Autumn Colors

At a fine morning, I visited Sirakoma Pond, which is located aｔ 2100 meters in Yatugtake. The shore of the pond is colored in red and yellow leaves.

快晴の朝、白駒池を訪れる。湖畔の木々は、赤や黄色に美しく色づいている。

Pink Flowers of Dianthus

The flowers of Yatugatake are changing from summer flowers to autumn ones. These are typical Japanese flowers of autumn. They are also the symbol flowers of Japanese women’s football team.

八ヶ岳の高山では、夏の花から秋の花へあわただしく変わってきている。高山を彩ってきたイワカガミやコマクサ等に変わってミヤマナデシコやアキノキリンソウが咲き始めた。

The Forest Covered with Moss

Walking in Northern Yatugatake, we often see thick green moss in the forest. It covers rocks and fallen trees like green carpets. It provides us coolness and moderate moisture in hot summer days.

真夏の暑い日、北八ヶ岳の森を歩くと、厚い苔におおわれた岩や倒木から冷気が伝わってくる。

Grassland Covered wth Day Lilies

I visited Kirigamine, where its grassland was covered with a lot of yellow day lilies. The grassland was seen like yellow carpet from distant place. 

夏空のビーナスラインを車で走り、霧ケ峰にでかける。草原には爽やかな風が吹き、ニッコウキスゲで黄色く染まっている。

Himaｌayan Blue Poppy

After the rainy season, we have a hot summer season now. At the Mugikusa Pass of 2100 meters above sea level, we are able to see a lot of flowers of high mountains including this blue poppy.

梅雨が去って、標高2100メートルの麦草峠には夏雲が湧き、爽やかな風が吹き抜ける。草原では、たくさんの高山植物が咲き始めた。ヒマラヤ産のケシは青い大きな花を付けている。

Orange Azaleas in Kirigamine

On a sunny Sunday during rainy season, I visited a marshy grassland in Kirigamine Many azarias were blooming in orange color there under the blue sky. We could also hear the voice of cuckoos from the forest around the grassland.

梅雨の晴れ間の日曜日、ヒュッテにやってきた人たちと霧ケ峰の車山湿原を歩く。草原には赤く彩られたレンゲツツジが青空に映え、周りの森から郭公の鳴き声が聞こえてくる。

Beautiful Flower Ｓeason

We have flower season here in Yatugatake. Red and pink primroses are blooming at the grass land around the foot of the mountain. I also find a kind of orchid, which reminds me of a face of Buddha.

八ヶ岳山麓は、花の季節を迎えた。日当たりの良い草地で、桜草と九輪草は仲良く花を咲かせている。少し山に入ると、ホテイランがふくよかな布袋様の顔を思わせるように咲いている。

Flowers of Wild Pears

We have a beautiful season of young leaves of deciduous trees. We are able to find white, small flowers of wild pears in the forest near our house.

森の木々の新緑が美しい季節となった。道路脇にたくさん生えている小梨には小さな白い花がたくさん咲き始めた。

Late Cherry Blossoms

About one month later than Tokyo, we have cherry blossoms season here in Tatesina. This mornig I visited Shokoji Temple, where we were able to enjoy the wonderful flowers.

連休後半の祭日、蓼科聖光寺に出かける。境内の桜が満開である。遠く残雪が豊かな八ヶ岳を背景に桜の花が美しい。

Mountaineering in Yatugatake

I climbed Mt. Akadake with my daughter on April 28. We had a fine and no-wind day. The picture was taken at the snow gully near the top.

連休最初の日曜日、無風快晴の登山日和。日帰りで娘と二人で赤岳から横岳へ縦走する。稜線はまだ雪が多く、岩尾根は冬の装いだった。見下ろす佐久盆地は暖かい陽射しがこぼれていた。

Spring Sunshine

I had a drive to Mugikusa Pass, which is 2100 meters above sea level. We could enjoy warm sunshine and rich spring snow there. I walked through the black forest to Lake Sirakoma, where the surface was still covered with ice but I could find the black thin signs of melting on it.

