種無しスダチなど Seedless Sudachi etc

 もう９月下旬なので、スダチが利用可能な時期です。この苗を地植えにして以来、３年ぶりで実がつきました。３個だけですが。でも、10号鉢で鈴なりだった頃の実と比べると大きくて、お店で売られているのと変わりありません。

It is already the end of September and the Sudachi fruits should be ready for consumption.  Since planting this tree in the ground 3 years ago, it produced fruits for the first time this year, although only 3.  However, the fruits are much larger than they used to be when the tree was growing in a 30 cm pot.  Moreover, the fruits are no smaller than those of commercial growers.

枝ごと収穫。サンマを１尾買ってきました。私はお肉派なので、このサンマはスダチの味見にほんの一部だけ自分で消費して、あとは魚大好きワンコのタイガにあげます。

I picked the whole twig.  I got a Pacific saury which is considered to be a must-eat item in September in Japan.  With this fish, you need Sudachi to eat it properly.  

The only thing is, I am a meat eater and not keen on fish.  So, the purpose of getting this fish was to see the quality of this year's Sudachi, and most of the fish will go to Taiga who loves fish.  

半割りにしました。うちのは「種無しスダチ」で、種は１個入る程度です。実の大きさは普通のスダチと同じで、かつ種が無いのでその分果肉がぎっしり詰まっています。おまけに苗はトゲ無しで世話しやすい。採ったばかりの実には強烈な風味があり、魚の味が分からなくなるほどでした。

I cut the fruit in half.  My Sudachi is a 'seedless' cultivar and containing one pit is allowable.  With the size of the fruit as large as those of regular Sudachi, this variety gives you a lot more flesh for the absence of seeds.  Moreover, this cultivar is thornless, too.  

The freshly harvested Sudachi flavour was so strong that I could hardly taste the fish.

パンザオで失敗。最近実の色が薄くなり始めたので、完熟まであとどれくらい？と思いながら実をくるくる回して観察していたら、小枝が付け根からもげてしまいました。アーッ、と思ったときはもう遅い。来年に期待です。

I made a blunder with Panzao jujube today.  This is the only fruit it had on the tree.  Recently, its outer colour seemed to become paler and gave me hope that it might be ripening soon.  Due to the strange shape of the fruit, I was turning it around to have a better look, and then the limb came off from the branch!  When I realised what had happened, it was too late.

皇帝ナツメの実との比較。パンザオも熟すと皇帝ナツメ同様、果肉が白くなる品種なので外皮も同じよな色づき方です。あまりにも早く終わってしまいました。

Comparison with a mature Emperor jujube.  When ripe, Panzao's flesh also turns white, and the outer skin will have similar colouring to that of Emperor jujube.  Panzao's year ended too early.

供養のため糖度計を出して味見もしました。甘味は感じられるけど糖度計の数値ほどではなく、またジューシーさはなく青臭い風味でした。

Not to let it go to waste, I measured the sugar content which was extremely high according to the gadget.  In reality, it did not taste as sweet, and there was no juiciness.  The flavour was green like eating a vegetable.

門の横に植えてあるピンクのヒガンバナが２本上がってきました。スモモの木の陰に位置するので、庭の南側のよりも遅い開花です。

Two pink spider lily flowers have come out in the spot near the gate.  These are growing in the shade of a plum tree and took longer to come out than those on the south side.

南側のは咲き終わりの花も出てきました。秋のほんの一瞬の輝きです。

The ones on the south side seem to have passed its peak.  They are just a sparkle in autumn.

朝散歩など Morning Walk etc

 今朝も秋晴れ、清々しい散歩になりました。公園のアルプス乙女の状態を観察していたら、タイガはさっそく草風呂を始めました。最近シャンプーしたばかりなのに。。。

Another morning with beautiful autumn sky - it was so pleasant to have a walk.  As I was observing the state of crab apple trees in the park, Taiga started her usual 'grass bath'.  I only shampooed her recently.

ピンポン玉ほどの小さなリンゴが赤く色づいています。うちのリンゴ苗の銀色になった葉っぱを思いだすと、うちではリンゴ栽培はムリなのかなぁ、と弱気になってしまいます。でも、グラニースミスは諦めがつかないので、来年はもっと風通しの良い場所に移動させる予定です。

This is a popular Japanese crab apple called 'Alps Otome'.  It is disease resistant and requires little care to produce sweet fruits every year.  Watching these trees makes me wonder if I am growing wrong varieties, or simply that my garden is not suited for growing apples.

道を渡って、隣の草地の築山でオヤツタイム。

We crossed the road to go to another field, where we usually have a treat break for Taiga on top of the mound.

目ざといカラスが隣のベンチに舞い降りてきました。先日のカラスと同一なのか、今日はイヤに距離が縮まっています。

An all-seeing crow spotted us and flew down to the next bench.  Perhaps this is the same individual as the one we saw recently, and he has emboldened himself to get so close to us.

