常磐山査子(ピラカンサス) firethorn

　塀沿いに、ピラカンサスの朱色の実が沢山なっていました。時々通る道ですが、花の記憶はあまりありません。朱色の実だけが強烈に存在を主張しています。

　There were many vermilion fruits of firethorn along the wall. This is a road I occasionally pass, but I have few memories of flowers. Only vermilion fruits strongly assert its existence.

背高泡立草(セイタカアワダチソウ) tall goldenrod

　セイタカアワダチソウと豚草(ブタクサ)の花はよく似ていますが、これには葉の周囲にギザギザがないので、セイタカアワダチソウです。どちらもキク科の植物でが、葉の形はずいぶん異なります。また、名前から受ける印象もかなり違いますね。

　The flowers of tall goldenrod and hogweed are similar, but this one is the former because it does not have serrations around the leaves. Both are plants of the Asteraceae family, but the shape of the leaves is quite different. As well, the impression you get of the name, is very different.  

蔦(ツタ) Japanese Ivy

　ツタは、巻きひげの先に円状の吸盤がついているので、建物の壁や橋脚などに”つたって”よじ登れます。吸盤と言っても、吸引しているわけではなく、粘液を満たして張り付いていると言った方が正確な表現になります。

　話は変わりますが、上空で二羽の鳥がバトルを繰り広げているのに気が付きました。形勢が悪い方がトビで、執拗に追いかけるのがカラスでした。トビはタカ科の猛禽類なので、カラスより強いと思っていましたが、現実は逆のようです。

　トビはからくも円を描くように滑空を繰り返し、高度をどんどん上げていったので、カラスはついに攻撃を諦め飛び去りました。

　残念ながら、機材とテクニックの両面で、私は空を飛ぶ鳥の撮影はできません。

　Japanese Ivy has a disk-shaped suction cup at the end of its tendrils, so it can climb up on the walls of building, bridge piers and others. Although it is called a suction cup, it is not sucking, but it is more precise to say that it is filled with viscous liquid and sticks to the object.

　On another topic, I noticed two birds were fighting in the sky. The one in an unfavorable situation was a black kite, and a crow was relentlessly chasing the other.

　Black kites are birds of prey in the hawk family, so I thought they were stronger than crows, but the reality seems to be the opposite.

　The black kite managed to glide in circles several times, gaining more and more altitude, so the crow finally abandoned the attack and flew away.

　Unfortunately, neither my equipment nor my technique enabled me to photograph birds flying.

芒(ススキ) Japanese silver grass

12月の半ばを過ぎましたが、まだまだ夕日に輝くススキを楽しめます。

It has past the middle of December, but you can still enjoy Japanese silver grass shining in the setting sun.

脱皮 cast off the skin

　樹皮の剥離が目立つナツツバキのそばに、セミの抜け殻が落ちていました。どちらも成長した痕跡ですね。

　あまり知られていませんが、セミは何度か脱皮します。そして、最後の脱皮を羽化といいます。

　Next to the Japanese stewartia whose peeling bark is conspicuous, there was a cicada shell was on the ground. Both are imprints that have grown out of their old selves.

　Although not widely known, cicadas molt several times. The final molting is referred to as adult emergence.

コケモモ Lingonberry

　コケモモは暑さに弱いので、日本の夏の高温多湿は厳しいようです。一方、北欧ではよく育つと聞きました。 ジャムに適した実に見えるので、どんな味になるのか試してみたいです。

　Lingonberry is weak against heat, so the hot and humid summer in Japan seems to be severe. On the other hand, I heard that it grows well across Northern Europe. It looks like a fruit suitable for jam ingredients, so I'd like to try what it tastes like.

絵馬 Ema

　この絵馬には、達磨の姿が描かれていました。普通は、馬とか干支などが一般的ですが、達磨とは珍しいですね。多分このお寺は、達磨大師と因縁があるのでしょう。

　Daruma's figure was drawn on this Ema. Usually, horses or the Oriental zodiac drawn are common, Dharma is rare. Perhaps this temple has a connection with Bodhidharma.

　Ema is a tablet with a picture of a horse or others on the front and people write their wishes on the back. They buy a blank small board at a shrine or a temple, write their wishes on them, and dedicate it to the shrine or the temple. It used to be customary to dedicate horses to shrines, so horses were commonly pictured on it, but recently many different things have been drawn.

　Bodhidharma was a founder of Zen Buddhism. A Dharma is a papier-mâché doll that resembles Bodhidharma sitting in meditation with no arms and legs, and the bottom is heavy, so even if knocked down, it will be upright immediately.