うれしいこと: 2016/02

2016年2月27日土曜日

梅は咲いたよ　Plum trees in full bloom.

2016.2.27
満開にはまだ数週間かかると思っていた。しかし農業センターのtwitterには満開と出た。そこで、妻と私は混雑を避けるためにも今朝行こうと、昨晩急に決めた。
I thought it would take a few weeks to be in full bloom. However, twitter of Agriculture center stated they were in full bloom. So, last night my wife and I suddenly decided to visit today in the morning to avoid congestion.

天気は上々、空気は爽やかな香りに満ちていた。
Weather was fine. The air was full of refreshing aroma.

メジロが蜜をつつく。
White-eyes came to suck honey.

ロウバイも見頃。
Wintersweet is in full bloom, too.

いつものようにジャグラーが芸をしていた。これはダイススタッキング。私も一時チャレンジしていたが今は休戦中。
As always, a juggler was performing. This was dice stacking. I once challenged this without success.

そして、ここに寄らずにはいられなかい。
And, I cannot stop coming to here.

先日は売り切れだった安納芋にありつけた。
I was able to buy Anno-imo that was sold out the other day.

ツグミも見に来たか。
Thrush came to view plums.

空気は冷たいが陽の光は気持ちよく温かい。
The air was still chilly, but the sunshine is comfortably warm.

いつも近くの神社に寄るのが常だ。そこで大きな白いキノコが切り株に生えているのを見つけた。これも春の兆しかな?
It is our habit to drop in a shrine near the agricultural center. I found big white mushrooms growing from a tree trunk. Is this also a sign of coming spring?

2016年2月25日木曜日

アイス・チュッリップとは? What is ice tulips?

2016.2.25

昨日は同期の飲み会。「中トロを食す会」だった。仲間が住んでいる所に応じて美味しい食材や飲み物を持ち寄り、私のような何も持って行かない者は金を払うというしきたりだ。メインはもちろん築地から送られた中トロ。

Yesterday, we had a "Let's eat Chutoro" party. The rule is members bring in various gourmet food or drink depending on the living places. Members who do not bring any like me pay money. The main dish is of course Chutoro, fatty tuna meat sent from Tsukiji.

そのためだけに、田舎の我が家から出かけるのもと思い、ついでに行ける梅の綺麗なところでもないかと調べた。しかし、名古屋の梅の名所は皆会場からは少し遠かった。１番の名所は先日行った農業センターのようだ。

As I thought it was a shame to go a long way from my home in the suburb only for the party, I looked for somewhere I can watch plum flower or something like that. However, the famous places of Plum flower in Nagoya city are a little far from the location of the party. The best one looks like the Nagoya Agricultural Center that I visited a few years ago.

調べていたら、フラリエという名古屋市の施設で、石田流いけばな展「雛祭り」、アイス・チューリップ見頃というのが引っかかった。

I found out there was held an arrange flower exhibition of Ishida school names as "Hinamatsuri" at Flarie one of flower gardens of Nagoya. Also, it was stated that "Ice tulips" were at their best.

アイス・チューリップとは何かと調べてみたら、富山県花卉球根農業共同組合のサイトに説明があった。
植付けた後凍らせて生長をとめた状態で保管し、咲かせたい時期に冷凍庫から出して徐々に外気温にならせながら生長させたチューリップ。アイスチューリップの栽培には専用の施設や栽培費用がかかるため栽培できる施設は限られ、とても珍しく高価です。

About the "ice tulip", I found an explanation at the page of Toyama flower bulbs agricultural union.
Tulips that were grown at the desired season after they were planted and stored frozen to stop growing. As growing "ice tulips" needs special facilities, and the cost is big; the facilities that are able to grow are limited, and namely the "ice tulips" are rare and expensive.

宴会の前にそこに立ち寄ろうと決め、妻もそこだけ同行することになった。
I decided to stop there before the party, and my wife joined me only for Flarie.

Ishida arrange flower

本当にチューリップが咲いていた。霜が降りる夜はどうするのだろうと少し気になった。
There were tulips flowering really. I was concerned about what they would do at frosty nights.

Ice tulips

ああ、宴会の写真を出すのを忘れたいた。これです。
Oh, I forgot to show a picture of the party. Here it is.

2016年2月22日月曜日

梅は咲いたか? Has plum bloomed?

2016.2.22

天気は曇だったが、さほど寒くなかった。今日は運動のために自転車に乗る日だった。私は、また、名古屋農業センターに言ってみることにした。センターの呼び物のしだれ梅の様子を調べるためだ。
It was cloudy, but not so cold. Today was a day to bike for my exercising. I decided to visit Nagoya Agricultural Center, again. There was another reason to go there. It was to check weeping plum, the feature of the Center.

咲き具合は木ごとに違うようだった。平均だと半分、40%、70%??? 難しいね。大雑把に言えば満開ではないが、がっかりするほど悪くはない。
I found the level of blooming varied from a tree to tree. On average, half, 40%, 70%??? It is hard to say. Roughly speaking, it was not full bloom, but not so bad to be disappointed.

幾つか木はほぼ満開。
Some tree were almost in full bloom.

福寿草園も作られていた。私も数年前に一株植えた。去年までは咲いていたのだが、今年は兆しもない。
Also, there was a small area dedicated for Amur adonises. I planted one in my garden a few years ago. It bloomed until last year, but I have not seen any trace of it this year.

教育館では盆栽展が開かれていた。
In the educational hall, a Bonsai exhibition was held.

満開を楽しむために数週間後にまた来てみよう。
I would like to visit again after a few weeks to enjoy full bloom.

2016年2月19日金曜日

雛人形　Hinaningyo dolls

2016.2.19

この季節日本ではあちらこちらで雛人形が見られる。最近は家庭だけでなく博物館の企画展示や町内イベントとして飾られる物も多いようだ。

Around this season in Japan, Hinaningyo dolls can be seen here and there. They are special dolls for Hinamatsuri, also called as "Girls day". They are originally and still now displayed at many family houses that have a girl in their member. Since there are antique dolls preserved at old families or museums, in recent years there held Hinamatsuri events as a special exhibitions of many museums or as town festivals.
Detail description of Hinamaturi should be referred to Wikipedia.

先日妻と家の近くの展示を幾つか見て回った。
A few days ago, my wife and I drove around several exhibitions near our home.

最初に行ったのがみよし市立歴史民族資料館。
典型的なお雛様。立っているのは市松人形という名前らしい。
First place we went was Miyoshi City Museum of History & Folklore.
Typical Ohinasama display. The standing dolls are called Ichimatsu-ningyou.

桃の花もひな祭りのシンボルだね。
Peach flower is another symbol of Hinamatsuri.

御殿飾りの雛飾り。
Some Ohinasama has a palace and the emperor and the empress are sitting in the palace.

これは人形が階段を降りる所の形になっている。
This one has a doll about to walk down steps of the palace.

色々な時代の雛飾りが沢山飾られていた。
Varieties of Ohinasama made in various eras were exhibited.

次に行ったのは日進市旧市川家住宅。18世紀にこの辺りの庄屋だった人の母屋。
The next place was The formar Iwasaki Residence. The house was a residence of Ichikawa family who was a squire at the area in 18th century.

中はひな祭り用に各種お雛様が飾られていた。着物も飾られていた。また、つるし雛という糸に小さな雛人形がつるされた飾りも沢山。
Interior is decorated with various Ohinasama for the event. Kimonos were exhibited, too. Also, many "Tsurushibina" small dolls made of cloths are hung at strings.