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Monday, July 13, 2020

Raindrops


Wide range of Western and Central Japan has been hit by the record torrential rains

since the 4th of July.

Especially in Kyushu, torrential rainfall during July 4-8 ruthlessly caused havoc

on linear precipitation zone, and later Gifu and Nagano prefectures of Central Japan as well.

Green fields, city streets, houses, cars .... all were submerged in muddy water,

which are old distressful familiar scenes during the rainy season but in extreme level.

The victims and the affected are in my prayers and thoughts.

It is forecast that deluge will last till tomorrow.





One morning, it was raining softly after down-pouring of the night.

Standing in my garden, I couldn't help feeling humbled and thankful.

Right after the rain before the sun appears, colors were muted but still vibrant.

Wet leaves were fragrant.

Tiny raindrops were gleaming on the fresh green maple leaves,

 some of which still retain red tints when they were babies. 




The colors within the raindrops shone with clarity.




Peeping into the tree, a couple of red leaves still remained.




 Dripping arch.




Soaking wet hydrangea.




Earthquakes, floods and landslides, typhoons ... and COVID-19

reminded me of the words of Buddha;

"Life is no more than a dewdrop balancing on the edge of a blade of grass." 


Raindrops as substitute for dewdrops



By association, however, I prefer this;

"Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf." 
(Butterfly by Rabindranath Tagore)


Prior to the disaster, all my grandchildren got together at my home after a long interval.

We lightly danced on the edges of time to enjoy each moment,

for we were not sure when would be the next gathering.

Despite the resurgence of confirmed COVID-19 cases with higher positive rate,

political decision is to continue to ease restrictions on business including large events and gatherings.

Domestic travel is promoted; "Go to Travel Campaign",  which will subsidize 

up to half of travel expenses, is going to be started next week.

Business as well as individual responsible attitude with necessary preventive measures 

is the most basic of basics, I think, but isn't it irresponsible for the government 

to leave almost all to businesses and individuals by only showing guidelines made by experts, 

though steering would be difficult.

Playing with water balloons, soap bubbles, cards, painting and crafting, and so on.








Linked to Mosaic Monday


36 comments:

  1. You have found great beauty, even in the disaster of the floods. Stay safe.

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  2. Dear Yoko - I did not realise that Japan had suffered so much torrential rain, and do hope that everywhere is now beginning to recover.
    Your raindrops are beautiful, small beads of perfection.
    I am pleased that you have had an opportunity to enjoy being with your lovely grandchildren.
    We are all experiencing a very difficult worldwide situation currently, but just how long will it last!!!

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  3. Hello,

    Lovely captures of the droplets. We could use some of the rain here, it has been dry. Your grandchildren are cute, love the mosaic! Take care! Enjoy your day, have a great new week!

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  4. Dear Yoko, I'm so sorry to hear of the devastation caused by heavy rains in many parts of Japan. I haven't been watching the news much in this month of July so I didn't hear about the sad news. I will remember the people in my prayers. You have captured much beauty in the macro photos of raindrops. Macro photos of rain and dew are my favourite photos. I'm glad you had some visiting time with your grandchildren. I for one have only seen one family members and zero friends for many months. I am only going out to shop for food or pick up medicine. I am taking great care. In USA and in many other places, including here in Canada, the Covid 19 numbers rise once more. We knew it was coming. I pray it won't be as bad as they say and that people will take care. Once restrictions began to be lifted some people threw all caution to the wind. Stay safe Yoko. Blessings to you. All this too shall pass.

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  5. I've seen the news here about the deadly rain in Japan. To much rain in one place when others needs desperately rain for agriculture and to survive....
    Your pictures are gorgeous, bright with details that show us that little thing can be beautiful.
    Like your grandkids ;) Your mosaic is lovely !
    Have a nice week !
    Anna

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  6. Raindrops are difficult to photograph but you did a beautiful job showing the magic of a single drop. I am sorry so much rain is causing serious problems … even good things are better in moderation. We are opening up a bit more here, too, in B.C. The government is encouraging domestic travel. A healthy economy and individual health should not be an either/or proposition but it is a delicate balance governments must make it seems. The words of the Buddha seem truer than ever: "Life is no more than a dewdrop balancing on the edge of a blade of grass." In view of that, it IS better to “dance lightly”.

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  7. I like both the Buddha's and Tagore's quotes. They both speak to the fragility of life. Seeing your grandchildren must have been a great joy for you and your husband. They are all growing so fast! I'm drawn to water, but too much at one time can cause havoc. What a muddy mess those people have in the wake of the downpours. Your own garden is so lovely with the water droplets on leaves and flowers. Your photos are wonderful. I love seeing the suspended droplets. Did you use your zoom for these raindrop photos?

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    Replies
    1. Hello, Barb! Most of the photos in this post were taken with a fast pancake lens. I used one of the functions of my mirror-less camera, “EX Teleconverter”, not digital zoom. With any lens, you can increase the zoom ratio while maintaining the image quality. When reducing the photo pixels to S size, the maximum telephoto size is about 2 times.

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  8. Prayets and goid wishes ti those affected by the heavy rains. Thanks fir sharing those magnificent phitis and mosaics
    I am #18 on the linky
    Have a safe week

    Much🌻love

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  9. Your photographs of the raindrops are wonderful, as are your thought provoking comments on the transience and unimportance of our lives. This is very true but isn't it good that we can still enjoy it?

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    Replies
    1. Hello, Jenny, thanks for the comment. So happy to hear from you.