荒模様の天気も去って、穏やかな朝が訪れた。標高2100メートルの麦草峠には、豊かな残雪が残り、暖かい太陽の陽射しがこぼれている。コメツガやトウヒの黒い森を歩いて、白駒池に出かけてみる。湖面はまだ真っ白な氷におおわれている。しかし、湖面には薄黒い縞が出来て、もう１週間位で解け出しそうな雰囲気である。

Dog's Tooth Violets

We are enjoying wild flowers of early spring near our house. These dog's tooth violets are cute flowers, whose pink petals are curled and which are bloomed in the fields of the highland.

我が家近くの八ヶ岳山野草園では、一面にカタクリが咲き始めた。クルリとカールした花弁が可愛らしい。

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms started to bloom in Chino City. We are able to see the white pink flowers along the city streets or the river banks. They will come up to our highland soon.

茅野市街の桜が満開となってきた。桜前線もこれから蓼科高原へ登ってくる。

Barakura English Garden

Yesterday I visited the garden, where snowdrops, crocuses, pansies and daffodils were blooming in the highland garden. I talked with one of gardeners who had come from England and have worked there. He seemed to miss the spring of his homeland.

快晴の土曜日、近くのバラクラ・イングリッシュ・ガーデンを訪れる。まだ、バラには早い季節だが、スノードロップ、クロカス、パンジー、スイセン等の早春の花が庭一面に咲いていた。

Grosbeaks coming to our house

The season is moving between winter and spring. After the snow last night, Several birds called shime here came to our sundeck picking sunflower seeds. Smaller birds could not come and catch their foods.

薄っすらと雪が積もった朝、サンデッキの手摺には、中型の鳥シメの一群がやってきて、餌をめぐってバトルを繰り広げている。コガラ達小型の鳥は餌場に近づけない。

Crocuses are Blooming

After the weather of strong wind and rain, we had a fine day this morning. The water in the puddle is still frozen but the purple flowers of crocuses began to bloom in our garden under warm sun light.

週末の荒天も去って、快晴の朝が訪れた。水溜りが氷る程の気温であるが、太陽の陽射しに誘われて、クロッカスが薄紫色の花を見せ始めた。

Butterbur Sprout

Walking along the field around our house, I often find the sprouts recently. The yellow green sprout reminds me of the transition of season from cold winter to early spring.
3月後半、近くの野原ではフキノトウが芽を出し始めた。若々しい黄緑色の芽は、また、新しい季節が巡ってきたことを我々に伝えている。

Mt. Akadake with Rock and Snow

I visited the highest mountain of Yatugatake, Mt. Akadake with one of my nephews on March 22. We had the finest day for climbing with blue sky and no wind. The peak of the target mountain was seen largely from the foot.

快晴の週末、八ヶ岳主峰の赤岳を登る。麓から見上げる赤岳は堂々としている。

The Hill of Adonis

We had sunny and warm Sunday. I visited the hill near lake Suwa where Adonis are blooming. I could enjoy yellow flowers there. They tell us the spring is surely near at hand.

週末の日曜日、諏訪湖畔の丘に福寿草を見に出かける。丘一面に黄色い花が咲いている。

The Pond of Melting Ice

We had warm days recently. I visited Misaka Pond near our house, where I saw the ice surface of the pond is melting partially under the blue sky.

3月に入り、少し暖かい日が続くようになった。我が家近くの御射鹿池に出かけてみると、池の氷が融け始めていた。湖畔を吹く風はまだまだ冷たい。

The White Mountain

We have had very cold weather for a few weeks. Mt. Tateshina has been cover with deep snow and seen in white with slender birch trees in the foreground.

ようやく寒波も去り、青空の日が続き始めた。麓から見上げる蓼科山が真っ白に輝く。

White Field after Snowfall

We had heavy snow the day before yesterday. Our forest was covered with snow like white cotton. Small stream runs cheerfully among the snow.

一昨日の大雪の後、いずみ平は深い雪におおわれた。雪原の中を勢いよく小川が流れる。