イチジク Gold Fig

 4月27日に買ったイチジクのゴールドフィグは、

I bought this gold fig on 27th April this year.

現在ここまで育っています。主幹に蕾/実が出たのに加え、２本の横枝にも最近小さな実がでました。

It has grown to this size now.  Initially, there were no flower buds (fruits).  Now I see fruits on the trunk itself, as well as on the two side branches.

これは主幹の実。少し色づいてきましたが、黄実品種なので、完熟が見分けにくいです。

These fruits are on the trunk itself.  A few of them are turning yellow, but it is not easy to know when the fruit is mature.

これは下のほうの横枝。

This branch is on the lower part of the tree.

これは主幹の頂上近くの横枝。

This branch is near the top of the tree.

豊産性のようですが、初年度の実のサイズはちっこい。口を開かずに完熟する品種なのか分からないので、１個試し採りすることにしました。

This variety seems to be prolific, but the fruits are tiny - they may be larger from next year onwards.  Not knowing whether the top of the fruit should open when it is ripe, I decided to try one.

ちょっと早すぎたようです。でも甘くて美味しい。左側の半身は白い部分もクリーミーで食感が良いです。これくらい小さい実なら、スイーツに使うと見栄えします。

It was a little premature.  However, the fruit was sweet and pleasant.  The half piece on the left was more ripe than the one on the right, and the white surrounding was creamy and delicious.  The fruits may be small, but this is the right size to use in sweets (large fruits spoil the sweet's overall appearance).

台風13号の影響でここ数日涼しいので、パン作りに最適です。タンパク質13%の強力粉で、卵無しの素朴な丸パンです。

Due to the effect of typhoon No. 13, which is still lingering somewhere far south of Japan, we have had cool weather for the last several days.  It has been a perfect combination of temperature and humidity, so I made plain buns.

久しぶりの青空 Blue sky in weeks

 うちから坂を下りて行ったところの草地の景色です。こんなに綺麗な青空は本当に久しぶりです。気温が高いのと以前よりは湿気が少ないせいか、坐骨神経痛があまり気にならずに早朝散歩に出かけました。

This is the open space which lies at the bottom of the slope when we come down the road from our house.  I have not seen such a blue sky for many weeks.  The warm weather and relatively dry air seemed to alleviate my sciatica, and I managed to enjoy this morning's walk.

公園につくと木々の葉っぱが朝日を浴びてキラキラしています。

When we arrived at the park, leaves on trees were sparkling in the morning light.

早朝の草地は冷たくて気持ち良いので、タイガも嬉しそう。

The grass was cool to the touch in the early morning, and Taiga seemed content.

さっそく草風呂です。

She started rolling on the grass.

すっきりした？

Feel refreshed after the 'grass bath'?

タイガは13歳。口の周りが白くなっています。

At 13 years old, around Taiga's mouth has become grey.

別の草地へ移動して、築山の上からあたりを見回しながら、しばらくくつろぎました。

We moved to another field.  We sat down on a mound from where we could look around us.

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午後にヨーグルトケーキを焼きました。手軽に作れるのに、とても美味しいケーキです。

Feeling happy due to the fine weather, I baked a yogurt cake in the afternoon.  It is an easy cake to make and yet it is delicious.

材料の微調整を重ねて、ケーキが冷めても内側へ縮まずに正方形を保つことができるようになりました。

By continuing to adjust ingredients, I have arrived at an optimum recipe.  With this final recipe, the cake does not shrink after cooling completely.  Instead, it retains the perfectly square shape.

高さも、焼き上がったときのまま。

Also, the height remains the same as when it came out of the oven.

最後のブルーベリーを収穫したので、無理やりトッピングに使いました。

I picked the last of my blueberries today and used them as topping, just for the sake of using them.

ヨーグルトと塩の存在で、チーズケーキっぽい風味です。

Thanks to the yogurt and salt, the cake tastes a little like a baked cheesecake.

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.

終わらない換毛 Endless moulting

 タイガの換毛期がまだ続いています。例年だと２月末頃に年最初の換毛があり、つづいて４月末にまたあって冬毛が抜けますが、今年は５月まで換毛が始まらなかったので、２回分を一気に処理している印象です。梅雨の頃にまたあるはすなので、もう「春と秋の換毛期」というのはタイガには当てはまりません。

Taiga is still moulting.  Normally, the first moult of the year starts around late February, followed by the second one in late April.  However, this year, she did not start moulting until May, and it seems that she is now getting rid of the winter coat in one go.  She also moults during the rainy season in June.  They say that double coated dogs moult twice a year, in spring and autumn.  It worked with Taiga until she was about 4 years old, but since then, she seems to shed almost through the year except during the peak of summer or winter.

散歩中に毛の塊が浮いて来ると引っ張りたくなりますが、それでは道路を汚してしまうので帰宅するまでガマンです。

Lumps of loose hair surface while we are out for a walk and the temptation is great to pull them out.  However, that would littler the pavement, so I wait until we get home.

今までいろんなブラシを試しましたが、「ファーミネーター」が万能。背中の蓑毛、脇腹や腿のアンダーコートだけでなく、足先の１センチもない短い毛まで、全てに対応できます。タイガが未だ生まれてもいないうちから、待ちきれずに買ったファーミネーターなので、初期モデルの黄色と黒のタイプ。タイガは今年の５月で13歳になったので、もうそんなに長く使っていることになります。

I have tried many kinds of brushes, but the best one is the Furminator.  It effectively gets rid of the straight outer hair on her back, the thick undercoat on her sides, and even the miniscule hair on her feet.  I bought it just after contacting the breeder and booking a puppy.  Taiga's mom had not even come into heat, but I was so excited that I started collecting doggy items including the Furminator.  Since Taiga has reached the age of 13 in May this year, I have been using it for so many years now.

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ここ２,３日 庭仕事を頑張ったので、夕方にケーキを焼きました。すっかり定番になってしまったヨーグルトケーキです。まるで軽いチーズケーキのような味です。

As I have done a lot of work in the garden for the last few days, I made myself a cake this evening.  It is my favourite recipe - yogurt cake.  It tastes like a cheesecake.

フワフワして、とても美味しいです。（手前味噌）

It is fluffy and delicious, even though I say it myself.