      I was caught with this; “thought provoking comments on the transience and unimportance of our lives.” Probably my immature English writing could have been misleading. What I meant is “uncertainty"“fragility”and "transience", NOT “unimportance” of our lives. On the contrary, each and every one’s life is precious and important. Transience and uncertainty make us appreciate the present more, and due to pains, we can enjoy our happy moments much better. I’ll visit you later.

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    2. Thanks for your further comment, Yoko.  I used the word "unimportance" carelessly - I am sorry. I was thinking about the matter on a universal scale. And, although I do not know how to think about our universe, I believe it is on a scale which is far, far larger than I can ever imagine. Since I can't imagine it, I do not feel I can affirm that our individual lives are important in a universal context, (even though we are certainly transient). However, human beings understand the idea of things being important *relative to each other*. (Actually, that is the only way in which I can think about the world I see around me.) In that context, I, like you, believe that every individual matters and has a part to play in our world. And not just every individual, but every leaf and every creature.

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    3. Dear Jenny, I really appreciate your return to tell this. I had thought you had something in mind but couldn’t guess it. Now I understand we have the same idea in a nutshell. Every life matters including a leaf as you wrote, and each living thing is connected with consideration for one another, I think.

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    4. Oh, yes, I do believe that "connection" is the basis of life and the whole world.

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  10. Love the rain drop photos.
    Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade

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  11. Your collage of the children is beautiful. It has me smiling and feeling warmhearted. :-)
    I agree. It's not enough for a government to come up with guidelines and leave it up to people and businesses to do what's right. I think we, in the United States, would have managed the coronavirus spread if we had a leader who cared about us.

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  12. The photos of the little ones playing are very sweet. Kids always know how to have fun so easily. I love the quote Butterfly and I'll write it in my journal tonight! Thanks! Take care and be safe. Love the water droplets on the photos too...so beautiful.

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  13. Beautiful photos! We are having problems in USA with health considerations versus economic desires. There are people who would gladly sacrifice children if it meant money to them.

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  14. Wonderful post, Yoko! Poetic, thoughtful and incredibly close. Beautiful pictures too. You must have enjoyed reunion with little ones, they grow so quickly. All of them have changed, the youngest probably, most of all))
    The situation with COVID-19 is totally the same in our country; easing restrictions, promoting domestic travel, lightminded, in my opinion, action of the government. And half summer is over at that! Looks like dead end.
    Well, I would willingly exchange our heat of 36-38◦ to your rain.
    PS. Separate thanks for Tagor’s quote.
    Keep safe, dear Yoko.
    Irina

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  15. Yoko - it is almost inconceivable that something as beautiful as the rain you show in your photos could also be so destructive. I am happy for you that you were able to have a gathering with your grandchildren - I can see in the joy in your "watercolor" mosaic of the children. I keep reminding myself not to take our new freedom for granted - it can go away again if things get too severe. I agree with you that I think we need a little more guidance and requirements from the government - time will tell if the strategies we are using now are the right ones. Thanks again for bringing this AMAZING photos to everyone at Mosaic Monday - so refreshing and inspiring!

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  16. Hello, greetings from Indonesia.

    Your work of drawing water droplets is very beautiful.
    I also like seeing water drops on leaves when traveling to an open environment.

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  17. Holy Smokes - What A Fantastic Post - Amazing Photos - Saw Some Wicked Videos On YouTube Regarding All The Flooding Rains - Spoke With A Friend And They Were Clueless About It - As Most Entitled Americans Are - But Your Photos Are Worth A Thousand Words And Takes The Mind Off The Destruction Of It All - Thanx So Much For Sharing - Be Safe And Stay Strong

    Cheers

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  18. Glad to see you are still sharing beauty and joy with the world.

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  19. Uuuuu, look at those photossss very sharp! Very good quality. I like that purple flower, reminds me of smurf somehow.... haha, I don't know why but it really does remind me of little smurfs. Oh my God, I'm so weird...

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  20. Cuanta belleza a perar del desastre Yoko. Las fotos son una maravilla que el agua en forma de esas gotas ha creado.
    Me alegra la reunión con los tuyos amiga, son tiempos duros que esperemos poder superar.
    Te deseo un buen domingo. Cuídate.
    Un abrazo.

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  21. Nature is incredible but it can also be very destructive. She shows us from time to time all her strength and power.
    Wonderful photos with rain drops. All the photos are beautiful, I especially loved the first one is fantastic.
    The mosaic with the photos of the children is so lovely.
    Take care amd a big hug.

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  22. The water drops are truly magical. They look like jewels. I love the photos of your family. Did you use the Waterlogue app?

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  23. Your raindrop shots are pure magic. But so sorry to hear about the disastrous flooding.

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  24. 日本の梅雨の時期ならではのポスト。透明な水滴がきれいです。
    しっかりとレンズを構えて撮影されたのですね。お孫さん達も日ごとに成長されて元気そうですね。
    コロナの自粛生活でのんびりしてるような、忙しいような日々が毎日飛んでいくようです。


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  25. Love to look at them! They seem so magical! Love them especially on the colourful hydrangea ❤

    Blog de la Licorne * Instagram * We♥It

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  26. こんにちわ 水滴の中にまでぴったり焦点が合って透明感がとても清清しいです。

    最近は、近くのエリアから外に出るのも躊躇われるような感じです。


    撮影も殆ど出来ませんが、身近なアイディアは素敵ですね。

    お元気で!

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  27. Good night, how are you? I am Brazilian, from Rio de Janeiro and looking for new followers for my blog. And I will follow yours with pleasure. New friends are also welcome, no matter the distance.

    https://viagenspelobrasilerio.blogspot.com/?m=1

    ReplyDelete
  28. Lovely photographs of the droplets.
    Your grandchildren look so cute, I do like the mosaic.

    My good wishes.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete

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