ネコバク ＮＩＮＥ 今週は聖子特集？！

Tuesday＿Clarissa has arrived .
No fuss , no muss . She's a real newswoman＿independent ; knows her way aroud ; no need
for welcoming assistance . Her curls and dimples are miseleading .
So we learn that she and Jerome and luggage arrived by plane , then drove
an airport rental car to the Winston Park apartments , where she had reserved a unit
by phone . Her first consideration was to stock up on cat food and litter for Jerome's
commode , which apparently came with them from California , although how is not quite clear .

Qwilleran keep his own family well fed and happy . If the Siamese felt neglected ,
they had succinct ways of expressing their displeasuer .
So he cubed some meat loaf from Robin O'Dell Catering and arranged it attractively
on two plates . While they dined , he entertained them with an impromptu parody of
Gelett Burgess's wacky verse :
　　　　　　　　　　　　I've never seen a purple cat .
　　　　　　　　　　　　　I never hope to see one .
　　　　　　　　　　But you can bet your berakfast that
　　　　　　　　　　　　I'd rather see tham be one .

His listeners regarded him in perplexity , as if questioning his sanity .
Their catly psyche was not being pricked .

先日、かれこれ１年ぐらい愛用していたリラックマの目覚まし時計が壊れた
そこで、これまで使ったことのないケータイのアラーム機能を利用してみることにした
アラーム音は、手持ちの着メロを設定　そう！今週は「聖子特集」って言うのは
アラーム音に使う着メロのことだったので～す
日替わり設定で、今週は松田聖子フォルダから５曲選曲
ちなみに今朝は「小麦色のマーメード」・・・明日は何かな？自分で設定したものの
月～金のいつどの曲か覚えてないので、毎朝6：25のささやかな楽しみになっている
手持ちの着メロは700曲あまり　
これまでほとんど活用してなかったので楽しみたいと思いま～す

あそういえば明日からお盆休みだった～。。。時間の設定変更しなきゃ。

ネコバク ＥＩＧＨＴ 残暑見舞い

After filing his copy at the Something , Qwilleran happened upon Gil MadMurchie
at the bank. The one was curious about the next parade , and the other was eager to
take about it. They borrowed one of the small conference rooms.
“ How's it going ? ”Qwilleran asked , referring to the Fourth of July parade
honoring Pickax Now .
“Let me tell you ! We had a setback , but not for long . You see , our slogan
was ‘Everything's Coming Up Roses. ’We were gonna orded tons of roses form Down Below ,
throw them form the floats , drop them from the helicopter ! Then somebody reminded
us that roses have thorns , and if an eyeball got pricked , the city could get sued.”
“They had a point , ”Qwilleran said.
“So , back to the drawing board. This time we decided on ‘Everything's Coming Up Peonies ! ’
We have peonies in enery backyard. The Peony Club has a couple of hundred members !
And it won't cost a cent ! ”
“Well , yes. Would the ‘Qwill Pen’care to write about the history of peonies ?
They go back to ancient times and used to have magical powers. There are books in
the library , and you could interview the officers of the Peony Club.”

残暑お見舞い申し上げます～！
立秋を過ぎて、お盆も近いというのに・・・「おまたせしました！これからが夏本番で～す」
みたいな勢いのこの蒸し暑さっていったい
実際、最近の夏って９月の中頃までは続くのがあたりまえみたいになってるし・・・
もしかして、これからが節電も本番！？
ちょっと前に届いた８月分の「電気ご使用量のお知らせ」を見ると昨年の１９％減
やった～・・・って言うか、あれだけ涼しい日が続いたんだから当然って感じで
それほど達成感やらがんばった感が無いのが・・・ちょっと残念な感じ。。。
こらから１ヶ月が本当の勝負？？？よし！がんばるぞp(^^)q

ネコバク ＳＥＶＥＮ 『100分de名著』

On Friday morning , as Qwilleran was preparing their breakfast , the cats
huddled on top of the bar , waiting for the sideshow. They liked to be entertained ,
and he liked an audience. On this occasion he recited from his collection of limericks :
　　　　　　　　　　　　I live with a pair of Siamese
　　　　　　　　　Who think they can do whatever they please.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　They subsist on steak
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And truffles and cake
　　　　　　　　　　　And lobster and six kinds of cheese.

Two furry bodies bolted from the bar top and chased cach other up and down the
ramp＿twice. There was something about the rhyme and rhythm of limericks and other
homely verses that pricked their psyche and teed off a mad race.
Returning to the kitchen with appetites whetted , they polished off two plates
of turkey scraps from Lois's Luncheonette. As he watched them enjoying their meal ,
the phone rang.
Koko's ear twitching told him it was friend , not foe.
“Good morning ! ”he answered in the unctuously musical voice that amused
his close associates.

