猛暑の間は外出を避けるために、３日ごとに食料などを買い貯めすることにしていますが、うっかりお盆のことを忘れていました。地元で行きつけの八百屋さんがお盆休みで12-15日の間は閉店の張り紙を見てショック。その八百屋さんは昭和の雰囲気のあるお店で、従業員の何人かは地方出身です。きっと今頃は帰省してるんだろうなと思いながら、似たようなお店が江古田にも２軒あるので、興味本位で行ってみたらやはりお盆休み。その後は更にチャリをこいで環七沿いの大手スーパーへ行き、用を済ませました。帰宅して涼しんでいると、もう夕方散歩の時間。あっと言う間に一日が過ぎてしまいました。
今日もタイガは公園ではなく住宅街を選びました。
During this heat wave, I try to save shopping trips by getting daily necessities every 3 days. However, I forgot about Obon holidays. The holiday period runs for a few days up to 15th of August, and it is said that the souls of one's ancestors return home during Obon. In old days, some businesses used to close during this season so that workers could go home for family reunion. The greengrocer that I normally go to is old-fashioned with the atmosphere of Showa Era. Some of its employees are from the countryside and they must be back home with their families by now. There are two greengrocers in the neighbouring town, Ekoda, and I thought of checking them out of curiosity - indeed, they were also closed for the holiday season. After that, I went to a large supermarket near the Ring Road No. 7, which was at quite a distance. By the time I returned home and had a cool tea to relax, it was already the time for the evening walk. The day went very quickly.
Taiga wanted to walk in the next district again, instead of going to the Johoku Park.
今日の空は眺める方角によっては晴れて見えたり（これは東の方角）、
The sky was changeable today - depending on the direction you looked, it was either fine (the photo looks to the east),
どんよりした雲がかかっていたりでした（これは西日の方角）。しかし、どの方角へ行っても蒸し暑かったです。
or it was overcast (looking to the west). However, whichever direction I went, it was very muggy.
高稲荷神社の公園横を歩いていると、
When we were walking by the side of a park,
初めて会う柴ワンコがやって来ました。女の子で「きなこ」ちゃん、11歳だそうです。
we met a new face - an 11 years old female Shiba Inu, named Kinako.
タイガは12歳。年齢が近いもの同士で、穏やかに挨拶ができました。
Taiga being 12 years old, they were close in age, and greeted each other quietly.さらに歩いて禅寺の裏手までくると、私はこの坂道を上がって寺の前を通る予定でしたが、タイガが橋のところで踏ん張って動こうとしませんでした。その目的は、はるか前方からやって来た
When we came to the back of a Zen temple, I wanted to walk up this slope to go round to the front of the temple, but Taiga would not budge from where she was standing near the bridge. Her mind was focused on someone in the distance, who was coming this way.
この子と会うためです。タイガは、かなりの距離からこの子を見つけた後は目が釘付け状態で、こちらに近づいて来るのを待っていました。初めてみる子で、ラブラドールの男の子、「ゆい」君、5歳だそうです。まだ若いのに全然シャカシャカしたところがなく落ち着いています。
This pooch was the centre of her attention. Taiga's eyes were rivetted on him as he walked in our direction. A new face, and a 5 years old male Labrador, named Yui. In spite of his young age, and although he is a Labrador, his demeanour was unusually mild.
何より、美犬。まじまみ見入ってしまうほどの美しいワンコです。
Above all, he is such a beautiful dog. I could not help staring at him.
タイガはあれ程までに踏ん張って動こうとしないでいた割には、いざ挨拶となるとシャイになって、むしろ飼い主さんたちに近づいて行きました。
Considering how determined Taiga was to meet this boy, she was quite shy when it came to greeting him and paid more attention to his owners.
それにしても美しいワンコです。結局、タイガも私もこの子の美犬ぶりに当てられたようです。
At the risk of repeating myself, he is such a beautiful pooch. In the end, both Taiga and I were totally enchanted by his beauty. No wonder she was glued to the ground wanting to meet him.
そのあとは、坂道を登って禅寺の前を通って帰りました。
After that, we went up the slope and passed by the front of the Zen temple, before heading home.
