White and Pink Camellia Sasanqua 白とピンクの山茶花

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Flowers tell us a change in season, and these white and pink Camellia sasanqua told me that autumn would soon be over...

   

White Camellia sasanqua 白い山茶花

October Cherry Blossoms - Cerasus Subhirtella (Miq.) 十月桜

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Early this month, I read a post of @rieo_pomegranate23 about cherry blossoms blooming in October on the Instagram, and at that time I just let it go. About a week later, i.e., mid-October, however, I saw cherry blossoms or Cerasus subhirtella (Miq.) blooming in my neighborhood.

Cerasus subhirtella (Miq.) or cherry blossoms in October 十月桜

Kintaro Candy is Cookie Cutter😁 金太郎飴はクッキーカッター😁？

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Do you know Kintaro or have you heard of Kintaro? Kintaro is a boy or popular figure from Japanese folklore. He was raised with animals by a mountain witch on Mount Ashigara. Look at Kintaro I drew below😁. He's so cute!

Kintaro 金太郎

Number of Spots Matters! - "Good" Ladybird or 28-Spotted Potato Ladybird... テントウムシ？ダマシ？

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found this ladybird while walking around Tokyo National Museum.

  

How many spots does it have? 斑点はいくつ？

White Morning Glory is a Mutant! 白いアサガオはミュータント！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I saw this white morning glory in my neighborhood.

Can you see a bee in the center? 蜂、見えますか？

Falling in Love With Golden Dewdrop Twice デュランタの実

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Have your seen fruits of duranta erecta or golden dewdrop? If not, look at these cute yellow or orange fruits!

Duranta erecta flower and fruit デュランタの花と実

And Then There Are A Man... そして一人になった｡｡｡

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

More difficult to draw than thought....
ブルを書くのは思ったより難しい｡｡｡

Season of Fruits - Persimmon, Hassaku/Ponkan Oranges 果物の季節 - 柿、ハッサク、ポンカン

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Autumn is the time of harvest!!

Astringent or not, that is the question 渋か甘か、それが問題だ

The Little Old Lady in the "Wild" Strawberry Patch 「蝦夷蛇苺（エゾヘビイチゴ）畑」の小さなおばあさん

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

What's this flower?

What's this white flower? 何の花でしょう？

Look at the fruits below the flower! 花の下に実が！

Two are ripe while two still green 赤と緑のイチゴ

Cawaii! かわいいね！

They are wild strawberries I found at a neighborhood park. I didn't expect to see such strawberries there because of the timing and the place. Wild strawberries fruit in winter or spring somewhere in the countryside, don't they? 

These red fruits (not berries) reminded me of a Japanese picture book I read a long time ago, entitled "The Little Old Lady in the Strawberry Patch (Ichigo batake no chiisana obaasan)." The story is about a little old lady living in a strawberry patch whose work is to "color strawberries red🍓" and who got very busy one year because of earlier-than-usual flowering of strawberries. She hadn't finished the preparations for the coloring...

I don't have this book any more and had completely forgot about it until I saw these cute strawberries, but I read this heartwarming story many times and I want to read it again😉

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朝の散歩で見つけました。ゴーヤの花を見ていて何気に足下見たらちっちゃくのぞいてました。

「いちごばたけのちいさなおばあさん」をいう本を思い出しました。確か、苺畑にちっちゃなおばあさんが住んでいて、そのおばあさんのお仕事が苺を赤く塗ること🍓だったと思います。好きな絵本の一つで何度も何度も読みました。また読みたいです😉

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No Gourd No Crime.... ゴーヤなければ犯罪なし｡｡｡

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I know you are thinking "Why bitter gourds now?" The reason is I got them last Friday for free from a stranger.

Six small gourds ６個のちっちゃいゴーヤ

Sliced.... 切って｡｡｡

So fresh!! みずみずしい！

Stir fried with pumpkin for Friday dinner! 金曜の夕食！

I stopped at a park to find something for this post. It was at around 6 a.m. on Friday. I like the park as it has many flowers and plants, e.g., lilies, garden cosmos and Madagascar periwinkle, but my favorite was or still is bitter gourd's flowers and fruits, and bugs around them. Now the bitter gourd season is over, so it's natural that I felt a little sad when I was called to by a man in his 50s or 60s wearing a gardening outfit, saying, "Do you eat bitter gourds?"

