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Monday, September 19, 2022

This and that during the summer

This summer was outrageously hot and humid.
Meteorogy Agencey added two new words to describe the weather,
 酷暑 (cruel heat wave) and 超熱帯夜 (super tropical night).
The foremer is for the heat surpassing 40 degrees C and 
the latter for the nights higher than 30 degrees C.

Disasters here were not only heat waves but also long lasting torrential rains
caused by the recent trend "linier rain bands", rain clouds passing through 
the same region one after another.
I wished I could have sent rains to the places suffering drought and wild fires.





Have you kept pet insects?  
Rhinoceros Beetles and Stag Beetles are popular as boys' friends.
Especially the former is so for their shiny solid dark appearance and mighty strength.

Stag Beetle

The nine-year-old boy Y has been keeping a Rhinoceros Beetle caught in the wild.
He calls it "Kabu-chan" affectionately from its Japanese name "Kabuto-mushi".
(Kabuto is "samurai warrior's helmet".)
Preparing materials to keep beetles is easy.
 Cases, beetle jellies as food, soil for bedding, branches to hide, and etc. 
are sold at home-and-garden stores.
Caring for beetles is not so easy as the case needs to be kept clean 
with the right level of humidity.

                                                                                  Rhinoceros Beetle

While cleaning the case, we let Kabu-chan crawl free on the garden tree
attentively so that he won't fly away.
Beetles' are often found at Sawtooth oak, Chesnut-leaved oak, and the likes.
We talked about which way Kabu-chan was happier, confined in a cage
safe and well cared lovingly, or totally free but having predetors in the wild.


Predators are in the human world, too.
The shocking shooting of the former PM Abe uncovered the long-standing 
cult-related problems and its tentacles spreading throughout the political world 
hiding its identity.
The assasination is inexcusable and indifensible while the stories of the perpetrator's 
desperate circumstances as well as the similar ones of the second-generation
 cult survivors is beyond imagination.

Collage of summer bugs by Y

As I often told, I like myself best when I'm with my grandchildren.
I appreciate their positivity, openness, playfulness and curiosity.
Though coronavirus continued to spread, people were free to act according to 
our common sense for prevention.
We enjoyed the third summer with corona.


A slow-moving super typhoon has been moving through Japanese archipelago.
My place is going to be affected soon.
When typhoon is passed, I wish I could feel the air of autumn.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

17 comments:

  1. Hello,
    The rhinoceros beetle is a strange looking insect, it's name fits perfectly. Great photos and I like the art Summer bugs by Y and it is nice seeing your grandchildren having fun. I hope you stay safe from the typhoon. Take care, have a great new week!

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  2. I've never considered an insect as a pet, although as a child we would capture bees and fireflies in jars and then let them go. A Rhinoceros Beetle does sound, and look, strong as far as bugs go. I love all the drawings. We need to be strong like the beetle to survive the sad events of the day as well as the weather trauma in this world. Stay safe! Be well, Yoko.

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  3. I hope the storm goes through without damage. Love the collage of summer bugs

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  4. ...our weather wasn't normal either, I hope that you will enjoy a pleasant autumn.

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  5. Yoko - first, I hope that the typhoon does not affect you. I think the term "cruel heat wave" is very appropriate - unfortunately, with the current state of our climate, I believe extreme conditions around the world will continue as the "new normal". I loved the second photo - a clever use of the deck for a reflection photo. I was very sorry to hear about the murder of PM Abe. The collage of insects, as well as the one with your grandchildren, is special. I am wishing you cool autumn breezes. Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday!

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  6. I enjoyed reading from you again. I've been away too long and missed several of your posts. I'm sorry your weather was not good. It sounds like our summer of 2020 (heat wave and wild fires) and then our autumn of 2020 with torrential rains and flooding. Summer came late this year with more rain but then we ended with a heat wave. I hope we can enjoy the autumn free from bad weather. I enjoyed your information about keeping beetles. I haven't really had one as a pet but as a child we did keep a few different insects in jars for short times (also turtles from the wild). Enjoy your week ahead dear Yoko. Stay safe.

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  7. Hello Yoko - it is lovely to see you back here again.
    The weather has been crazy here too - weeks and weeks of very hot weather without any rain. However, now September feels more like it should although we still need rain.
    I once caught a glow worm, which is actually a beetle, and put it in a jar outside so that we could watch it light up inside the jar at night. Only the females glow to attract a male, so I released it after a couple of nights in the hopes that it would find itself a mate.
    I was very concerned for you when I heard that a terrible typhoon is hitting Japan - hope all is well with you and your lovely family.

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  8. Lovely post ! Weather is completely crazy everywhere...To hot and to dry here in Portugal.
    Hope typhoon will not create devastation in Japan. Stay safe.
    The bug mosaic is beautiful as your granchildren pictures !
    Have a nice day !
    Anna

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  9. Dear Yoko!
    I am glad that you are with us again. A beautiful post and a wonderful flower in the first photo. This year the weather is crazy. The summer is hot and dry, and now it rains all the time. I hope that autumn will be beautiful for you. A beautiful collage with grandchildren.
    Stay healthy, Dear Yoko!

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  10. Un verano muy caluroso y extraño Yoko. Mucha lluvia por ahí y ninguna por aquí.Esperemos que el otoño nos la traiga que hace mucha falta.
    Me gusta ese escarabajo, lo ví una vez y me llamó mucho la atención, es muy grande. Buenos días pasas con tus nietos.
    Que el tifón no cause mucho daño.Te deseo un buen septiembre.
    Un abrazo.

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  11. The weather is mixed up here in Slovenia, too. We had a very dry and hot summer, Now the rain is pouring down from the sky and the temperatures have dropped considerably. The collage of summer bugs is lovely!

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  12. Hi Yoko,
    Unfortunately, climate change is being felt more and more, with severe droughts in some places and torrential rains in others. In my country (Portugal) it was a year of great drought and we are waiting for the rains to come.
    How interesting to have insects as pets, where I live I think it's not usual.
    The first photo of the flowers is wonderful and the Stag Beetle is a beautiful insect, I've never seen one.
    I hope the typhoon didn't cause problems where you live.
    Take care and all the best

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  13. Exquisite pictures, Yoko! Especially the second with reflections. Boys like beetles, I know, what about his sister? Did she help clear the case and let it walk up the tree? The can bite really painful. Thank you, Yoko, I loved reading your post. Children's company is a treat, which we don't enjoy often as ours lives far away.
    Have a nice October, still warm but less unberarable.
    Best wishes,
    Irina

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Irina, for the comment. Rhino beetles cannot bite or sting you. If you don’t hold them properly your finger can be pinched, which is painful.
      Y's 4-year-old sister doesn't look actively interested in the insect but likes to watch over how he takes care of or play with the beetle..

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  14. i am sorry that your people suffered with torrential rain either like us ,we had constant and heavy rainfall for three months almost and it is more than a month that rain stopped but more than half population has left and remained are busy in construction work including us . weather has became a puzzle hard to solve indeed

    the insect petted by your grandchild looks intense to me and different than those we have here as beetle and boys like to pick them up and play .
    what can be more precious than spending time with grandchildren surly :)

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  15. I must show Sam Y's beetle. He'll wish he had one for a pet. I'm just catching up, Yoko. I like seeing what you've been up to in Japan.

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