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?

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.

Has spring come? 春は来たか?

2016.2.5

我が家の近所の梅の木が咲き始めた。そこで、自転車で名古屋農業センターに行って何か春の花が咲いていないか確かめに行った。残念ながらというか予想通りというか満開の花に出会うには早すぎた。

Plum trees near my house has started to bloom. So, I biked to the Nagoya Agricultural Center to check any spring flowers were blooming. Unfortunately or as expected, it was still a little too early to see any full blooming flowers.

でも、少しは春の兆しがあったよ。

However, there are some signs of spring. 

枝垂れ紅梅に幾つかの花。

Some flowers on one red weeping plum tree. 

枝垂れ白梅にも。
Flowers also on a white weeping plum tree.

温室の中はいつも春だね。予算削減で珍しい種類は無くなってしまったけど。
It is always spring in a greenhouse although rare species have gone owing to the budget cut.

キリギリスでさえ生き残れる。
Even a katydid survives.