It was a heat protection item that I put a frozen coolant in it and wrapped it around Konatsu’s neck and walked around with it. It is getting cooler in September, but there will still be hot days, so it will probably be used several times.
I like that it’s mosquito-proof. Konatsu’s black fur tends to attract mosquitoes, and they often cling to her when she goes for walks, and sometimes come straight into the house.
少し前に、スカーフの中に保冷剤を入れて歩く写真をご紹介したけど、こっちの方がはるかに良いね。
A while back I posted a picture of a scarf with a coolant inside and around Konatsu’s neck, but this is much better.
The last time Konatsu had a shampoo and cut was in June. Three months have passed since then, and her hair has grown uncontrollably, so I decided to cut it myself.
カット用のハサミは持ってるんです。人犬兼用だけどね(笑)
I have scissors for cutting. It’s for both people and dogs, lol.
この写真だと判りにくいけど、お腹・お尻・尻尾の毛が長くなっている。
It is hard to tell in this picture, but the hair on the belly, buttocks, and tail has lengthened.
というワケでトリミング開始です。
So I started trimming.
こなつは嫌がって暴れるかと思ったが、案外大人しくてされるがままだ！
I thought Konatsu would not like it and would get into trouble, but she was surprisingly quiet and did as she was told.
I trimmed this much in just 15 minutes. It’s hard to do everything at once, so today I ended up with about 50% of the image I had in mind. I’ll do the rest in the near future.
お腹と尻尾の毛はかなり短くなった。初めてにしては上出来だ(笑)
The hair on her belly and tail is much shorter now. It’s a good job for a first time lol.
Yesterday’s rain created puddles of water here and there. I heard that there was a great thunderstorm in the Shonan area yesterday morning, and my wife e-mailed me at work and said, “Konatsu, who is afraid of the sound of thunder, ran around the house, and had an accident on the cushions, and got four cushions wet!” That’s what happened. When she was a puppy, she was fine with the sound of thunder and fireworks, but since she became an adult dog, she has become a terror.
Then Howl appeared on the scene. When I asked his owner about yesterday’s thunderstorm, he told me that Howl was not good at it either. Anne’s owner told me that Anne was totally fine with it. It depends on the dog.
Konatsu usually doesn’t try to join a group of dogs on her own, but this morning everyone gathered around so I was able to take this picture. Even so, Konatsu was watching from afar and not actively trying to play with them.
モアナちゃんは水遊び中！
Moana is playing in the water!
このあとお決まりのコースを1周歩いて散歩終了です。
After this, we walked a lap around our usual course to finish the walk.
足を拭いてるアンちゃんにサヨナラして、こなつも家に帰ります。
We said good-bye to Anne wiping her feet, and Konatsu went home.
I found a long-established Japanese-style confectionery shop called Shintsuru. We were told that the “mochi manju” we were looking for was already sold out! We had no choice but to buy another one and headed to Suwa-taisha Shrine.
This is Suwa-taisha Shrine. Suwa-taisha is the headquarters of about 25.000 Suwa shrines throughout Japan. It was built in the Kamakura period. That was about 1,000 years ago.
こなつも一緒に歩けると良かったのですが、立て看板を見ると､､､
It would have been nice if Konatsu could have walked with me, but looking at the sign…
ペットは境内には入れませんでした。
Pets were not allowed on the grounds of shrine.
このしめ縄、重さ1トンなんだって！
The large object seen above the worshippers is called a shimenawa. Shimenawa is a sacred rope made of rice-straw. This shimenawa weighs 1,000 kg!
これがかの有名な御柱。
This is the famous “Onbashira”. It is a sacred wooden pillar that is cut from the mountain during the great festival held every seven years.
秋宮には2本の御柱が立っている。
Two of these pillars stand at Suwa Akinomiya Shrine.
The world written here is the mythical world of Suwa-taisha Shrine. While we were walking, we started to get hungry. Since this is Shinshu, I thought it would be better to eat soba noodles.
