Merry Christmas

I hope you have a peaceful and happy Christmas with your family. Recently we have rather warm days though winter has come. But I hope we have white Christmas on December 24 and 25 since snow is appropriate tassel for our Christmas. We can see Mt. Amida with white snow and black rock from the hill behind our house.

Alpine Foliage

With each passing day also lowered temperatures, it has been a season of alpine foliage. I go out to Shirakoma Pond on a sunny day. Lakeside azaleas are in the red. While walking the lakeside trail, I enjoyed the fall foliage. When viewed from the opposite bank, it is like a scarlet border.

Season of Colored Leaves

The season proceeds to early autumn. I visited local craftsmen’s market in Komagane with my wife this week-end. Komagane is a small town surrounded by Japan Alps and the air was cool and comfortable. Leaves of maple trees were changing to vivid red in the wood. We also enjoyed looking at and shopping potteries, metal objet, wooden carvings and hand-made clothes.

The Season of Alpine Plants

It becomes warmer and warmer. The alpine flowers of Mt. Yatsugatake start to bloom. This is a dicentra which is called the queen of alpine flowers here. The curly red petals are cute.

Nice view of snow-covered mountains

I visited a village in fresh verdure at the foot of Japan Alps on a sunny day. I had a nice view of snow-covered mountains and dark green meandering river in lush green vegetation. 

Shirakoma Pond before breaking up its ice

I visited the pond on 23 April, when the road near there was open after clearing snow. The pond was still covered thick ice but I felt the breaking up it there soon. The middle of it was honey-combed and melted ice blocks were floating near the shore. Spring is near at hand!

Cherry-blossom Season in Kobe

From our Nagano in early spring to Kobe I went out to the reunion of our old mountain club. Walking along Ashiya River at the foot of Mt. Rokko, row of cherry trees was in full bloom.

Butterbur Sprout

We have gentle and warm rain this morning. Walking in our garden I found light green butterbur sprout, through which we surely feel spring has come. We are also able to eat the sprouts making Tempura and they fit beer very well. I am looking forward to have them with cold beer.

Spring Atmosphere at Lake Suwa

On a sunny morning I visited Lake Suwa with my wife, where snow is disappeared and early spring breeze blows along the shore. We saw young high school students rowing a boat there with good shout spirited.

Our forest covered with deep snow

Japanese archipelago has been covered in winter low pressure since the beginning of this week. Our forest has been covered with thick snow. Seasons seem to come and go in winter and spring.

Adonis, the flower of early spring

We hear the news of flowering with the beginning of March. I went to a hill near Lake Suwa, where snow has just melted. I saw yellow flowers of Adonis blooming at the south slope of the hill although cold wind was blowing..

Early Spring

February has finished and we have a warm morning. I remember the sentences from Walden of H. D. Thoreau.

One attraction in coming to the woods to live was that I should have leisure and opportunity to see the spring come in. … Fogs and rains and warmer suns are gradually melting the snow; the days have grown sensibly longer; I see how I shall get through the winter without adding to my wood-pile, for large fires are no longer necessary.

Peaks of rock and ice

The snow storm of weekend ceased and we have a fine morning. The peaks of rock and ace of Yatsugatake are seen clearly from the foot.