The last few days have been a series of blue sky that makes us forget the rainy season.  The mountain stream, which was muddy stream about a week ago, is now like a lie.  Yamaajisai(the mountain hydrangea), which has begun to bloom, and the leaves of Fuki(butterbur) that stick out on the road are swaying in the cool breeze in response to the sunlight through the forest.  The green of the moss clinging to the rock is even more vivid.  Occasionally, Iwatsubame(the house martin) flys through out at a tremendous speed with a sharp voice “chi chi”.  Along the path, I came across Tokiwatsuyukusa( Wandering jew) with white-leaf spiderwort, which is many times larger than a normal Tsuyukusa.  Tokiwatsuyukusa is an exotic species that was introduced as a horticultural species, but it has a strong vitality and is now widely found in the maountains and the fields.  I finally arrived at the Sasayuri colony I was looking for.  Sasayuri, like Otomeyuri, is a representative lily native to Japan, and its beauty is now widely known not only in Japan but also in the world.

ここ数日は梅雨を忘れるような青天続きです。一週間ほど前には濁流であった沢の流れもまるで嘘のように瀬々らいでいます。林間の木漏れ日を受けて、花を付け始めた山紫陽花や、道にはみ出した蕗の葉っぱが涼風に揺れています。岩にへばり付いた苔の緑がいっそう鮮やかです。時折り「チリリッ」と声を上げてイワツバメが猛スピードで飛び抜けて行きます。途中、真っ白で普通のツユクサの何倍も大きいトキワツユクサに出会しました。トキワツユクサは園芸種として移入された外来種ですが、生命力が強く、今では広く野山で見かるようになりました。お目当てのササユリの群生地にやっとたどり着きました。ササユリはオトメユリと同様、日本原産の代表的なユリで、その美しさは今や日本だけでなく広く世界に知られています。