散歩 Walks

 今日は雨、と聞いていたので昨日のうちに植物の植え替えなど頑張っておいたのに、実際は夜になるまでよく晴れていました。

朝散歩は気持ちよく、元野菜畑の草地を散策しました。

As of yesterday, it was expected to rain today, and I did a lot of repotting of plants in anticipation of rain.  However, it was quite a nice day, and it did not start raining until late in the evening.

So, we had a pleasant walk about in the field that used to be a vegetable farm.

近くの小学校に通う子供たちがこの草地を横切って歩くそうで、獣道のように踏み鳴らした筋がついています。

Children cross this field on their way to the nearby elementary school, and they have made a path resembling an 'animal trail' through the grass.

この草地の花桃がまだ咲いていました。

The flowering peach tree is still in bloom.

うっとりする美しさ。

I love these blossoms.

＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝＝

午後には天気が変わって涼くなりました。以前は農家の古い家があったところが今は公園のように整備されていますが、あまり知られていないのかいつも貸し切り状態。

The weather turned cool in the afternoon, and we enjoyed a walk through the woodland where an old farmhouse used to be.  After the old farmer passed away, a large chunk of the land was sold off, leaving the rest to be made available for the general public.

この部分は、農家のお爺さんが亡くなる前から一般に提供されていた林。シャガが咲き始めていました。

This part was already open to the public when the old farmer was still alive.   Iris japonica is in bloom at this time of the year.

和製ニワトコも咲き始めている。

Also, Japanese elder trees are starting to bloom.

花序が皿状になる西洋ニワトコ（エルダーフラワー）とは異なり、尖った形になるのが和製ニワトコ。

The Japanese elder flower has a cluster of flowers shaped like a cone, instead of a flat shape.

この部分はお爺さんが亡くなって古い家屋が取り壊されたあと、一部の竹林を残して整備されたところ。竹林の大部分が、今は1棟の高級マンションになってしまいました。

This is the remaining part of the land that used to belong to the farmhouse.   Most of the bamboo forest was erased to build a block of exclusive flats.

孟宗竹なので巨大。実家にあった竹林は真竹だったので、その違いに最初はびっくりでした。

This variety originates in China, and it was rare where I come from.  The bamboo forest we had behind my parents' house was an indigenous variety called 'madake' which produced bamboo shoots with a unique flavour.

午後散歩 Afternoon Walk

 午後4時半過ぎに公園に着きました。ケヤキなどは既に新緑の季節に入っています。

We arrived at the Johoku Park after 4:30pm.  Trees such as Zelkovas are already covered with fresh green leaves.

ヤマブキも満開。

The Kerria japonica already in full bloom.  It has medicinal uses.

夕方近くのちょうど良い涼しさ。草地を歩いていると、

The air was cool and pleasant, it being late afternoon.  As we were walking in the field,

初めて見るワンコが近づいて来ました。

a new face came running towards us.

生後10か月のホワイトレトリーバーの女の子で、名前はシュリちゃん。

She is a 10 months old White Retriever, named Shuri.

タイガと遊び始めそうになりましたが、お互い短いリードでつながれているので断念。

She nearly started playing with Taiga.  However, they were both tied to short leashes, and we were not allowed to let them run free in this field.

その後も興奮し続けてわちゃわちゃしていたので、

That did not take away Shuri's puppy excitement.

一緒にいた白柴のおモチちゃんにたしなめられました。生後10か月の子犬と、すっかり落ち着いた年長者ではエネルギーが違いすぎ。

Shuri was scolded for over-excitement by Omochi, a female White Shiba Inu, who was walking with us.  The energy levels are too different between a 10 months old puppy and a mature individual like Omochi.

帰りは満開の桜を惜しみながらゆっくり並木道を歩きました。今年は最初は冷たい雨が続いた天候のおかげで、花が長続きしました。

On our way home, we passed through the field with cherry trees still in bloom.  The flowers have lasted long this year, due to the combination of freezing weather at the start of the season, followed by mild but sunny weather.