We entered this restaurant after searching on the Internet. It seemed that this restaurant was very popular and there were only 10 buckwheat noodles left when we entered, and the customers who came a while later were refused, saying that they were sold out.
メニューはこれだけ。私はせいろと田舎を各1枚ずつ食べました。
This is the only menu.
上がせいろ、下がいなか。 どっちも美味しかった！
We had two kinds of soba noodles, top and bottom. Both were very tasty.
上諏訪から見た諏訪湖です。今回は仕事の日程の都合で1泊しか出来なかったけれど楽しい旅行でした。
This is Lake Suwa seen from Kami-suwa. This was an enjoyable trip, although I could only stay one night due to my work schedule.
This is our family’s last trip this summer. In the past few days, we have been able to feel a hint of autumn in the mornings and evenings. I headed for Matsumoto, hoping that it would be cooler in Shinshu. I headed for Matsumoto, hoping that the weather would be cooler in Shinshu.
Here is the Okaya Junction where we enter the Nagano Expressway from the Chuo Expressway, about 20 minutes to Matsumoto. The purpose of this trip was to watch the opera “The Marriage of Figaro” at the Seigi Ozawa Matsumoto Festival. Since we left home early, we had plenty of time, so we decided to visit Matsumoto Castle.
I have been visiting Matsumoto for about 20 years, but this is the first time I have seen Matsumoto Castle from close up. 1504 is said to be the year the castle was built, and it is magnificent and beautiful.
昔は天守閣からの眺めはこんなだったらしい。
The view from the castle tower used to be like this.
まだ時間があるので、あがたの森公園に行って散歩することにした。
Since there was still time, I decided to go to Agata no Mori Park for a walk.
ここです
Here it is.
さあそろそろフェスティバル会場に向かいましょう。
Now it’s time to head to the festival site.
松本市内は至る所にこの旗があり、歓迎ムードでいっぱい。
The city of Matsumoto is filled with a welcoming atmosphere with these flags everywhere.
ここがコンサート会場の松本市民芸術館
This is Matsumoto Citizen’s Art Center, the venue of the opera.
座席は4階席です。オペラは料金が高いからね
The seats are on the fourth floor. Opera is so expensive.
In this opera, I paid attention to the stage as well as to the conductor, Nodoka Okisawa. Ms. Okisawa became the third Japanese winner of the Besançon International Conducting Competition in 2019, following Seiji Ozawa and Kazuki Yamada. The way she conducted was so graceful that it reminded me of Carlos Kleiber, though that may be an exaggeration.
この日の最後は宿にチェックインして生ジョッキ缶！
We ended the day by checking into the inn and toasting with a can of draft beer!
After dropping my wife and daughter off at the hair salon, I went to the Shichirigahama shopping street for the summer festival yesterday. Konatsu is not fond of crowds, but she took a short walk.
このときは午前中で、まだそれほど人が多くなかったのでこなつも歩くことができた。
It was mid-morning and there were not so many people yet, so Konatsu was able to walk around.
My niece and her husband came to our house and we had dinner together. I wondered how it would be, since Konatsu is not good at meeting people for the first time. I wondered…
最初のうちはなかなか近寄ろうとせず、遠巻きに様子を見ていたのですが
Konatsu didn’t try to get close to them at first and was looking at them from a distance.
テーブルに食べ物が並び、こなつが大好物のお刺身が出てくると､､､
When the food was placed on the table and sashimi, Konatsu’s favorite dish, was served…
予想通りの展開でした。
It was just as I had expected.
姪のご主人からも生シラスを食べさせてもらい徐々に馴れていったね。
My niece’s husband gave her some raw shirasu to eat, and she gradually got used to them.
時間が経つにつれ落ち着きを取り戻してリラックスできるようになった。
As time went by, Konatsu became calmer and more relaxed.
