It’s heavy snow outside. It was warm at the beginning of winter, but suddenly the Winter General arrived, and the back Japan and northern Japan are in turmoil.  We know that whimsical weather is the norm, but this kind of turmoil happens almost every year. In this way, nature sometimes brings joy and sorrow and sometimes reproves and encourages us human beings, who tend to be pampered by nature and neglects to reflect on it. When I traveled to the Tohoku region, I took out the Nanbu Tekki kettle I bought at the roadside station and put it on the fire. “The iron kettle” thinks it’s finally time to play an active role, and I’m cheerfully blowing up a heavy lid.

外は大雪です。今まで暖っかかった冬の入りが突然の冬将軍到来で裏日本、北日本は大混乱です。気まぐれな気象は例年のこと。それが分かっていながらのこの混乱振りも毎年のこと。喜びも悲しみももたらす自然に、ともすれば甘えてしまう懲りない私たち人間を、自然はこうして叱咤激励しているのです。東北地方を旅行した折、道の駅で買った南部鉄瓶を取り出し、火に掛けると、さあ出番とばかり、馬鹿に元気よく重い蓋をパカパカ吹き上げています。