I said of course, "I do!!!" I love bitter gourds😋

He said that he often asked people playing and walking in the park if they ate bitter gourds, but most would say no because they didn't like them as they were bitter (that's why they are bitter gourds!!) or they didn't know how to cook. After saying that, he took the six gourds one after another and gave them to me. I was so happy!!!

So, it's again natural for me to show (off) them to my husband at home, isn't it? He, however, said, "Is the man really a gardener of the park? Isn't he just a passer-by stealing gourds to give them to you?"

OMG😮! Is he? Can he be a thief? Noooooo! He was suntanned, completely looking like a gardener. He should be and must be a park gardener because otherwise, these gourds are stolen stuff😱....

So, I immediately went to the kitchen and sliced them to stir fry the "evidence." No body (or no gourds), no crime😁

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何で今頃ゴーヤ？ですよね。でもこれいただいたんです。公園で｡｡｡ 知らない人に｡｡｡

昨日、いつものように朝の散歩でお気に入りの公園に立ち寄りました。いろんな花が植えられていて夏はゴーヤの前でよく立ち止まって観察してた公園です。で、突然声をかけられたんです。「ゴーヤ食べる？」って。

もちろん「食べます！」って答えました。そしたらその日焼けした作業着姿の男性（５０代か６０代）、６個のチビゴーヤを次々もぎって「ホレっ」。で、いただきました。何でも、これまで何人もの方に同じように声かけたらしいんですが、苦いとか、調理法が分からないとかでほとんどの人が「いらない」というそうです。えーっ、そうなの。私は嬉しい！

うちに帰って夫に話したら「その人ホントに公園の管理人？泥棒じゃないの？」とボソッ。え～っ。だって公園の管理人みたいな服を着てたもん！日焼けしてたもん！えーっ、このゴーヤって盗品😱？

というわけで台所に直行して証拠隠滅しました。死体（ゴーヤ）がなければ犯罪は立証できない｡｡｡ めでたし、めでたし😁

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Mini Bugs Hanging, Resting and Ready to Take-Off! ちっちゃい虫さん、集合！

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I don't see flowers these days. Instead I often see berries and small bugs like these!!

Leafhanger? 落ちる？

I'm busy having breakfast... 朝ごはん中です｡｡｡

Another bug hanging on a firethorn berry... これも落ちる？

Resting on a hibiscus leaf 芙蓉の葉っぱで一休み

Ready to take off! 離陸します！

All of these bugs are about 1cm long, so I would not have noticed had I walked as I usually do, but that day I got up before 5 a.m., so I had plenty of time to slowly walk to pay attention to each leaf and petal....

Walking allows me to appreciate things all around me and to restore myself in solitude... I like both and I need both.... 

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最近花を見かけることが少なくなり、代わりにいろいろな実や虫を見かけるようになりました。

上の虫たち、みんな１センチぐらいです。普段だったら気づかなかったと思うのですが、その日は５時前に起きたので周りを見ながら歩く余裕がありました。

朝の散歩には二つ意味があります。花や虫たちと出会えること、そして一人になって自分を取り戻すこと😉 両方好きです。

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Spider🕷 is Angry With Me and I With Suga!!

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found this spider🕷 while walking in my neighborhood. Can you find it?

A spider in the center. Can you see it?
真ん中あたりのクモ、分かります？

It was sitting on the web when I found it, and my presence might have upset it. The spider suddenly started running as if to scare me!!

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you... ごめんなさい。怖がらすつもりじゃ｡｡｡

So, I slowly backed away, apologizing in my mind for interrupting his or her breakfast.... 

The spider was mad with me, which makes sense because I did something that upset him, while I am angry with Prime Minister Suga, which also makes sense, because he's been avoiding accountability for his rejections of the appointments of six nominees for the Science Council of Japan. Suga only said that he'd made such a decision from a "comprehensive perspective," but what does the "comprehensive perspective" mean?

I'm mad also because nobody in the recent Liberal Democratic Party administrations has been accountable for their actions or inactions and most Japanese people have approved them by not going to vote. So, maybe I'm wrong to be mad with Suga. My anger should be directed towards those who only tweet complaints about the status quo but do not go to vote.... 