The best four teams for the high school baseball championship tournament at Koshien Stadium came out yesterday. In fact, I thought that my alma mater would be able to participate in the tournament this year, so I had planned a cheering tour for the quarterfinals and booked a hotel more than a month ago. In the end, we didn’t make it, but we switched the cheering tour to a spectator tour and all the applicants went to the tournament.
新横浜から新幹線で新神戸を目指します。
Take the Shinkansen from Shin-Yokohama to Shin-Kobe.
混んでるかなと思ったけど乗車率は7割くらいだった。
I thought it would be crowded, but the boarding rate was about 70%.
京都を通過するときには雨が土砂降り､､､
By the time we passed through Kyoto, it was pouring rain,…
Arrived at Arima Onsen Station. Since we had time before check-in, we wanted to take the ropeway to the top of Mt. Rokko, but it was out of service due to bad weather that day.
仕方ないので時間まで温泉街を散策することにして､見つけた「ごんそば」でランチ。
We had no choice but to stroll around the hot spring resort until it was time to check in, and had lunch at “Gonsoba” that we found.
まあ旅先だし、昼ビールになるよねえ(笑)
Well, it’s a travel destination, so we had to have a beer for lunch, right?
そして東急ハーベスト有馬六彩に到着。
Then we arrived at Tokyu Harvest Club Arima Rokusai.
チェックイン後は温泉にゆっくり浸かって夕食の宴会に備えます。
After checking in, we soaked in the hot springs and prepared for the dinner banquet.
This time, we splurged a little on the “Kobe Beef Steak Course,” and the bottles of champagne, white wine, and red wine were empty (lol)…. And the next day
I really wanted to buy a box seat, but the quarterfinals at Koshien are so difficult to obtain that they are called platinum tickets, and I may have been lucky just to be able to buy this reserved infield center seat.
The seats were in this position. It was very comfortable, with a roof over my head and the wind blowing! We were very satisfied with our tour to Koshien, as we were able to see a powerful home run by Asano of Takamatsu Sho and a triple play that changed the course of the game in Osaka Toin vs. Shimonoseki Kokusai.
こんな楽しみもあったり､､､
There’s fun like this, and…
酔いが回って寝ちゃったヤツもいる(笑)
Some of them got drunk and fell asleep.
帰りの新幹線はスッカスカ！
There were hardly any passengers on the bullet train on the way home!
Japan is in the middle of summer vacation, but I was at work today. I took the Ken-O Expressway and then the Kan-Etsu Expressway to Gunma, but even at this time of the year, the expressways are crowded, but there was an accident on the opposite lane of the Kan-Etsu Expressway, so the road was closed. I was driving slowly for more than 10 km because everyone was watching the accident and driving slowly in the lane on my side.
I managed to arrive safely, finished my work, and was on my way home when the Tokyo-bound lane was congested with traffic for more than 20 km, starting at the Takasaka SA. I had no choice but to get off the expressway and take the local road home. Ahhh, I am so tired!
帰りは普段の倍の時間がかかったけれど、こなつが出迎えてくれれば疲れも吹っ飛ぶ！
It took me twice as long to get back home as it usually does, but having Konatsu there to greet me blew away any fatigue!
We toasted with beer, followed by sparkling red wine. This was also brought by a guest and cost 900 yen at Costco. But pretty tasty and great value for money!
Cooked eggplant, kelp and myoga. After this, there was Japanese buckwheat noodles to finish the meal, but I forgot to take a picture of it, so we moved on to dessert.
小田原土産の夏柑ゼリー
Natsukan jelly, a souvenir from Odawara
それとメロンがこの日のデザートでした。今回はお酒を控えめに飲んだので翌朝もスッキリ！
And melon was the dessert of the day. I drank less alcohol this time, so I felt refreshed the next morning!
翌日は朝から強い雨が降ったり止んだり、台風の影響を感じるねえ｡｡｡
The next day, it rained hard from the morning, and I could feel the effects of the typhoon.
