午後散歩 Afternoon Walk

 午後の散歩にタイガは、環七交差点を渡って小竹向原駅に続く遊歩道を選びました。環七までの距離自体、城北公園へ行くより遠いですが、その先更に小竹向原駅までとなると結構な運動になります。有楽町線上、うちの近くの氷川台駅の隣が小竹向原駅です。

For the afternoon walk, Taiga chose the route to Kotake Mukaihara Station, which is beyond the Ring Road No. 7 crossing.  The distance from home to the Ring Road itself is already farther than the road to the Johoku Park and, to continue walk to Kotake Mukaihara Station is quite an exercise.  On the underground Yurakucho Line, Kotake Mukaihara Station is nex to our Hikawadai Station.

つい最近までは寒さに震えながらこの道を歩いていましたが、今は新緑の季節の始まりです。

Only until recently, we walked this pavement shivering from cold.  Now, spring buds are coming out on trees.

折り返し地点の小竹向原駅に着きました。

We have arrived at the Kotake Mukaihara Station.

道を渡って向こう側の歩道脇には、いつもこの2匹の猫たちがうずくまっています。

We crossed the road to the other side, where these two cats are always waiting.

猫のファンの方たちがいて、毎日ご飯をもらえるので丸々と太っています。耳には手術済みの印があるので、餌やりで個体数が増える心配がありません。２匹は模様は違うけど、目つきは全く同じなので兄弟かも。

They have steady fans who come to feed them every day - they do look well nourished.  They both have the sign of neutering/spaying, so feeding them will not result in an increase of numbers.  On a closer look, they have identical eyes - they may be siblings, although the colouring is different.

こちらの歩道には地下鉄駅からの出口付近にコンビニが１件あります。

On this side of the road, there is a convenient store near the exit of the underground station.

ソフトクリームをゲットしました。

Got an ice cream for a break.

待ちきれない様子のタイガ。

Taiga cannot wait.

’マイスプーン’で、いただきます。

I brought 'my spoon' from home.

休憩のあとは環七に向けてまた歩きます。天気が良いのに思ったほど人出が無い。

After the break, we started walking again towards the Ring Road.  For such a nice day and Saturday, we did not see many people taking a walk.

環七交差点に到達して今来た道を振り返ると、こう。

We reached the Ring Road and looked back the pavement behind us.

朝散歩 Morning Walk

 今日も朝から快晴。城北公園手前の元野菜畑の草地へ行きました。中に入る前にタイガを左の通路に係留して、隣の自転車置き場に立ち寄り。

Another fine day today.  Before going to the Johoku Park, we dropped by the field that used to be a vegetable farm, now open to the public.  Before going in, I left Taiga in the narrow path between the field and a bicycle park.

この桜が気になって近づいてみました。この駐輪場は写真右にある幼児専用の公園の一部です。元はキウイ畑だったので、今でもキウイ棚を残して、「食育」をテーマに同時に他の食べられる植物も育てているようです。

I wanted to take a close look at this cherry tree.  This bicycle plot is a part of the park on the right, which is dedicated to infants.  It used to be a kiwi farm.  When Nerima-ku converted the farm into a park, they retained the kiwi plants and started to grow other edible plants too, as a way of educating children on the importance of natural foods.

葉っぱは山桜のように赤いけど、花柄はソメイヨシノの大きさです。

The leaves are as red as those of wild cherry trees, but the flowers are too large - as large as those of Somei Yoshino, the variety most widely loved in Japan.

花は山桜のようにピンクが強いけど、山桜の花びらはもっと華奢だったような記憶。

The flowers are as pink as those of wild cherry trees, but the petals are too large.

草地に入るとハナダイコンが咲き進んでいて花畑状態。

We went into the field, where flowers of the dame's violet were in full bloom.

写真右側の花桃も満開。

The flowering peach tree on the right was also in full bloom.

こういうハデハデな花、好きだわあ。

This variety is for ornamental use only, but these flowers are so pretty.

この草地は練馬区の管理。練馬区の公園はワンコ禁止だそうですが、この草地は色んな面でゆる～い管理で、ワンコ禁止の看板も無いので助かっています。

This field is managed by Nerima-ku which does not allow dogs to enter its parks.  However, this field is not treated as a full park and there is no sign banning dogs.  Moreover, not many people seem to know about this place, and it is almost always deserted.

その後は都立城北公園へ向かいました。

We then went to the Johoku Park, managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which allows dogs to come in.

桜は昨日よりは少し咲き進んでいますが、まだまだ長持ちしそう。

More flowers have opened since yesterday, but the trees have some way to go before a 'full bloom' stage.

花見客がちらほら場所取りを始めていました。

People were starting to spread their tarps for picnic lunches.

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帰宅して、我が家の「旭山」はほぼ満開状態。

Back home, my cherry tree, a dwarf variety called 'Asahiyama', is almost in full bloom.