オヤツのあとは橋を渡って中央公園の林を散策。

After the break, we crossed the river and entered the woodland of the Johoku Central Park.

汗をかくことなく散歩ができるのは嬉しいです。

It was very nice to walk without sweating.

冷蔵庫の中身を補充するために私が買い物で出入りしている間、退屈したタイガ。帰宅した私が玄関ドアを開けると、このように背中を向けて通せんぼしています。

I had to replenish my fridge, so I made a few trips to the shops.  Every time I came home and opened the front door, I found Taiga blocking my entry as if to protest the boredom she had to endure.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

猛暑のあいだはパン生地が過発酵して、キメが荒くてイースト菌臭い生地のパンしか焼けませんでしたが、今はちょうど良い気候です。イースト菌は弱らないし、暖かいので直ぐに生地が発酵します。今日のパンはライ麦粉入りの素朴な風味にします。

During the heat wave months, I could not bake decent bread since the yeast suffered from the heat and the dough became over-proofed.  Now, the weather is perfect.  The yeast stays robust, and the warm weather helps the dough rise.  I decided to bake a loaf of rye bread.

最終発酵が完了。成形直後の倍以上に膨らんでいます。

The final proofing done, with the dough becoming more than double the original size.

180℃で30分焼きました。

Baked at 180℃ for 30 minutes.

焼きあがった生地は、ケーキのようにキメが整っています。

The crumb was uniform like that of a cake.

皇帝ナツメ収穫 Emperor jujube

 皇帝ナツメが先週から色づき始めました。去年は10個がほぼ同時に色づいたのに、今年は「順次」だったので、約20個残してあった実のうち４個を既に採ったあとです。

The emperor jujube started to ripen last week.  Last year, the 10 fruits matured almost simultaneously.  This year, the ripening is staggered.  Of the 20 fruits that I had left to ripen, I have already picked 4, and today I am picking most of the remainder.

「紅の夢」の終わり End of red-fleshed apples

 赤肉品種のリンゴ「紅の夢」は、9月に入って再度 袋外しをしたあと、またしても汚損が発生して止まるところ知らずの状態。もう、イイヤ、という心境です。

I bagged the apples for the second time in late August, then removed them in early September, so that the fruits would get maturing colours.  The red-fleshed cultivar called 'Kurenai-no-Yume' ended up getting spots after removing the bags for the second time.  I think I am throwing in the towel.

人間の皮膚でいえば、強烈な日差しを浴びて水疱ができたような外見です。

If this were human skin, it would be like getting red blisters from continued exposure to strong sun.

対して、グラニースミスは完全無傷。

In contrast, there is no damage to the Granny Smith fruits whatsoever.  

葉っぱはハダニで銀色になってしまったけど、実は本当に綺麗です。ただし、葉がこの状態だと光合成ができず、これ以上の実の肥大はもう期待できないかも。

Admittedly, the leaves have gone silver due to spider mites, but every single fruit on this tree is clean and beaming.  However, with these silver leaves, photosynthesis will be severely limited, and the young fruits may not grow any further.

紅の夢は残っていた実を全部撤収。

I picked all the remaining fruits of Kurenai-no-Yume.

水疱付きの実を切ってみます。

I am going to cut one of the fruits with blisters.

ナイフが赤い水疱の部分を通るように切りました。虫の侵入が原因でないことが確認できます。清潔な部分を齧ってみると、恐ろしく酸っぱい！苗を買った当時、「紅の夢」のセールコピーには「生食もできる料理用リンゴ」というのがあった記憶です。ちゃんと育てば、そうなのでしょう。

I cut the fruit so that the knife would pass through the blisters, in order to confirm that the blisters were not caused by bugs getting inside.  I also took a bite at the clean part.  It was soooo sour!  When this cultivar was released, one of the sales copies was 'a cooking apple that can also be eaten fresh'.  Perhaps, if they grow properly, they become edible.

傷のない部分だけを利用してジャムを作りました。煮沸消毒で保存。

Using what was salvageable, I made jam and sterilised the output.

だいぶ冷めた頃にフタが「ペコン」という音を立てて凹みました。

As the jam began to cool, the lid made a sound and became dented - a sign it was completed.

今日のピンクのヒガンバナ。繁殖力は普通の赤花と比べて低いですが、その分ありがた味を感じます。６年前に３個の球根から始めたものです。これらとは別に、門の階段の近くにも少し植えてありますが、果樹の日陰なのでやっと蕾が２本ほど上がってきたところです。

The pink spider lilies, with new flower buds coming out.  This cultivar does not multiply like the common red flower variety, which makes me appreciate it even more.  I obtained 3 bulbs from a person in Shikoku 6 years ago, and they have grown slowly.  Aside from this cluster, I have some more pink bulbs near the gate.  Two flower stems have just come out, as the spot is in the shade of trees.

