This year, the scorching heat has closed and I feel that autumn has suddenly arrived. Probably because of that, the remnants of summer and the scenery of autumn are mixed everywhere. Even today, when I stroll along the coutry road, a splendid lily is in full bloom. Speaking of lilies, it is one of the representative flowers of summer, so this lily is probably the last lily of this year. The variety is probably Takasagoyuri. The origin is Taiwan, and it is a wild species that is widely distributed in Japan. Many varieties of them are crossed with Easter lilies native to Japan and are indistinguishable.

今年は猛暑から一転、秋が突然訪れた感があります。そのせいか、至る所で夏の名残りと秋の風景が混在しています。今日も、山あいの道を散策していると立派な百合が一輪凛と咲いています。百合と言えば、夏を代表する花のひとつですから、おそらくこの百合は今年最後の百合です。品種的にはタカサゴユリでしょう。原産地は台湾で、日本にも広く分布する野生種です。日本原産のテッポウユリと交雑している品種も多く、見分けが付きません。

It’s “Summer day” in the afternoon and I cannot sleep without a comforter at night. “Summer day” don’t mean that it’s hot and unbearable, and if I have a thin comforter at night, I can sleep soundly, and it may be the best time of the year. At one point, there was an eye-popping price of vegetables, and the early Samma fish that I had been waiting for was too expensive, and I was disappointed. But now, there are sales battles that make me wonder which new rice is really delicious. I’m looking forward to going to the supermarket with persimmons, tangerines, pears and grapes.

昼は夏日、夜は掛け布団なしでは寝られなくなりました。夏日と言っても暑くて堪らんと言う訳でなし、夜も薄い掛け布団があれば、むしろ熟睡できますし、一年でいちばんいい時期かも知れません。いっ時は目玉が飛び出すような野菜の高騰があったり、待っていた初秋刀魚もお値段ばかりが高くて、がっかりだったりと言うこともありました。今は新米の売り込み合戦、どれが本当に美味しいのやら。柿に蜜柑に梨に葡萄、スーパーに行くのが楽しみです。

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It’s a perfect autumn day except that the remnants of summer clouds stay low in the mountains far ahead. I can only hear the sound of leaves rubbing against the breeze. The spacious park is covered with all green. Only one set of bench tables in the sun is conspicuous. It is a mysterious landscape, whether it is the off-season of people’s visit or it is a coincidence. A long time ago, when I was in elementary school, when it was quiet for a moment in a noisy classroom, someone shouted, “God ran!” I still remember that it was a good expression. This scene now is perfect for that expression.

ずっと先の山並みに夏の名残り雲が低く留める以外は全くの秋日和。微風に擦れてなる葉音だけが聞こえてきます。広々とした公園は緑一色。日溜りにあるひと組のベンチテーブルだけが目立ちます。人の訪れの端境期なのか、はたまた偶然なのか、不思議な風景です。昔小学生の頃、騒つく教室に一瞬静寂になった時、誰かが「神さんが走った！」と叫びました。上手い表現だと未だに記憶に残っていますが、その表現がぴったりの風景です。

Until just the other day, bright red Higanbana was in bloom, but this time, pure white Nira flowers are blooming in the traces. Nira, which appears in both Kojiki and Manyoshu, seems to have been associated with people from quite old time. Nira, which is said to be synonymous with stamina vegetables even in modern times, has a high β-carotene content and is rich in other nutritional components, and is said to be effective in relieving fatigue and improving health. It is used for various stamina dishes.

つい先日まで真っ赤な彼岸花が咲いていましたが、その跡に今度は真っ白なニラの花が咲いています。古事記にも万葉集にも登場するニラはかなり古くから人との関わりがあったようです。現代でもスタミナ野菜の代名詞のように言われるニラは、β-カロテンの含有量が高く、その他栄養成分が豊富で、疲労回復や健康増進にも効果があるとされ、炒め物や卵とじなど、様々なスタミナ料理に利用されています。

Today, some families are coming to the fallow fields in Satoyama, which I visit occasionally, and they are spreading their lunch. It’s a countryside that usually has no characteristics, but there are many small pale pink flowers in bloom. Look closely, it is Sakura Tade. The flowers are larger than ordinary Tade, supple like a willow, and as the name suggests, flowers that resemble cherry blossoms are in bloom. In Junichiro Tanizaki’s novel, there is a story called “Tate-eating insect”, but the woman n”Ohisa” that appears there suddenly came to my mind.

