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

Roses and May weather

The Rose Garden of Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park

I wrote about the sweeter and fresher air of May in “Wind fragrant May, 2018”.

It is the wind blowing though the exuberance of young foliage.

Roses give forth scents to the air.

May is the time of sunshine.

Roses are sparkling under the bright blue skies.

Warm sunlight showers on the roses.

May is also the time of refreshing showers.

From the Rose Garden of Ryosen-ji Temple

On a rainy day in my garden…

.... a rose was captured in the water mirror on the deck.

Roses in my garden are mostly climbing or small flower type 
which are easier to take care of.

The former half of May was blessed with such a typical lovely weather.
The latter half, however, we have experienced unseasonal too high temperatures.
In northern part, Hokkaido, it recorded 39 degrees C (about 102 F) yesterday,
the highest on record in about 120 years, much hotter than real summer.
Here in Nara, it was 32.
Fortunately mornings and evenings have felt cool due to the dry air,
 which makes difference from Japan's notorious muggy summer.

Roses are not likely to last long due to surging temperatures.

Roses in my garden

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Our World Tuesday

Blue skies have appeared

At last it’s going to clear up for the week steadily.

On my way back to Nara City.
I visited three Athletic Meetings of my grandchildren one after another in a week.

I like autumn rain which falls gently or sometimes more like drizzle. 

 Early September, it was a welcome relief.

With each rain, it got cooler.

Soon I realized that the extreme weather had been still continuing in a different way.

The persistent autumn rain and three super typhoons (# 22, 24, and 25) 

which came every holiday weekends caused few sunny days.

Lycoris radiata

The maintenance and repairs of my home has been disrupted by the weather.

When I was indoors, the rare blue skies were looked up through the mesh sheets 

attached to the temporary scaffolding. 

Under the dismal sky, the scaffolding set fire on Y’s curious and adventuresome spirit. 

Before each typhoon, the top sheets were taken off

not to be flapped in the storm wind.

In the silence before the typhoon

I was scared by the ferocious howling of the wind during the duration of the passing typhoon.

The young berries of Callicarpa japonica survived.

The colors will deepen soon.

I found some colored leaves of a flowering dogwood.

Flowering doogwood leaves are the first to change colors.

Having a sense of autumn, I have the craving for “Kuri”, or chestnut.
It is an autumn delicacy.

Now that the full exterior painting and roof repairs are mostly completed.

the temporary scaffolding will be taken away in this week. 

I'm ready for exploring into autumn.

Linked to Mosaic Monday
Our World Tuesday

Nice things during the rainy season, 2017

Since the start of the rainy season ("tsuyu" in Japanese meaning "apricot rains) in early June,

it has rained little unusually here in Kansai region.
However torrential rains could cause flooding and landslide along the Sea of Japan
and a typhoon is approaching.

Rain is so important for the cultivation of rice which is staple food of Japan.  

From the car window

I like to see the paddies filled with water right after the planting of rice seedlings.

Asuka Village

Sometimes rain can be gentle enough to nourish your soul as well as plants
and sometimes so violent to shutter the roots.

Wild flowers

Chicks of Swallow

During the rainy season, moss becomes lush and beautiful more and more
with other vegetation.

The stone children would be singing in the rain.

The Garden of Sanzen-in Temple

In the lull of the rains, sunshine feels dazzling.

I am reminded of the blueness of the sky.

Birds enjoy puddles.

When no rains, it’s this little boy who makes my garden wet.

He likes to blow soap bubbles.   

Roses gave way to hydrangeas in mid-June in my garden.

All the hydrangeas have gone withered by now.

A hydrangea on blooming

I like the refreshing feel of a rainy day
including the smell of the wet garden, the sound of rain,

and jewels-like raindrops.

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Our World Tuesday

Flowers gone with the season change

For a long time I neglected the works of gardening but the lovely flowers, seemingly untamed but actually taken care by my husband, surely comforted me while I cared for and watched over my mother in turn with my siblings at her home in Kobe.  These are some of the flowers which made me pleased and smile since the start of my mother's hospice care at home in February.  (Hospice at home)   The doctor specializes in palliative cares and psychosomatic medicine.

Pansies and Violas were vibrant when my entire garden was dormant in winter and lasted till the end of May.

Christmas Roses look discreet always facing downward. 

They reminded me of my mother suffering and enduring in silence.

Japanese white eyes and Brown-eared bulbuls like this Camellia.

I was relaxed watching them coming and going.

 

Another Camellia with big face could be seen from where I tapped the keyboard of my laptop.

At around the time when Rhododendrons bloomed, spring was fully sprung in my garden.

The medicine to treat her anxiety for breathlessness, with which she was caught a few times with horror, seems to have made her unable to speak smoothly.

Her whole body was apparently weakening constantly but mind was rather sharp.

When dogwood was going to end, season was changing into early summer.

Delirium occurred more often to her and wakefulness made her suffer at night.  In the daytime, she looked relatively comfortable while her pain and anxiety was treated by medical morphine. Delirium, "senmo" in Japanese, is culturally thought to be the coming of the deceased loved ones to take her to paradise.



On a rainy day, something magical was happening when I stepped into the garden.

My favorite Bluebell

Strawberry plant bore fruits soon after blooming.

Until six days before her death, she sat on the chair and ate, though what she could eat was only jelly-like things because not only small pieces of solid food but also liquid choked her.  She liked to taste sip by sip the broken and stirred strawberries harvested in my garden. 





 This Hanaguruma azalea, or Rhododendron macrosepalum cv. Hanaguruma, 

was presented by my mother

when I had a house on this land thirty years ago.

Five days before her death, her wakefulness at night ended and she slept the whole night through till she was awaken late in the morning to find heart pains.  Rapidly she went downturn: only a small piece of ice was placed on her tongue to wet her throat but soon she got unable to swallow up even the melted ice.  Families gathered to see her one last time and we children cycled in and out of the room for the next four days, showing our thankfulness and goodbyes in our own different ways.  She kept on sleeping while her pain was under control by suppository of medical morphine, and then ..... she breathed her last quietly after being in a deep sleep for two days on June 5.  The rainy season set in the previous day.

Wake and funeral were held at home as she had wished, attended by about 40 people including only the family of children, grandchildren, great-grand children and the very small number of people who had been closest to her.  The alter was made with her favorite-colored flowers, pink, red, and lavender, based around the color white.

 Thank you for your unconditional love, encouraging sweet smiles,
and guiding me by your attitude throughout your life.

May your soul rest in peace, Mom.