Ephemeral iridescence of soap bubbles

Children sparkle with soap bubbling.

F and two Ys in 2017

Some bubbles last long flying as high as they can ....
 till suddenly popping out.

Some disappear too soon barely before they fly.

When there is hardly any breeze, bubbles hover around in the garden.
In the wind, bubbles are carried up away into the sky.

Merged bubbles

I feel like singing a song “Soap Bubbles" when I bubble soap.
 I have known the song since my childhood.

Soap Bubbles (1923)

Lyrics by Ujo Noguchi (1882-1945)

しゃぼん玉とんだ

屋根までとんだ

屋根までとんで

こわれて消えた

シャボン玉消えた

飛ばずに消えた

うまれてすぐに

こわれて消えた

風　風　吹くな

シャボン玉とばそ

(meaning)

Soap bubbles flew in the air

as high as the roof top

Around the roof top

they went pop and disappeared

Soap bubbles popped out 

without flying  

Just after it was born  

they broke and disappeared

Wind, wind, don't blow

Let's fly soap bubbles

F in 2015

There is a theory that Noguchi wrote the poem

in remembrance of his child who lived only eight days,
a baby who had almost no chance of life in this world like the second stanza of the lyrics.
Another theory is that the song was a requiem to all the children who passed away.
It was not rare for the children to die young those days.

There is no clear evidence, however, to back up these theories.

I had thought the song was simple joy and wonder of soap bubbling

but after having learned these ideas, I've come to see one view of life and death.

F, two Ys, and M in September, 2019

Most of the TV news coverage is about the super typhoon over the holiday weekend.
The record amounts of rainfall caused 37 rivers to overflow in the eastern Japan.
It is reported that up to 40 percent of the yearly rainfall was recorded
in only a day or two in many areas.
Thoughts and prayers to all the affected by the typhoon.

Bubbles in the little corner of a big city, Osaka.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Indigo dyeing and goldfish

Frames of goldfish scoops with indigo-dyed papers as ornaments

Yamato-koriyama City, several minutes train ride from the Nara Park area,

 is a small town with the Koriyama Castle as its center.

Two of the specialties of the town is indigo-dyeing and goldfish cultivation.

The area with a stream running down along the main street used to be 

full of dye houses.

You can try indigo-dyeing at the Konya, the indigo-dyeing studio 

which was renovated from the oldest house in the city.
How about dyeing handkerchief or stole with your own indigo blue?

Yamato-koriyama City is one of the top goldfish-producing cities of Japan.

Goldfish were mainly raised by almost jobless samurai warriors as their sideline business

during the mid-Edo period (18.19C).

The improved species were exhibited at a U.S. trade fair in the early 20th century 
to become a worldly-known industry of Yamato-koriyama.

Goldfish scooping, a popular feature at summer festivals, has become

"Goldfish Scooping World Championship" held every August.

Don't you feel bizarre to watch at the live goldfish dancing in an old TV set?
A public telephone booth is another unique goldfish tank in this town.

Goldfish motif is widely seen around the city.

 Summer heat is still lingering with autumn in the air.
It's great walking up a good sweat.
Perfectly lovely when I indulge myself with some refreshments after the walks.
Chestnut sweets are my favorites this season.

a cake, chestnuts and custard cream wrapped in the crepe
a "manjyu", chestnuts and smashed red beans wrapped in dough of grated yam and rice

Until next time!

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Images from the mid-summer, 2019

Japan’s summer is notoriously sultry.

 The weather of this summer went to extreme in a different way from the last year's 

long life-threatening heat wave.

This summer's specialty was humidity.

Even when it was "sunny", the humidity hovered around 65-70. 
I felt like that I was choked in the sauna.

Victoria Cruziana at the Kusatsu Aquatic Botanical Garden

A feel of coolness

Butterflies flit around the flowers which adorn the Stone Buddhist statues 

at the Gangoji Temple in the late July.

Mid-august is the time to appreciate peace and the sacrifice of the past people.

Also the time to welcome our ancestors back to this world for a couple of days.

Hope we are sowing the seeds of peace so that our future generation can harvest.

The bamboo lantern ornaments at the Tokae Candle Lighting Festival.

Sunflowers and blossoms of Crape Myrtle are two of my favorite summer flowers.

They were complementing each other at the Umami Hills Park

when my husband and I stopped by after paying a visit to our ancestors' grave.

Being sun-drenched is no sweats for them,

while as for myself I was gasping for fresh air perspiring.

Y's interests towards insects have deepened. 
He observed a larva of cicada climbing a tree in the early evening to shed its nymph exoskeleton at night.
He caught another cicada the next day.

Before flying away to freedom again, the cicada climbed up Y's leg.
He let it do as it likes.

I enjoyed being entertained by my grandchildren.
Summer ends soon enough, and childhood as well.
Wish them the best and exciting childhood as long as it lasts.

Evenings and mornings have gotten cooler,
while daytime temperatures were still high hovering around 35C the past week.
I hope cool, crisp air sooner.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Our world Tuesday

PS   
My washing machine stopped working suddenly this morning 
after 12 years' working.
Luckily I finished making this post last night.
I'm in the middle of something for a new machine.
Excuse me for not visiting your blog sooner.