なんともタイムリーなことに今月の『100分de名著』（ＮＨＫ Eテレ）は、
ズバリ！「ニーチェ“ツァラトゥストラ”」・・・（再放送のようですが。）
25×4回＝100分で読み解いていくという趣向のようで、これはまさに渡りに船
とばかりにＴＶに釘付け！　興味津々でながめておりましたが・・・・
思ったより、ざっくりとした感触。。。ポイント押さえる！？ぐらいの感覚で参考に
してみようかと思います

昨日は、パパがいきなり有休とった。。。予定がくるう。。。と憂いていても
しょうがないので、すぐに頭を切り替えて新しい一日の予定を組み直す
ランチはパパのおごり帰りにBOOK・OFFに寄って、スーパーで買い物を済ませ
食事と趣味と家事に、しっかり貢献してもらう

３：３０～はＮＨＫで高校総体・陸上を一緒に仲良く！？観戦
これだけは、趣味が合うのよね～。

ネコバク ＳＩＸ ツァラトゥストラ

After the parade , Qwilleran and Polly went to the barn for some classical music.
Polly had wanted to pack a picnic lunch , but he knew what it would comprise , and he
insisted on ordering from the caterer. When they arrived at the barn , Celia Robinson
had delivered roast beef and cheddar sandwiches on rye , avocado and papaya salad ,
and lemon bars.
Polly was politely enthusiastic over the picnic fare ; Qwilleran felt she really
perferred that other stuff , but he pretended to be pleased that she was pleased.
To take her mind off the calories he said , “I overheard spectators at the parade
talking about ‘Shooting and Poisoning. ’Is that some lurid TV special that I'm missing ? ”
（At the barn , the only TV was in the cats' quarters , and they watched only wildlife features. ）
Polly explained that they were talking about the Kennebeck woman who has second
sight and had predicted shooting and poisoning during Pickax Naw. This was the first time
that she had predicted a crime＿man against man.
“The poisoning I can understand , ”he said. “All those family reunions ,
all those picnics , all that potato salad. ”
“Oh , Qwill・・・”she chided and changed the subject.

ツァラトゥストラ、ツァラトゥストラ、ツァラトゥストラ、・・・・・・・
ツァラトゥストラを１０回早口で言うのは、結構難しい　私だけ！？（笑）
岩波文庫の『ツァラトゥストラはこう言った（上）』の最初のページには
「だれにでも読めるが、だれにも読めない書物」とある
中公クラッシックスの『ツァラトゥストラ　Ⅰ』には「万人に与える書、何びとにも与えぬ書」とも。　
なんだか先が思い遣られる　（笑）

午前中にお買い物済ませてきた。日差しもあったけど、吹き抜ける風のさわやかさ
っていったら、５月ごろのそれと変わらないそういえば、子供の頃の夏って、
午前中はこんな感じだったなぁ。40年ほど前の話ですが・・・。

話は変わるけど、明日また健診センターに行かなきゃいけなくなった。
なんだか、手違いがあったみたいで、再々採血つらい

ネコバク ＦＩＶＥ ニーチェにはまる夏って・・・

Harvey was sitting quietly on the camp stool , looking up at the balconies
and ramps and then down at his drawing pad. His concentration was too intense to interrupt
but as Qwilleran watched , there was a blur of movement overhead and a cry of alarm.
Harvey fell off his stool and a cat darted away up the ramp and out of sight.
Qwilleran rushed to the casualty on the floor. “What happened ? Are you all right ? ”
“I'm okay・・・Surprised , that's all・・・It was like a bombshell＿but soft. Was it the cat ? ”
“I don't know. He's not vicious. Maybe he was playing games. He has a strange sence of humor. ”
Harvey stood up and shook himself. “I think I've done enough sketching. ”
Qwilleran thought , There was no blood , thank God. Koko's claws were sheathed.
Did he think that tawny head of hair was on a dog ?

マイブームは突然やってくる。この夏はニーチェにはまってみることにする
去年流行った『超訳ニーチェの言葉』は本屋で、ちょっと立ち読みしただけで、
その後何事も無かったかのように時は流れ・・・
そして、なぜだかこの真夏の真ん中に、不意に目が覚めたかのように・・・
「そうだ！ニーチェちょっと読んでみなくっちゃ」と、何かに肩を押されたみたいに
いきなりちょっとニーチェな人になる。なんか急にストンと横に落ちてくるっていう感覚。
しかし、ワンテンポもツーテンポも遅れて来るのはなぜだろう（笑）
ま、いっか。学びたい時に学ぶって、案外贅沢だよね

ネコバク ＦＯＵＲ エアコンいらずな日々

Tonight , Polly mentioned , “You and I are invited to view the parade from
the second-floor windows of the department store.”“I hope you accepted , ”he said.
“And Sunday afternoon is the first performance of the Fire Show on the stage of the
opera house. I'll see that you get tickets.”“Oh , I'm so thrilled ! I've seen it twice ,
but that was how many years ago ? Will Hixie be handling the sound effects ? ”
When Qwilleran returned to the barn , he was greeted by an exuberant demonstration
designed to attract attention. Koko chased YumYum up the ramp and down again , after
which he fought a battle with a scrap of newspaper. He clutched it , drooled over it ,
and tore it withe his fangs-all in good fum , apparently. When Qwilleran finally
retrieved the soggy wad of paper , it proved to be the missing photo of Harvey Ledfield.
“What's this all about , young man ? ”Qwilleran demended. Koko never did anything
without a motive. There was some reason why the cat took exception to the Ledfield heir.

