめ買いしていますが、今日はその食料補充の日で、八百屋さんとスーパーをハシゴしました。帰宅すると、即、冷水シャワーです。

夕方散歩ではタイガも疲れていて、草地に着くと座り込みです。

It was another maddeningly hot and humid day today.  In this weather, I try to buy foodstuff enough for 2-3 days.  Today was one of those days when I had to replenish the fridge.  After visiting a greengrocer and a supermarket, it was lifesaving to get into a cold shower.  

During our evening walk, Taiga was also exhausted from the heat and sat down on the grass as soon as we reached the nearest field.

そのうち、いつもの草風呂。

Soon, she started her 'grass bath'.

スッキリした？

Feeling better?

私はセミの声を聴きながら、呼吸するのにもエネルギー節約しながらじっとしています。こんな暑さでも、真冬の惨めなほど寒い日には懐かしく思いだすのでしょうか。

As to myself, listening to the deafening sounds of cicadas, I tried to save my energy even when breathing.  Will I ever miss these hot and humid summer days, on a miserably cold winter day?