赤花は強いです。しかも私の好きなハデハデ。元はご近所から数個の球根を分けていただいたのが、増えすぎて一部を斜め向かいの公園に植えたほどです。

The common red variety is robust, and the flowers are so brilliant, as it is called 'Lycoris radiata'.  My neighbour gave me bulbs some years ago and they have multiplied fast.  So much so that I have planted some of them in the park nearly opposite to my house.

午後散歩 Afternoon Walk

 前回タイガのシャンプーをしてからもう一月が経って、獣臭がきつくなっていました。そこで午後にシャンプーした後、自然乾燥の旅で公園へ向かいました。途中、トリミングサロンの横を通りがかったら車が止まって、中からシェルティーのジョン君の飼い主さんご夫婦が出て来ました。ジョン君のトリミングが終わった頃なので迎えに来たのだそうです。トリミング後のジョン君、以前よりもコートが短くなっています。

It has been a month since I last shampooed Taiga, and her 'animalistic' smell was getting rich.  So, I washed her in the afternoon.  After that, we went out for a walk so that her fur would dry out in the current low humidity weather.  In this way, the final drying task after coming home would be much easier.  On our way to the park, we passed by a trimming salon when a car stopped and the owners of a Shelty named John came out.  They came to collect John after his appointment.  John came out of the shop, and he looked really smart.

シャンプー後のトリートメントの良い匂いがするシェルティーのお坊ちゃま v.s. シャンプー後の洗いざらしで散歩する甲斐犬。

Such a stark contrast:  princely John after trimming, with a lovely scent from shampoo and treatment  v.s. Taiga, walking with her wet fur after shampoo at home.

大事に、大事にされているのが伺えます。

He really is treated like a little prince and a grandson of the owners.

城北中央公園に到着。洪水に備えて地下調整池を建設中の対岸を眺めながら、丘の上の広場を目指しました。

We arrived at the Johoku Central Park.  Looking at the other side of the Shakujii River, where they are constructing an underground adjustment reservoir for potential floods, we headed for the field at the top of the hill.

広場に到着したら、白柴のおもちちゃんが後ろからやって来ました。飼い主さんによると、おもちちゃんが遠くからタイガの姿を見つけて、急いで後を追って来たそうです。

When we arrived at the field, Omochi, a female White Shiba Inu also arrived.  According to her dad, Omochi spotted Taiga from a distance and rushed to catch up with us.

ワンコ同士の挨拶が終わると、おもちちゃんが草の上でリラックスし始めました。

When the greeting was done, Omochi started to relax on the grass.

段々、うとうとしてきたようです。

Omochi even nodded off.

本当に眠り始めたおもちちゃんを見て、あっけにとられるタイガ。

She seemed to have actually fallen asleep, and Taiga was taken aback.

これはタイガにとっては退屈な状況なので、

Since this was a boring situation for Taiga,

ちょっかいを出し始めました。

she started bothering Omochi.

とうとう、おもちちゃんを起こしてしまいました。

Omochi was forced to wake up.

広場には他に人影がなかったので、自由に遊ばせました。タイガはとても12歳とは思えないほどノリノリ。

Since there were no other people in the field, we allowed the pooches to play as they wished.  Taiga was really excited and did not look like 12 years old.

そこへ、散歩でよく見かける子がやってきました。元は保護団体から迎えられた子で、柴犬とチワワのミックスとみられているそうです。おもちちゃんのことが大好きらしいのですが、今日のおもちちゃんは相手をする気分ではないようです。

There came a familiar face we often see in this park.  He was adopted from a rescue organisation, and he is thought to be a Shiba Inu and Chihuahua cross.  He adores Omochi.  Unfortunately, Omochi is no mood to play with him today.

とうとう おもちちゃんに吠えられてシュン。

He ended up being growled at by Omochi and looked dejected.

そこで、タイガに方向転換。おもちちゃんは「やれやれ...」という顔です。

He then redirected his attention to Taiga.  Omochi walked away looking relieved.

タイガは先ほどのハッスルでエネルギーを使い果たしたようです。

Sadly, Taiga had exhausted her energy during the exertion with Omochi.

帰り道は久しぶりに、池袋方面が見える交差点を渡りました。これはズームで撮った写真なので、サンシャインビルが現実よりも近くに見えます。地下鉄の有楽町線でいえば、池袋は地元の氷川台駅から４つ目の駅です。

On our way home, we crossed a road from where we could see in the direction of Ikebukuro.  I took this photo with the zoom lens, so the Ikebukuro Sunshine Building looks a lot closer than real.  In terms of the underground line, Ikebukuro is the 4th stop from our Hikawadai Station on the Yuraku-cho Like.