At the pond surrounded by Ume Blossoms

A pond surrounded by 梅 Ume trees in the garden of Iraka is one of my favorite places 

at this time of year.

Shooting into the sun is good for a monochrome photo.

The pond is a flowered mirror in the sunlight.

In the breeze, reflected blossoms shift and change patterns like an ever-moving Kaleidoscope.

梅 Ume, or Japanese Apricot, is harbinger of spring in Japan,

a symbol of hope and renewal.

They are also associated with resilience and perseverance as they keep blooming

through the cold of winter to brighten up the wintry landscape little by little.

Winter Camellias are shining on the water surface with the sparkling light.

There is a sense of tranquility emanating from the place.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

In the frigid cold

“Snowdrops: There is a fragile but hardy celebration... in the very teeth of winter.”

- Louise Wilder -

Though I've been inactive in blogging, I've kept walking in the bracing cold air.
I found a swarm of snowdrops, bundled in the coat in “the strongest cold air front in several years.” 

Winter is a good time to take a good look at trees in their bone structure with subdued colors.

Beautifully flowing branches without leaves display abundant seedpods, 

which look like gold flowers from a distance.

Urchin-like fruits of Sweetgum, or Linquidambar styraciflua.

Fantastic shades of Silver or Sepia.

Caramel-colored Heuchera on the ground.

One morning in my garden in the frosty air.

The young ones challenged to break their record in the big rope jump.

"When winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

Better times surely come after difficult times.

More about the charm of winter; The quiet beauty of January.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

To keep the memory alive, to pass on lessons

Today is the 30th anniversary of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. 

Where were you at 5:46 a.m. on January 17th, 1995?  I was suddenly woken up by long, violent tremors, the biggest one I had experienced in my life, at my home  in Nara City about 80km from my home town Kobe City. Until then, I had never imagined such a catastrophic earthquake would strike Kobe and Hanshin area and how devastating the result was. Kobe people were totally unprepared. Little by little the horrible, shocking scenes appeared on TV screen – collapsed buildings and highways, derailed trains, and fires. Fires were like inferno uncontrolled due to the broken water pipes. I was watching  at the burning Kobe under the hazy shade of winter on the TV screen with the feeling of helplessness.

One of the heart-warming things was people's attitude to help one another, to try their best to move forward, and to stand together to restore the shattered community while tolerating inconveniences.  The destroyed Meriken wharf was restored in less than 2 years. In nearly 10 years, Kobe revitalized like a phoenix from the ashes.

One part of Meriken warf has been preserved as Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park.

With many lessons learned from all the past big earthquakes since 1995, we've been preparing for safety in a Nankai Megathrust Earthquake forecasted in about 30 years.

I ask myself if I'm not just letting the days go by. Our lives could change next day. Isn’t it a miracle when we can live rather in peace amid all the heart-breaking incidents all over this planet?  

Now I’m thinking of those who are affected by the LA fires, firefighters working hard frantically risking their lives, and many other people deeply committed to help.  

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