“That was clever!” and a treat from the doctor after the injection. It took her many years to get used to this doctor, but Konatsu loves him so much now. I can no longer take her to other clinics.
今日、ついでに量ったこなつの体重は18.6kgで、良い状態をキープしています。
Today, Konatsu weighed in at 18.6 kg and is in good condition.
It was already past 18:00 at this time, but it was still hot and humid outside. Even so, Konatsu wagged her tail and began to walk with great enthusiasm.
夏至から2ヶ月近く経ち、暗くなるのが早くなってきたと感じるね。
Nearly two months have passed since the summer solstice, and it seems to be getting dark earlier and earlier.
散歩の途中でママの友達と会ったのだが、こなつはオヤツを貰えると思って尻尾フリフリ！
We met a friend of my wife’s on our walk, and Konatsu flicked her tail in anticipation of getting a treat.
オヤツいただきました！
I got a treat! and a smiling Konatsu.
再び歩き始め、龍口明神社の前を通り過ぎ、こなつのお友達のお宅の前まで行ったら､､､
We started walking again, passing by the Ryuguchi Myojinsha Shrine, and when we got to Konatsu’s friend’s house…
クロちゃんです！
It’s Kuro!
仲良しのワンコと会えてこなつは嬉しかったね。
Konatsu was happy to see her good friends.
今日はこなつの笑顔がたくさん見られた。
I saw a lot of smiles on Konatsu’s face today.
陽が落ちても暑さは変わらず、我々は家に戻ることにした。
As the sun went down and the heat remained the same, we decided to head back home.
At dawn, there was a huge thunderstorm. Konatsu, who does not like the sound of thunder, ran into the closet in the room where I was sleeping and was trembling. I couldn’t stand the sight of her, so I got in the car with Konatsu and drove around with music playing. That way, Konatsu seemed to be at ease since there was no sound of thunder in the car. Even though it was only 4:00 in the morning, lol.
午前中には雨が上がったので近所の公園に散歩に行ってきた。
The rain stopped in the morning, so I went to a neighborhood park to walk Konatsu.
I hope this will not continue. That said, Konatsu’s dislike of the sound of thunder and fireworks will probably never be cured now, so will she suffer the same thing again sometime in the future?
I made a short slideshow using images I have taken around Nishikamakura. It has been so hot lately that I rarely go out in the daytime and have nothing to talk about, so this is a bitter pill to swallow (lol).
そして少しでも涼しさを感じられるように、数日前にPCの背景画像を下の雪景色に変更した。
And to make it feel a little cooler, a few days ago I changed the background image on my PC to the snowy landscape below.
今年の2月に白馬に行った時のものです。今こんな場所があったら行きたいねえ｡｡｡
This is from a trip to Hakuba in February of this year. If there was a place like this now, I would love to go there.
It is a morning walk in the park. Everyone wants to take a walk while it is cool, so they gather one after another around 5:30 am. At that time of day, if the wind is blowing, it feels quite cool.
そして6時くらいには帰っていくのが最近の行動パターン
And everyone leaves around 6:00, which is the pattern of our recent walks.
こなつも公園を1周歩いてくると「もう帰ろう！」とばかりに車の前に向かいます。
After walking a lap around the park, Konatsu just said, “Let’s go home!” and headed for the car.
そして家に戻ると、こなつは朝ごはん
And back at home, Konatsu has breakfast.
こなつは2年前くらいからこれを主食にしています。カロリー控えめのシニア犬用フード。
Konatsu has been on this as her staple food for about 2 years now. This is a low calorie senior dog food.
ドライフードにシニア犬用の牛乳をかけて食べる。これがこなつの毎日の朝食。
Dry food with milk for senior dogs. This is Konatsu’s daily breakfast.
あっという間に食べ終わる。
It is eaten in no time.
「これで終わりじゃないよね？」と料理中のママをガン見している。
“This isn’t the end, is it?” Konatsu gazes at my wife while she is cooking.