I've heard many Americans, especially Democrats, being the same, i.e., they express their opposition against the Trump administration but most do not bother to register to vote. I'm angrier with these people than I am with Trump supporters because the people I hate most are those who do nothing but complain to solve the problem... 

I pray that Biden will win, which does not necessarily mean I support him. He's too old to lead a nation in the current circumstances, but much less bad than Trump....

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近所で見かけたクモ🕷。写真撮ってたら怖がらせてしまったようであわてて後ずさりしました。朝ごはんの邪魔をしてしまったみたいです｡｡｡

クモは私にご立腹ですが、私は６名を任命拒否した理由を説明しない菅さんに立腹😠 でもこれって結局日本国民の選んだ結果ですかね｡｡｡ ツイッターばっかりで投票しない人が多いそうです。そしてアメリカでも、いろいろ言うけど投票には行かない人（特に民主党）が多いそうです。

私の怒りは菅さんではなく日本国民に向けられるべき？なんでしょうね😟

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Water Droplets💧 and Pokeweed After Typhoon 台風の後 - 雫💧と洋種山牛蒡

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

It's been a week since I last enjoyed an early morning walk due to on and off rain brought by a typhoon...

Water droplets on leaves 雨上がりの葉っぱ

Pokeweed 洋種山牛蒡

These water droplets told me how hard it had rained and the dark red pokeweed berries announced the arrival of autumn, but at home I found that I couldn't be so happy about pokeweed. According to Wikipedia, "pokeweed is poisonous to humans, dogs, and livestock. In early spring, shoots and leaves (not the root) are edible with proper cooking, but they later become deadly, and the berries are also poisonous." Umm... Part of the plant is deadly poisonous😱

They looked like blueberries and yummy, so I thought I should try eating them. Ignorance can be a matter of life or death...

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雨上がりの水滴と洋種山牛蒡です。台風のせいで１週間ぶりに早朝ウォーキングして帰ってきてググってびっくり😲 この実、猛毒を含んでいるそうです。ブルーベリーみたいでおいしそうでしょ。なので今度食べてみようかな、と思っていたんですがバカでした😱｡｡｡

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Can Dried Radish Strips Be Italian? イタリア風切り干し大根

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I found this in the sink, completely forgetting about it...

What's this? 何でしょう？

From above and a little afar 上から、少し遠くから

This creamy white round thing with many holes is the underground part of enokidake mushroom! (Click here if you want to see the entire mushroom before being cut.) And I made a dish using this mushroom and dried radish strips (below)!

Dried radish strips ご存じ、切り干し大根

And voila!! Below is "kiriboshi daikon," a traditional Japanese dish of dried radish strips, enokidake mushroom, radish leaves and konbu.  

A traditional Japanese style "dried radish strips" dish
切り干し大根の煮物！

The dish "kiriboshi daikon" is one of my favorite dishes. It has low calories and contains a lot of dietary fiber. You know what this means, don't you😁? But having the same dish almost everyday bores me, so I sometimes make an Italian-style "dried radish strips" dish like below!

An Italian style dish? イタリアン切り干し大根♬

This Italian dish of dried radish strips is more reddish because its recipe is as follows:

Ingredients: dried radish strips, olive oil, canned tuna, garlic, green leafy vegetable (e.g., bok choy or spinach), tomato juice, chicken stock powder

1. Soak dried radish strips in water to soften. (The time depends on the degree of chewiness you prefer.)
2. Put a little olive oil in a frying pan and heat.
3. Add the soaked dried radish, garlic, canned tuna, and whatever green vegetables, and stir-fry them until they soften.
4. Add chicken stock powder and tomato juice, and simmer gently. 

I do not know whether dried radish strips are available outside Japan, but if you cat get it, you should try cooking them with whatever you like, such as pork or spinach. Oh, one last thing! Don't forget to soak them in water for a while or you end up eating hard-to-chew radish strips, though I like a little chewy texture.

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シンクに転がっていたエノキの根元。切り干し大根と煮付けたことすっかり忘れてました😅。

切り干し大根はほぼ毎日食べるんですが、飽きてしまった時期があり、うちではイタリアン風切り干しも作ってます！切り干し大根をにんにく、ツナ缶、青菜（写真は青梗菜）をオリーブオイルで炒めて中華だし（チキンだし）で味付けして、トマトジュースでちょいと煮付ければ出来上がり！簡単で美味しいです。

切り干し大根は食物繊維が豊富😆 女性の方、是非お試しあれ😋

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Hamilton's Spindletree (Euonymus Hamiltonianus) 檀（マユミ）

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The pretty color and shape of these fruits caught my eye!! This is euonymus hamiltonianus or Hamilton's spindletree.

