今日の最高気温は30℃だったそうですが、それよりも台風30号の影響で強風がものすごかったです。熱風＝ブロードライ効果、ということで、獣臭を放っていたタイガを午後に洗いました。タオルで拭いただけで出かけたので、毛はボソボソです。
Today's maximum temperature reached 30℃. Moreover, with typhoon No. 30 approaching Japan, we had strong winds all afternoon. However, hot gale could be used as a blow dry for a dog after shampoo. So, I washed Taiga in the afternoon, and we went out only after drying her with towels - she looked like a tramp.
道の脇、金網の向こうに赤い花が咲いています。場所は将来 幹線道路になるところで、土地を確保した今、一時的にアスファルトで覆われています。
As we went along, I noticed red flowers on the other side of the wire fence. Beyond the fence is a stretch of land covered with asphalt, which will be turned into a major road in the future.
センニチコウの「ストロベリーフィールズ」という品種のようです。種がなったら欲しいなぁと思いますが金網の向こうです。
I think it is a variety of globe amaranth called 'Strawberry Fields'. Although I have placed an order for seeds of another variety, I would love to get some of these when the flowers are all gone. Unfortunately, they are beyond the wire fence.強烈な熱風にあおられて不機嫌そうな顔のタイガ。
Taiga looking annoyed with the strong winds rubbing her coat in the wrong way.
城北中央公園の広場に着くと、強風のせいか人影が疎らでした。
When we arrived at the entrance of the Johoku Central Park, there were few people in sight due probably to the weather.
川沿いを歩いていると仲良しのキリュウ（輝龍）がやってきました。
As we were walking along the river, Kiryu, a male Shiba Inu came to greet us.
キリュウはタイガのことが大好きなのに、今日のタイガはそっけないです。
Kiryu is several years younger than Taiga but has always been fond of her. Yet, Taiga was not in the mood to play with him today.
無人の広場でぶらぶら歩きまわってタイガが乾くのを待ちました。突風は坐骨神経痛あがりの私の脚には酷で、何度も転倒しそうになりました。
We reached a deserted field where we ambled waiting for Taiga's coat to get dry. But for me just recovering from sciatica, it was quite a challenge not to fall down in the gale.
たいぶ乾いてきたので帰ることにします。
Taiga is now rather dry, so let us go home.
来るときに通った林、大木の枝が大揺れです。
We walked through the woods that we had passed earlier.
さっきの広場に到着。来た時よりもタイガのコートがましに見えます。
Now back to where we were when we came to the park. Taiga's coat looks much more decent.
帰りしなに通った草地には夏ミカンが生っていました。
On our way home, we walked through the field where a Japanese bitter orange tree stood.
大きな実が強風で大揺れの様はドラマチックです。夏ミカンの左後ろにあるのが
The Japanese bitter oranges are large fruits, and it was quite a sight to see the oranges and their branches swaying dramatically in the wind. Behind the orange tree is a Chinese quince tree.
カリンの木で、こちらも沢山生っています。
This tree is also prolific.
根元には1個の実が落ちていました。
A quince fruit on the ground.
ずしりと重い。私はあの臭いが苦手なのでカリン苗は育てたことありません。
It was quite large and heavy. However, I am not fond of that distinct smell, so I have never grown this tree.＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝
帰宅して、玄関前でタイガの乾燥の仕上げをヘアドライヤーでしていたら、突然頭上のバルコニーで大きな音がしました。後で２階へ見に行ったら、大雪ナツメの鉢植えがハデに倒れていました。何本もの枝が折れて、実と一緒に床に散らばっていました。
大雪棗の鉢植え苗は、つい最近までヒモでバルコニーのトレリスに括り付けてあったのを、実の陽当たりが良くなるよう鉢の向きを変えたときにヒモをほどいたのでした。「ドライヤーが終わったら、苗をまたヒモで固定しよう」と思っていたやさきでした。薄暗いなかで見たところ、苗の半分以上の実が落ちていました。こんな青い状態の実をかき集めてきても無意味に見えますが、一応自分への教訓を記録しておくためです。
At home, as I was applying a hair dryer trying to finish off Taiga's coat outside the porch door, I heard a thump above my head - it came from the balcony above. After I finished drying Taiga, I went upstairs to see what had happened. The Big Snow Jujube plant had been knocked down by a gust of wind. A lot of branches had been broken in the fall together with young fruits, scattered on the floor. The pot of plant had been tied to the balcony trellis until a few days ago, but I untied the rope so as to turn the plant around for better exposure of the young fruits to the sun. This evening, after coming back from the park, I was going to tie the plant again after I finished drying Taiga with a hair dryer, when I heard the thump. The upshot of it was that the tree lost more than half of the young fruits in the fall. Now, what is the point of gathering the fallen fruits when they are nowhere near ripe yet, you might think. I took this photo so as to remind myself of the mistake in the future.
そのなかの最大果を計ると、31g。将来、苗が成熟したらもっと大きな実がなるはず、と思って頑張ろう。
I weighed the largest fruit which turned out to be 31g - it was disappointing. When the tree becomes mature in a few years, I am hoping that the fruits will be larger and uniform in size. For that, I must take better care of the tree.
念のため最大果と赤く色づいた小さい実の糖度を計ることにしました。
For the record, I checked the sugar content of the largest fruit and the one that was already red.
最大果のほうは41.1%。甘いけれど未だ水分なし。
The green fruit's sugar content was 41.1%. When I tasted it, it was sweet but not juicy yet.
赤い実のほうは47.1%と
The red fruit showed sugar content of 47.3% and
46.0%。こちらは熟していたので、甘くてジューシーでした。
46.0%. Since this fruit was ripe, it was sweet and juicy.
