today's photos

It had been raining since yesterday
but late in the afternoon the sun broke through the clouds.

I had made up my mind not to go out today
but could not help changing my mind.

I went our for a walk at five p.m. The sun was too bright.
I walked along tamagawa-josui. Oh, how happy I was!
When I was going home, I saw a fiery sunset.

I'm going on a one day bus tour tomorrow.



(zucchini, zukkini)

kiichigo, raspberry

It was such a lovely day yesterday.
I went to my harmonica club by bicycle.

But on my way home I pushed my bicycle.
I was humming to myself before I knew.
The early summer sun made me so happy.

Suddenly I noticed two red berries in a row
of small green bushes, I mean ikegaki.
They looked so happy, too.

dokudami

It began to rain in the afternoon. I found a white lovely
flower of dokudami in the rain.

Dried dokudami is said to be good for health.

When I was a little girl, my teacher told us to pick as many
dokudami-herbs as possible and dry them in the sun. Then we
carried the dried dokudami-herbs to school. I guess teachers
sold them to some dealers.

Dokudami-herbs were necessary for teachers to buy school
things for us. They bought desks, chairs, chalks or books.

Dokudami always reminds me of my poor but happy childhood.

I'll miss you, Wendy.

I came back from Karuizawa rather late at night.

We, seven members, took a drive to Karuizawa in two cars.
Wendy, our guest, drove her own car and took me in her car.
It was a long distance to go. I was afraid she must have
been tired. Thank you so much, Wendy.

After having lunch at a restaurant in Karuizawa, we went a big
supermarket. We bought everything necessary to prepare for a
dinner party for Wendy.

All of the ladies except me were expert cooks and a big dinner
was cooked. We talked until after midnight. We had such a
wonderful time.

It was my first time to visit Karuizawa. It was a lovely town.
We enjoyed walking and shopping downtown. We visited two spots,
'shiraito no taki' and 'oni oshidashi.'

I shall never forget this Karuizawa farewell party.
I'll miss you, Wendy, so much.

(cottage where we stayed)


(a big dinner)


(weathercock I saw downtown)

flowers in the rain

It has been raining since early this morning.
I've just been to my harmonica club at the community center.

Are we now in the rainy season?





I'm going to Karuizawa tomorrow.
Wendy, our English Club teacher, is leaving Japan in June, and
so we made a plan to have a farewell party in Karuizawa.

We'll stay overnight there. We'll have a good time cooking and
talking a lot.