  

Euonymus Hamiltonianus 檀

Balloon, Balloon🎈!! Cardiospermum Halicacabum & Platycodon Grandiflorus 風船かずら 🎈 桔梗

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

These are balloon vine or love in a puff (cardiospermum halicacabum) and balloon flower or Chinese bellflower (platycodon grandiflorus). I saw them at Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden and in my neighborhood in Tokyo.

Cardiospermum halicacabum 風船かずら

Water Snowflake is "GAGA" in Japan...😆 ガガブタ😆

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is nymphoides indica or banana plant, robust marshwort, or water snowflake I saw at Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden in Tokyo. Whatever it is called, I love this flower because it's hairy😄! 

Nymphoides indica 鏡蓋

Tradescantia Pallida is Between Kyoto and Tokyo...?😜 紫御殿（パープルハート）は「名古屋色」😜？

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

This is tradescantia pallida or purple heart. The deep purple is intriguing, making me look deep inside myself and face what I am.

   

Tradescantia pallida 紫御殿

Purple heart パープルハート

Purple secretia セトクレアセア

The nectar must be tasty!
蜜、おいしいんでしょうね！

Japan has several types of purple, e.g., Kyo murasaki or Kyoto purple and Edo murasaki or Tokyo purple. Both are made from lithospermum erythrorhizon or purple gromwell, but Kyoto purple is older and more reddish than Tokyo purple.

I compared the two purple colors, wondering which purple the tradescantia pallida leaves are, but couldn't decide. To me, these leaves look just between Kyoto and Tokyo purple. So, I have decided to call it "Nagoya" purple, i.e., the purple of a city between Kyoto and Tokyo!😆

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紫御殿、別名パープルハート、セトクレアセア。何ともいえない紫です。内面を見つめさせる力を持っています。

紫には京紫と江戸紫というのがあるそうです。京紫の方が古く、赤っぽい。対して江戸紫は江戸時代からで京紫より青っぽいとのこと。

ということで紫御殿はどっちかなと比較してみたのですがちょうど中間でしょうか。というわけで「名古屋紫」ということでいかがでしょう？おあとがよろしいようで🙇😅

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Osmanthus Fragrans Var. Aurantiacus 金木犀（キンモクセイ）

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

Most flowers caught my eye with their color or appearance but osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus with its scent😊

   

 Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus 金木犀

Reunion of the "Lycoris" Family😁 彼岸花一家の再会😁

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I wrote in another post that white spider lily (lycoris albiflora) is not a red one (lycoris radiata)'s sibling, but a child, i.e., a cross-breed of red and yellow (i.e., lycoris traubii) spider lilies. I had not seen the yellow one, but finally, a few days ago, I saw the three ones together!! 

Red, white and yellow spider lilies are together😄
家族の再会😄

Lycoris traubii 黄色彼岸花

Sweet Autumn Clematis 仙人草（センニンソウ）

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

So white and so pretty! This is clematis terniflora or sweet autumn clematis at Mukojima Hyakkaen Garden in Tokyo.

Clematis terniflora センニンソウ

Sweet autumn clematis look so innocent, but poisonous! 仙人草

It is called "hermit plant" in Japanese because its stamens look like a hermit's beard. It is also called "(plant) horses don't eat" because of its poisonous nature. If you touch it without noticing, you will have a skin rash...

I said that before but will say it again. "Don't be fooled by appearances."😱

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向島百花園の仙人草（センニンソウ）です。こんなに可憐なのに全身有毒。なので別名「馬食わず」。いつも言ってますが、外見だけで判断してはいけません。うっかり触ると火傷（皮膚炎）します😱

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Calliandra 紅合歓（ベニゴウカン）

Japanese follows English.　英語の後に日本語が続きます。

I first thought that these were bottlebrush flowers, but they are not. They are calliandra or "powder puff plant," which well describes the appearance of the pretty red flower!

  

Calliandra 紅合歓

Powder puff plant ベニゴウカン