どうぶつ病院へ To the Vet's

 気温が夏日になる前に狂犬病の予防接種を受けに行くことにしました。コロナ前まではすぐ近くの公園で練馬区保健所が予防接種の会場を設けていたのに、それ以降、桜台地区では開かれなくなりました。なので、隣町の江古田のどうぶつ病院まで歩きます。

タイガは江古田最寄りの環七交差点まで来ると「病院行き」を察知して、首輪をすり抜けてでも逃げ出そうとするので、首輪とハーネスの二重装備で出かけます。早朝散歩後の追加の外出なので、ニコニコ顔が止まりません。

April is the month for dogs to get rabies vaccine in Japan.  I decided to take Taiga this morning, while the weather was still pleasant.  Before Covid, Nerima-ku used to hold a vaccine day at a park close to my home, but not anymore.  These days, we walk to the clinic in Ekoda which is a town next to ours.

Between Ekoda and our Sakuradai, there is a Ring Road No. 7 Crossing, where Taiga realises what is coming and she tries to slip out of her dog collar.  In order to prevent such a dangerous situation, I put both the collar and harness on her.  When we left the house, she was looking very happy since this was an extra walk after the usual early morning walk.

懸念の環七交差点。

The dreaded Ring Road No. 7 Crossing.

信号待ちをしている間に、

As we were waiting for the traffic lights to change,

何だか疑念が沸いてきたような表情。

a suspicion seemed to dawn on her.

少しでも気を逸らすために、病院行きでは通ったことのないルートを選びました。わざわざ遠回りして、武蔵野音大の横を通ります。

In order to divert her attention, I took the route we had never walked to go to the clinic - we made a detour and passed by the Musashino Academia Musicae.

これがその音大。周りは閑静な住宅街。

This is the university which stands in the middle of an exclusive residential area.

音大からひたすら歩いて江古田の繁華街の端に到達。

After the university, we marched on, until we reached the outskirts of the commercial area.

やっとクリニックに着きました。注射の前に体重測定と心音チェック。最近のお花見シーズンでタイガのダイエット管理がルーズになってリバウンド中ですが、それでも体重は去年の11月と変わらず20.85kgでした。

At last, the clinic.  Taiga's heart sounds were normal, and her weight was unchanged since November last year at 20.85kg, in spite of over-eating related to the cherry blossom season.  

注射の後はすぐ近くの公園でご褒美のおやつ。

After the vaccination, we had a rest in the nearby park.

帰り道では抵抗されないので最短ルートを行きます。ハナカイドウが満開。

Since there was no resistance to go home, we took the shortest route.  A flowering crab apple tree was in full bloom.

突き当りの公園の向こうは環七。目的達成でほっとしました。

Beyond the park at the end of the street is the Ring Road No. 7.  Such a relief to have finished the 'spring vaccine' - in autumn, she will be back for a combination vaccine.

朝散歩 Morning Walk

 今朝は「柿の木広場」と茂呂山公園を目指しました。まずは道の左側、柿の木広場へ入ります。

This morning, we headed for the Persimmon Park and Moroyama Park.  On the left is Persimmon, and on the right Moroyama Park.  We first went into the Persimmon Park.

ここは桜の木は入口の２本だけです。
In the Persimmon Park, these two cherry trees at the entrance are the only ones they have.

花見の時期なのに桜の木がないからか、他に利用者なし。散々草の上を走り回ったあとは

Probably because they hardly have any cherry trees in the middle of the cherry blossom season, the place was deserted.  After running around on the fresh grass,

茂呂山公園へ移動するために出口へ向かいます。

we headed for the exit, in order to move to Moroyama.

道路の反対側の茂呂山公園。

The Moroyama Park is on the other side of the road.

坂の途中の桜は散り始めていました。

The cherry trees on our way up were starting to shed petals.

上の広場に着くと桜が七分咲きくらいの状態でした。

The trees in the field at the top of the hill were about 70% of the way to full bloom.

退屈そうなタイガ。

Taiga was bored.

突然スリゴロを始めました。

Suddenly, she started rolling over the dry grass.

私と目が合っても止めようとしない。

She caught my eyes but had no intention of stopping.

最近シャンプーしたばかりなのに。。。

I shampooed her only recently.

茂呂山の反対側へ降りてから帰宅します。

To go home, we took the path on the other side of the hill.

下の広場では、花見客は一家族だけ。今年は随分 閑散としている印象。

In the field at the foot of the hill, there were only one group of people getting ready for a picnic lunch.  Not many people seem to be holding little parties this year.

帰る途中、久しぶりにタービュレンのルイ君とばったり。ルイ君はタイガより１歳ちょっと年下ですが、タイガにとって王子様のような存在。

On our way home, we ran into Louis, Taiga's boyfriend and a Tervuren, who is one year younger than Taiga.  

鼻で挨拶。

Nose-to-nose touching.