タイガは玄関前の座布団よりも日陰の地面で満足そう。

Taiga looking comfortable lying on the cool ground and in the shade.

久しぶりの青空 First Blue Sky in Days

 昨日までの雨から一転、今朝は雲ひとつない青空でした。防寒具なしでも心地よい暖かさで、歩いているうちに眠くなるほど。城北中央公園手前の草地のソメイヨシノは川沿いのよりも若干遅れて咲くので、まだまだ6部咲き程度です。週末も今日のように最高気温が17-18℃の予報なので、ゆっくり開花が進みそう。

After the bitterly cold rain over the last several days, the sky was absolutely blue this morning.  With the warm sun and cool breeze, I got almost sleepy as we walked.  The cherry trees in this field, which is a part of the Johoku Central Park, always start blooming several days after those along the river.  As of this morning, the flowers seem to be open about 60% of the way.  The maximum temperature is expected to remain at 17-18℃, the same as today, so the flowers will open at a moderate pace.

週末にこの草地は花見客で地面が埋め尽くされるでしょう。

During the weekend, this ground will be filled with people enjoying long picnic lunches.

帰る前に一休みしてタイガのオヤツ（カワハギの皮？の細切り）。

Before heading home, we sat down for Taiga's treat (skin of dried filefish).

ナツメ苗 Jujubes

 今日、明日と冬の寒さが予想されているので、ナツメ苗は室内に戻しました。新芽が育つにつれて樹高が少しずつ伸びるので、見ていて楽しいです。

We are back to winter - the maximum temperature today was 9℃ in Tokyo, and it is forecast to be even colder tomorrow.  So, I am keeping the new jujube plants indoors again for the next few days.  As the shoots grow, the trees' heights have been getting taller gradually.

早脆王　Early Crisp King

成長エネルギーは先に発芽した２個の節からの枝に独占されていて、３番目に芽吹いた枝は成長ストップ状態です。でも、初夏までには新たに他の節も芽吹いてくるでしょう。

With this plant, the growth energy seems to be concentrated in the first two shoots, while the third shoot has come to a standstill.

蕾があちこちの枝に出ています。

Lots of flower buds can be seen.

蟠棗　Panzao

この苗は芽吹きにあまり偏りがないので安心して見ていられます。

Nutrition seems to be evenly distributed among the new shoots.

葉っぱの色がこの段階では浅緑色の印象。皇帝棗と似ています。

The colour of the leaves is light green at this stage, whereas the new shoots of the other two varieties are in dark green.

無核金絲棗　Seedless Gold Thread

この品種は生食と乾燥の両方に向いているそうです。無核の品種ではないけど種を取り除いた金絲棗の乾燥果は、知り合いからお土産で何度かいただいたことがあり、甘い砂糖菓子のように美味しかったです。

This variety is good for both fresh eating and for drying.  My friend has given me a dried version of this variety as a souvenir from China on several occasions, and the fruits tasted like sugar snack.

皇帝棗　Emperor

去年の夏に買った苗で、初年度ながら10個の実を生らせました。カリカリの実は甘くて美味しかった。

この品種名は日本の業者がつけた名前で、中国の棗栽培に関する研究機関などのサイトやショップを見ても全く出てきません。個人的には「梨棗」が正体ではないかとずっと思っています。蟠棗は梨棗の枝替わりを選抜して作出した品種ですが、うちの皇帝棗と類似点がいくつかあります。新芽がほぐれる直前の赤茶色の先端、新芽の浅緑色、幹が赤い木であることなどです。

I bought this plant in summer last year and harvested 10 fruits in autumn.  They were crisp and sweet.

The name 'Emperor' does not exist in China, and I suspect that the proper name for this variety is 'Li'.  Now, Panzao is a selection from the bud mutation of Li jujube, and I can see some similarities between this tree and my Panzao, such as the red tip on the new buds before they open up into separate leaves, the light green colour of new leaves, the red wood on both of them.

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去年の３月に買ったゴールドのクリスマスローズが咲き始めました。全部で７本の花茎が上がっていますが、花を見て「あれ？」。

The golden Christmas rose have started to bloom.  I bought this plant in March last year and it has grown by 3-4 times in the ground.  It now has 7 flower stems, but when I saw the open flowers, I was a little puzzled.

去年はシベの周りにアイ（赤い輪）が入っていたのが、今年はどの花も単色です。クリローって、こんなに不安定？　そういえば、以前育てていた赤花のクリローは、年によっては濃い赤色が出たり、他の年にはライラック色になったりしていました。来年はどうなるか楽しみにしています。

Last year, the flowers had a 'red eye' around the pistil and stamen, but none this year.  Are Christmas roses so unstable?  This reminded me of the red flower Christmas rose that I used to have.  The colour varied from year to year, between red and lilac.  I am looking forward to see how the flowers of this plant will turn out to be next year.