たまに訪れる里山の休耕田に、今日は何組かの家族連れが来ていて、お弁当を広げています。普段はこれと言って特徴のない田園ですが、淡いピンク色の小さな花がいっぱい咲いています。よく見るとサクラタデです。普通のタデより花が大きめで、柳のようにしなやかで、名前通りサクラによく似た花が咲いています。谷崎潤一郎の小説に『蓼喰う虫』と言うのがありますが、そこに出て来る「お久」がふと思い浮かびました。

When I go around the precincts of a small temple early in the morning, I hear people’s voices even though there are no people. It’s a female voice. Looking over there, a young woman knelt in front of the child-rearing Jizo standing in a corner of the precincts, chanting the Heart Sutra as if she murmurs. It was a wake-up appearance. I don’t know if she has a strong faith or if she has something to complicate, and I left the place quickly. I thought about various things along the way. Consideration for women is still insufficient, including in Japan. It is only when, whatever the circumstances, how difficult it is for a woman to give birth to a child is shared by everyone, and everyone blesses the born child that a better society and a brighter society come true.

早朝、狭いお寺の境内を回っていると、人影もないのに人の声がします。女性の声です。向こうの方を見ると、境内の片隅に立つ子育て地蔵の前に跪いて、若い女性が呟くように般若心経を唱えています。ハッとするような姿です。信仰心の厚い方なのか、何か事情があってのことなのか、知る由もありませんが、足早にその場を離れました。道すがら色んなことを考えました。我が国も含めまだまだ女性に対する配慮が足りません。どんな事情であれ、女性が子供を産むと言うことがどんなに大変なことなのか、その大変さを誰もが分かち合い、生まれてくる子供には誰もが祝福してこそ、より良き社会、明るい未来が約束できます。

This year began in Corona and will close in Corona. It became completely autumn, and the harvest moon began to rise in the cloudless night sky. I held my smartphone and took a picture. Look closely, the lamps of two airplanes near the moon can be seen. I’m happy. Recently, the number of flights has decreased, and I have never seen two planes at the same time. Just about now the flight is rush hour. Planes will go across the night sky of the moon one after another. The company under my eyes has also closed, and the salespeople who are preparing to go home are going back and forth. They look fine too. Good luck, Japan!

今年一年はコロナに明けコロナに暮れそうです。すっかり秋らしくなって、雲一つない夜空に中秋の名月が上り始めました。スマホを構えて写真を撮りました。よく見ると名月の近くに二機の飛行機のランプが映っています。嬉しくなりました。最近はとんと飛行機便も少なくなり、二機を同時に見かけることはなかったからです。丁度飛行機便もラッシュアワー。次から次と名月の夜空を横切って行きます。眼下の会社も営業を終え、帰り支度の営業マン達が右往左往しています。元気そうです。頑張れ、ニッポン！

In autumn, Susuki (pampas grass) prairie, which is said to be the best in the Kansai region, spreads out on the Oishi plateau, which extends to the foot of Oishigamine (elevation 870M), one of the 100 famous mountains in the Kansai region. The ears are pale crimson at first, but turn silver as autumn deepens. By the time the sun sets on the plateau in the evening, Susuki that receives the west sun turns golden. On a clear day, you can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the mountains of Kishu and Mt. Rokko, Awaji Island, and Shikoku in the distance.

関西百名山のひとつ、生石ヶ峰（標高870Ｍ）の裾野に広がる生石(おいし)高原には、秋になると、関西随一と言われるススキの大草原が広がっています。穂は初めは淡い紅色をしていますが、秋が深まるにつれて銀色に変わります。夕方太陽が高原に沈む頃には西日を受けたススキは金色に変わります。晴天の日には、３６０度の大パノラマが広がり、紀州の山並み、遠くは六甲山や淡路島、四国を見渡すことができます。

Hime-Ringo (princess apple) is spherical and 2-2.5 cm in diameter. When ripe, it turns from yellow to crimson and bears cute little fruits. In Japan, even ripe ones have a strong acidity, so their edible value is low, and because of the cuteness of flowers and fruits, they are popular for ornamental purposes such as bonsai and garden trees. However, the “Ringo-ame (candy apple)” that you can see at festival stalls is a variety called “Otome of the Alps”, and the skin is astringent, the flesh is a little hard, and you can feel the sweetness and sourness firmly, and it has a small but rich taste. It is characteristic.

姫りんごは球形で直径が2-2.5cm。熟すと黄色から紅色になり、可愛い小さな実を付けます。日本においては、熟したものであっても酸味が強いため食用価値が低く、花や実の可愛らしさから、盆栽や庭木など観賞用として人気があります。ただ、お祭りの屋台で見かける「りんご飴」は、「アルプスの乙女」と言う品種で、皮は渋みが強く、果肉はやや硬め、甘味と酸味をしっかり感じることができ、小さいながら濃厚な味が特徴的です。