Moving Redux---Recharging

Moving is wearisome business. Especially for an old man like me, toting those boxes and lifting those bales is tiring but the midnight worries are even worse.  In the condo, is the painter going to be done in time for the carpet man to do his thing before the movers arrive with our furniture and household goods? In the old house, Patching walls where pictures hung, getting the last of the furniture and such out and coordinating the cleaning team give plenty of grist for midnight thought.

In a protected corner we saw the last of this year's roses.

This morning was beautiful with the bright sun peeking through departing storm clouds so Kuro and I decided to take an early walk, commune with Mother Earth and recharge our (my) batteries.

Kuro doesn't need his batteries recharged. The  mere sight of his leash in my hand has him dancing a jig and waiting impatiently to get out the door.

The early morning rain was still on the grass. Kuro got soaked
from mid-belly down and my feet got wet.

Here in Seattle, it's just a little early for good fall colors but we found a few reds, yellows and golds.

We came across hydrangeas in shades from blue to bronzed purple. I've read about how soil acidity affects the colors of the hydrangea but I wonder if the sun exposure might also make a difference in blossom color.

It's almost Halloween. This little guy will make a perfect Jack O'Lantern

In a secluded area we came across a small tree in the cedar family that had an emerald jacket.

Watching moss grow is restful and brings peace to the soul.

The old timers say Mountain Ash and snow berries foretell the severity of the coming winter. We didn't happen upon any Mountain Ash but I wonder if these snow berries are harbingers of cold and misery in our part of the country?

In a nearby park there is a big old poplar that serves as a message board for local dogs.

Old man poplar attracts passing dogs. He seems to say, "Come smell the latest news."

We had a refreshing and invigorating walk but it was time to head back home. As I opened the garage door a single leaf blew in to rest on the concrete floor. It seemed to be soaking up a last measure of sunlight before it was placed in the compost bin to complete life's cycle and nourish life anew next spring.

Hanami, Cherry Blossom Viewing

This is cherry blossom viewing time around the world, at least in the northern hemisphere, and especially in Japan.

In Japan hanami means cherry blossom viewing. Literally hanami means flower viewing but for the past thousand years or so it has meant viewing cherry blossoms.

Kuro and I went walking Sunday afternoon to admire to blossoms in our neighborhood. I'm not sure how many cherry trees are in Magnolia, but within a mile of my house there must be fifty or more. 

Hanami is the occasion for flower viewing parties where groups of people take special food and sake to parks or temple grounds when the cherries are in bloom. There they spread blankets or thin tatami (straw mats), share food and drink and admire the ephemeral beauty of the cherry blossoms.

After a few cups of sake, people begin to sing, and after a few more cups of sake, especially the groups of younger people can become quite boisterous.

There is an even older tradition in Japan of viewing plum flowers, umemi. This custom, even though more ancient, doesn't appeal to the younger people so sometimes older folks will go to view the plum blossoms and enjoy a more sedate party, without the boisterous sounds of the young people partying nearby. 

As the cherry blossoms mature, they begin to fall while still in their prime. Today when we were walking under the trees and admiring the blossoms, they were just reaching maturity and there were no petals on the ground. Maybe by tomorrow evening the petals, still fully formed and elegant, will begin to fall. 

In Japan the petals falling at their peak of beauty came to symbolize soldiers in war, falling in their prime.   

Instead of soldiers, I see the falling petals symbolizing the people in our civilization who die unnecessarily.

• In the United States about 44,000 people died last year from drug overdose
• About 88,000 people died in 2015 from alcohol-related causes.
• Texting while driving causes 1,600,000 accidents with at least 4,020 teen deaths each year.
• There are approximately 480,000 deaths caused by smoking and breathing second-hand smoke.
• Pedestrian deaths while texting are on the increase. No concrete numbers yet but authorities estimate paying attention to cell phones causes ten percent more pedestrian deaths each year.

Like these flowers, light can shine through people. That light comes from religion, ingrained culture or family teachings. Religion denied, culture changed without thought for the greater good or families dissolved into individuals can block that light and the flowers suffer.  

We admire the falling petals of the cherry blossoms but so many lives flickering out before their time is sad. We need some changes in our lifestyle. Perhaps that's a topic for a different post.

Strange Spring Weather

Last week Kuro and I went walking not long after the sun had gone down. The light was in transition between daylight and streetlight.

Daffodil posed quietly but Kuro moved in the low light so the slow shutter speed blurred his head.

 These first few photos were taken on February 22, 2017, long before the plants are feeling the juices of spring, normally. This year apparently isn't normal.

This rhododendron is really confused.

The owner of this lawn planted crocuses a few years ago. Now they have naturalized and pop up
in large groups of sisters. Normally there is plenty of time for the crocuses to bloom before first
lawn mowing but this year the grass is growing already. The owner is going to have long grass
before the crocuses are done blooming.

The pure colors of the primroses come through better in the dim light. Why do red primroses
have yellow centers when yellow primroses have no red in their hearts?

These daffodils and emerging tulips are located on the north side of the rockery but they are ahead of the game.

Not far from our house there is a nice house occupied by two women who have been working long hours on their yard. They recently had these beautiful rock walls built. The rocks were laid up dry without mortar or concrete backing. The mason had a good eye for shapes and lines.

The stairs in the next photo are in the middle distance.

The rock walls mirror the curve of the stairs. Every time we pass I admire the angles of the corner rocks. Note the acute angles on the left and obtuse on the right side. 

Kuro checks out the flower beds and rock walls only to detect the scent or sight of another dog. When on the leash he is very protective and noisy, barking and straining at the leash to get at that intruder who is daring to walk near out route. When he is off the leash he acts more friendly, running up and performing the sniff routine with the other dog.

I'd let him walk off the leash (and sometimes do on deserted streets) but the attraction of a strange dog makes him forget about the danger posed by drivers who probably couldn't see a dark dog on a dark street. Like a texting driver who knows the danger but can't delay immediate gratification, he would ignore the danger to satisfy the immediate urge.

Last Sunday morning, almost as an afterthought, I went out to look at the shivering early birds braving the remnants of Saturday night's snow. Those few days of cold weather slowed down the growth spurt. Our weather forecaster is calling for warmer weather this week so they will resume their race to flower early. 

Our neighbor used to have a large forsythia bush so I could note the coming of spring. The current owner dug it out and put in a rock patio so I'll have to search the neighborhood for those blazing yellow branches. 

Kuro says he's in favor of searching the neighborhood, no matter the reason.