こなつの期待通り、私のお皿にはこなつ用の目玉焼きが半分乗っている(笑)
As Konatsu expected, I have half a fried egg on my plate for Konatsu (lol).
It’s good that Konatsu has an appetite, and I’d be more worried if she stopped eating like she did sometime ago. Eating fried eggs is also part of her daily routine. I’m careful to control Konatsu’s calories, and the veterinary doctor says it’s OK to have no more than one fried egg a day.
The house is covered with Konatsu hairballs everywhere. It’s going to stay like this for the next two months. By the way, this is a continuation of the high school baseball game I wrote about last time.
昨日、母校の応援に行ってきました。スタンドは両校のファンでこんなに埋まっていた。
Yesterday, I went to support my alma mater. The stands were so filled with fans of both schools.
この球場はかつて澤村とべーブルースが試合した由緒ある球場であり、二人の記念像が立っているのです。
This ballpark is a historic place where Sawamura and Babe Ruth once played a game, and a memorial statue of the two stands here.
さて試合の方は､､､
Now for the match…
両軍のピッチャーが頑張って0-0のジリジリした展開が続いたのですが､､､
Both pitchers did their best to keep the 0-0 jitters going, but…
Finally, in the bottom of the 8th inning, our alma mater scored a long-awaited run! Then, in the top of the 9th inning, our opponent’s offense got two outs and no runners on base, and with just one more out, we had won! We didn’t doubt our victory anymore, but…
What a surprise, from there they scored three runs and lost the game in reverse order. We could only be stunned, and with that, our team’s summer was over.
Today I’m talking about high school baseball. The National High School Baseball Championship of Japan, commonly known as “Summer Koshien”, is an annual nationwide high school baseball tournament. It is the largest scale amateur sport event in Japan, even as soccer continues to gain more attention. There are about 3,500 teams participating nationwide. Currently, my alma mater is also competing in the Shizuoka Prefecture Tournament for a berth in the Koshien Tournament. They won yesterday’s game to remain in the top 8, and will play in the quarterfinals tomorrow.
A friend of mine who went to the ballpark yesterday to cheer for the team sent this photo. The cheering scene is the same as it was 50-60 years ago when I was a student at the school, which can be said to be a continuation of tradition. And this year, too, a new legend will be born. People call it a sacred place.
サヨナラ勝ちして歓喜の瞬間！
A moment of jubilation after winning the game!
さあ明日の準々決勝には私も草薙球場に応援に駆け付けます。さて、どうなることやら｡｡｡
The yellow one in the upper right is my alma mater. Now, I will be at the stadium to cheer for them in the quarterfinals tomorrow. Well, I wonder what will happen…
According to the weather forecast, the hot days are likely to continue for a while with little rainfall. I heard that even in Europe, temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in many places…something must be done about this global warming.
こなつの夕方の散歩はいつもこのくらい暗くなってからです。それでも帰ってくると､､､
Konatsu’s evening walks are always taken this late in the evening. Still, when she returns,,,
水をガブガブ飲んで、その後はすぐに横たわって動こうとしない。
She takes a gulp of water, and then immediately lies down and refuses to move.
私がベランダに出ても追ってこようとしないし､､､
When I go out on the balcony, Konatsu doesn’t try to follow me…
ゴロゴロしてばかり。こなつも夏バテ気味なのかね？
Konatsu just keeps stumbling around. Is she also suffering from summer fatigue?
The first and second times, I waited and waited, but by the fourth time, I was like, “Again? Up to the third time, I had taken Pfizer, but this time I took Moderna, which is rumored to have strong adverse reactions. I was worried about what kind of symptoms I might have, but today I invited my friends over for a drinking party at my house.
ビールはよりどりみどり
Beers are more plentiful
こなつも準備万端
Konatsu is ready to go.
最初のおつまみは刺身。ということはこなつの出番だね！
The first appetizer is sashimi. Which means it’s Konatsu’s turn!
