Swans Enjoy Sunshine

 

I went to a swamp to take a walk around. Some kinds of ducks are in water under the warm sunshine.

To my surprise, about 20 swans have spent days here. Two years ago, I just watched 3 swans. I don't know why so many have decided to stay here. 

I thought about their way of life when I was a child. As you know, they fly to warmer areas from north in the early winter and fly back in the beginning of spring. I have no idea why  they chose this habit. Have they never felt difficulty of moving 5,000 kms without any insurance? Are not migratory birds in envy of convenience which resident birds are blessed with?

I watched some young ones that were born probably one or two years ago. How was your trip to here? I hope you can enjoy warmer days in safety.

White swans look beautiful, anyway.

They do not exaggerate their brave behavior. They love their children everytime and everywhere.

Handmade Soba (Buckwheat) Noodles 手工蕎麥麵

I got 1kg buckwheat flour at Motegi, which was harvested this autumn.

I usually mix 80% buckwheat and 20% wheat flour to make noodles smooth and long. Wheat flour would be mixed to connect buckwheat smoothly. This time I made the noodles with 100% buckwheat and water alone. 

During mixing buckwheat with water, I was fascinated with its fresh nutty flavour. The dough is green. The wonderful color reminded me of soba fields in summer under the sunshine.

I extended the dough with a long rolling pin to 1.5mm thick. When you bite pure buckwheat noodles, you will feel they are not smooth and stiff in case noodles are thick. I tried to cut the flattened dough into 1.3mm wide each while buckwheat is mixed with 20% wheat I cut it into 1.5mm. The taste was good!

This buckwheat is one of the best gifts this year.

A Small Town In Mountains

I went to Motegi to buy new buckwheat flour.

 There still remain two old style warehouses. 

The hill behind them is ruins of a castle.

Earthworks have been well preserved. These tall trees are cherry.

Many maple leaves changed to bright red.

I enjoyed the high blue sky and red leaves.

I found three cherry trees are in full bloom.

There are two kinds of cherry: one opens blossoms in spring, the other in autumn.  It's rare to have a chance to see cherry blossoms and red maple leaves at the same time.

Momiji Maples Turn Red

 

I visited a Japanese garden located in the northern part of my city.

Momiji is a kind of the most beautiful red maples. There are many Momiji trees here but  the time of color change is not same.

Inside the thick growth of trees, some lower Momiji stand like a lady in vermilion clothes.

林間煖酒燒紅葉

Bai Juyu, Chinese poet in 9th century wrote a poem: I warm wine by burning red leaves in the forest. 

This is the shape of Momiji leaf, a little bit different from popular maples. In China, Momiji is called "chicken claw maple".

Sharp temperature dropping makes the leaves more beautiful. It is said Momiji leaves near water are better than those inside of the forest as the water side can easily get this natural artistic effect.

I love to look up the red leaves.

This small bridge follows an historical design.

This Momiji still keeps yellow.

Lots of ancient poets in this country made poems using water and red Momiji as poetic subjects. Red leaves floating down on the stream were described as a gorgeous brocade.

Golden Snow Covering A Road

 

Today I went to a library to read some phrases of novels by Mishima. The road to the library are covered with ginkgo leaves.

I like to touch them. Newly fallen leaves are cold and wettish. This has been one of the best autumn memories for me.  

Climbing The Mountain Again

I went up long stone steps and walked a path under big trees. It had been a year since I climbed last autumn.

This is the first stage of long steps. Big cedars cover them. The air is cool.

After finishing the first stage, a red building welcomes visitors.

Then the second tough stage. I enjoyed the blue sky and the warm sunshine. It took 20 minutes for me to finish the both stages.

This is the main building of Ohirasan Jinja shrine. I think the stone steps were set up about 100 years ago. Before that, it must have been terribly hard to climb long and steep slopes waring straw sandals.

A mountain ridge path connects the mountain of this shrine and the next mountain.

This is the view from the next mountain called the Shining Stone Mt.. The white U shape in the lower part is a paraglider took off from the site near the path. Its flying altitude is around 1200 feet. It takes one hour from the shrine.

 

Autumn Pages

I would like to share some autumn pages in my city with you.

Ears of rice are mature. It takes five months from rice planting to reaping.

This is a rice combine having two functions of reaping and threshing. In old days, of course, farmers cut stems with a toothed sickle. They had to stoop for a whole day during the reaping.

In this field, straws are bound and put on the ground for drying. Farmers would cover a pumpkin field with them in summer. 

A silvergrass head is a symbol of autumn. We used to offer this plant to the full moon with steamed rice flour dumplings at the autumn moon festival held on 15th August in the lunar calendar.

Flagrant orange-colored olives （Osmanthus fragrans）are in full bloom. The season is from end September to early October. They are planted in house gardens and parks. 

I like to ride a bicycle and catch the autumn fragrance in my city. Chinese people in some areas put these flowers in green tea.

The flower is small and looks like sleeping with a smile.

This tree is silver-colored one. It's rare to see this kind now.

Silver kinds open their flowers earlier than golden.

The full opening shape of Osmanthus fragrans is a small cross.

Old Flood Control Works and Spring Water

 

I visited this place last Tuesday for the first time. In the deep place of this mountain, there are lots of spring water. Many people come to take fresh water which they use for drinking and cooking.  

These artificial falls look harmonic with the environment here. The sound and breeze coming from them are comfortable.

Some people think natural water is healthier than tap water. Although we can easily get natural one in a bottle at super markets everywhere, fresh water in nature would be better than bottled ones.

I made coffee with spring water on the next day morning. The taste was certainly better than that of using bottled water. The water pulls out characters of coffee, I enjoy its body, acidity and aftertaste. The best gift for me is its healthy cleanness.  

The Sea In September

 

I was born and  grew up far away from the sea, its view even now brings me feelings something special.

   

Last week I went to the sea and walked slowly on the beach. The waves came up to the beach in many different shapes with white bubbles.

The sound of the waves is repeated, repeated: a big sound suddenly go away and the silence is left for a while.

I found the sand underfoot had a lot of small holes. Small unknown lives are inside. I heard the ancient Buddhists did not go out for training and stayed in their temples within a certain period in the rainy season so as not to trample down small insects and young plants under growing. The lives in these holes know when dangers comes.  

"All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full. " This is an impressive epigraph of a long novel.

In September, waves become higher than in summer. Views, sounds and lights of the beach seems to have a power to make people vigorous.

I remember the last of "Tender is the night".  "He raised his hand and with a papal cross he blessed the beach from the high terrace. Faces turned upward from several umbrellas."

I found a piece of seaweed. Crows can eat it?

An expanse of the wave came close to me. I had got my shoes wet in the previous wave.

Thanks for your vast and boundless, the sea. 海闊天空