このところ、エアコンいらずな毎日が続いていて助かります
マンションの５Ｆは風通りもよくて、吹き抜ける風にあたりっぱなしだと
手足が、冷たくなりすぎて、長そで一枚はおりたくなるくらい
風邪もまだ抜けきらなくて、咳コンコンしています

ネコバク THREE すいか不足！？

The City of Pickax was ready for its great moment in history ! Houses were
painted ; thees were pruned ; street paving was repaired . Downtown , the sidewalk
planters were a riot of pink , white and red petunias , and cracked concrete sidewalks
were repaved in the fashionable brick .
The stately old brick courthouse with its proud stretch of lawn was now flaunting
its famous peony bushes .
By contrast , the Pickax City Hall had always been a civic embarrassment : a two-story
gray brick building with a flat roof , small naked windows , and an unimpressive
entrance door .
The police department upstairs was entered from the rear , and there was
a jail in the basement . But this year Hixie Rice had made it a presonal mission
to beautify City Hall . The windows were given shutters ; the two front steps were
given an ornamental handrail ; an important entrance door was coaxed out of an antique
shop ; and the windows , both upstairs and down , were equipped with window boxes .
Hixie accomplished all this with her strong sell , winning presonality ,
long eyelashes , and refusal to take “no”for an answer .

いろんなことが一度に起こりすぎて・・・最近のニッポン。。。
猛暑と節電に悩まされ、かと思えば、今度は台風６号ですって
セシウム牛に、すいか不足・・・食のピンチです
ああ～。特にスイカ不足は、大問題！（ウオーターメロン好きの私にとっては）

もちろん、いいことだってありましたけどね。↓↓↓
なでしこジャパンの活躍は、救いです
『最後まであきらめない』・・・大事です

ネコバク TWO ＆昨日の月・・・他

Following the farewell dinner at the Rikers' condo , Qwilleran and his reluctant
housemates moved back to the converted apple barn on the southeast edge of Pickax
＿ close to the action , yet sheltered from the hubbub by patches of woods .
He was moving from the neighborliness of condo living to the solitude and privacy of
a barn and acreage . The latter was one of the oddities of Pickax , a city full of oddities .
This one could be explained .

Once upon a time this had been a drive-through barn , Where wagonloads of apples
were unloaded and stored in a series of lofts .
When Qwilleran first inherited the property , there was a fieldstone mansion as well ,
facing Main Street . It became the theatre arts building .Behind it was a dense patch of
woods that Qwilleran called the Marconi Forest .It was the habitat of a huge owl that
hooted in Morse code . Next came the lofty apple barn ＿ all fieldstone and weathered
shingles for siding . The barn was octagonal wiht a roof leading to a cupola at the apex .

突然ですが・・・昨日の月 見ました？
夜、ベランダに出たら、月がまぶしいくらいに光ってたの。しかも満月。
体が暑さに少し慣れてきたのか、外の空気もそんなに暑く感じなかったので
しばらくお月様に見とれてました。離れた場所からも、月はおんなじに見えるん
だよね・・・などと、旅先の息子や友人を思い浮かべたりしながら・・・　

今日は、午前中美容院に行って来ました
明日は陸部ランチ、明後日は３８Rクラス会があります。
おこづかい・・・ちょっとピンチかも

ネコバク ONE 練習再開p(^^)q

April was lovely that year ! No blizzards. No hailstorms. No torrential rains
with mud slides and power outages. Gentle nighttime showers irrigated the potato fields of
Moose County and freshened the peony gardens of Pickax City , the county seat.
There was something therapeutic about Qwilleran's manner. He was tall , well-built
middle-aged man with hair graying at the temples and an oversized pepper-and-salt moustache ,
but the sympathetic look in his brooding eyes and his willingness to listen to problems
attracted indiveduals looking for help.
“How's everything going downtown ? ”he asked.
In exasperation she said , “I've just had a frustrating four-hour meeting
with the PR committee assigned to find a name for the celebration , and we got nowhere !
Qwill , try saying ‘Pickax Sesquicentennial’three times , fast. Try saing it once !
It's a horrible mouthful , and hardly anyonce knows that it means a century and a half.
We polled the man on the street. One joker thought it was ‘sexy-centennial.’ We've been
working on the problem for weeks , without any luck.”

ようやく、英語練習再開で～す
またネコって思われることでしょうね（笑）
このスタイルちょっと気に入ってしまって・・・
今回は、『猫は爆弾を落とす』からのPick upになります
日々のあれこれと併せてUPしていきたいと思ってま～す