Ukraine is on day 47. We can know about the devastation in the cities and the people there as it is reported on the news, but I am observing the situation from the perspective of someone who lives with his pets.
The following is from the UAnimals article. Ukrainians who managed to escape shelling and massacres by Russian troops have arrived in Zaporozhye. Even in the most difficult times of their lives, many of these people did not abandon their animals and took refuge with them.
もちろん彼らの気持ちはよく分かるし、このすべての人が無事であってほしい。
Of course I understand how they feel and I hope all of these people are safe.
The weather is about to change from spring to early summer, and as I turn around in the garden, I see that many of the flowers my wife is growing are in bloom. I hardly know the names of the flowers, so I’ll just put up pictures.
これだけ一斉に咲けばキレイだとは思うが、草花音痴の私はコメントのしようがない。
I think it would be beautiful if they bloomed all at once like this, but I can’t comment appropriately.
何が楽しいんだか、急に笑顔になったよ。
I don’t know what’s so fun, Konatsu suddenly smiled.
We are having such a peaceful evening, but it has been 45 days since Ukraine was invaded by Russia. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this image from the UAnimals site, but it’s a scene that should not be happening on the planet we live on.
Railroad crossing in front of Kamakura High School. This is a famous photo spot, and there were already a few people coming to take pictures at this hour.
広場に到着
Arriving at the park
まだみんな居るね、間に合って良かった。
You’re all still here, I’m glad I made it.
さあ、ご挨拶に行こう！
Now let’s go say hello!
オーストラリアン・ラブラドゥードゥルのアンズちゃん
Anzu, an Australian Labradoodle
黒ラブのボビーちゃんと、白ラブのヒナちゃん
Bobby, a black lab, and Hina, a white lab
バーニーズ・マウンテンドッグのルフナちゃん
Rufna, a Bernese Mountain Dog
BMDのルフナちゃん、水を豪快に飲む！
BMD Rufna, drinking water with gusto!
最後にキレイに足を洗って、これで朝のお散歩終了です。
Finally, the doggie’s feet are washed clean, and this concludes the morning walk.
Fuji, which is usually clearly visible, is only faintly visible due to the spring haze. Fuji at the top of the cape on the right, but you can hardly see it.
I left work early and arrived home to find that my wife and Konatsu were out for a walk. I thought that if I walked around the neighborhood, I would see them sooner or later, so I walked over…
やっぱりね。向こうからこなつとシバちゃんが歩いてきた！犬が2頭と姦し娘3人
I knew it. Konatsu and Shiba walked in from the distance! Two dogs and three people.
このくらいまで近づいたら、こなつは私に気が付いて走り出そうとしている。
When I get this close, Konatsu finally notices me and is about to start running.
そして、私のところまで来たこなつは顔が笑ってる。
And Konatsu’s face is smiling when she comes to me.
シバちゃんは両目義眼だけど、こうしてちゃんと歩けるんです。凄いね。
Shiba has artificial eyes in both eyes, but he can walk like this. That’s amazing.
家で待っていたら0歩、こうして歩けば3,000歩。わずかな時間だけど運動になりました。
If I waited at home, I would have taken zero steps; if I walked this way, I would have taken 3,000 steps. It was only a short time, but it was good exercise.
Today, I am going on a business trip to Gunma, and my wife is out of town for a few hours on business, so Konatsu has no choice but to stay at home. Konatsu seemed to somehow realize this and was making a slight resistance, a slight gesture of intent.
こ：「何だかイヤな気配を感じるんですけど､､､」
Ko: “I have a bad feeling about this…”
そういうときはドアの前でへそ天して「アタシを置いて行くつもり？」とアピールする。
At such times, Konatsu would stick her belly out in front of the door and say, “Are you going to leave me?” and appeal to us.
This ballpark has a long history and is also known as the place where Sawamura pitched a great game when the American baseball team, led by Babe Ruth, came to Japan right after the war. Japanese professional baseball has the Sawamura Award, which is the equivalent of the Cy Young Award in American Major League Baseball.
スタジアムの入り口付近にはその二人の像が立っており、待ち合わせ場所としても有名。
Statues of the two men stand near the entrance to the stadium, which is also a famous meeting place.
And the games begin. This spring tournament also decides the seeded schools for the prefectural qualifying rounds of the summer Koshien Tournament, so the results are very interesting for the alma mater’s supporters like us.
The result was a 19-0 cold game in which they dominated the opposing team. Our team will now qualify for the prefectural tournament, and if they finish in the top 8 in the prefecture, they will be seeded.
楽しい一日を過ごしてきました。
We have had a fun day.
帰ってくるとこなつが「アタシを置いてどこにいってたの！？」という顔してるようにも見えるが､､､
When I came home, Konatsu asked, “Where did you go without me?” I think she’s saying.
I have decided to change the top page image for a while. It has been 36 days since the Russian invasion began in Ukraine, and the lives of many people and many animals are still threatened. I know some of you have been accessing this site from Ukraine, and am praying for your safety !
Here’s another one from the UAnimals article. Berlin is now one of the largest centers for refugees, with thousands of migrants passing through Berlin Station every day. And since many people don’t leave their important dogs behind and travel together, Berlin Station is like a dog show with many dogs.
When I started the shower, Konatsu ran around even in the small bathroom, and the photo above shows her finally taking a stand and rinsing off the shampoo.
今日は天気がいいのでベランダでこなつを乾かすことになり､､､
Since the weather was nice today, I decided to dry Konatsu on the balcony.
To finish, bring an ironing board to the balcony, place Konatsu on it, and dry it. This is because Konatsu will run around if you try to dry her normally, so I put her on the ironing board to prevent her from escaping.
最後はブラシで整えて終了です。
The final step is to brush the hair to finish the process.
こなつママと二人がかりでないと出来ない作業だね。
That’s a task that takes two people, my wife and I, to do.
In the past, this road used to be jammed with cherry blossom viewing cars during the cherry blossom season. However, now that the cherry trees have become old and their blossoms have diminished, the traffic jam no longer exists.
約1時間の散歩して家の近くまで戻ってきたらルナちゃんに会えた。
After about an hour’s walk, we came back near our house and saw Luna.
もう15歳？16歳？のルナちゃんは、今日はカートに乗ってお散歩でした。
Is she already 15 or 16 years old? Luna, who is now a very old girl, took a walk in a cart today.
こなつはルナちゃんのパパが大好きだからしばらくの間撫でられて嬉しそうにしている。
Konatsu loves Luna’s owner and is happy to be petted for a while.
Health checkup for Konatsu. It is time for filaria testing and rabies vaccinations. Konatsu is a senior dog, so we have been doing detailed blood tests at the same time for several years, and we went to the veterinary clinic today.
As usual, Konatsu, who hates clinic, starts shivering as he enters the waiting room. But for some reason, she also goes to check on the examination room.
今日はこなつだけしか来院してなかったので、ゆっくり時間をかけて診察してもらえました。
Since only Konatsu visited the clinic today, the doctor spent plenty of time examining her.
The doctor and I talked about Konatsu’s blog, so I was allowed to take these pictures. Once Konatsu is on the examination table, she becomes quiet and does as she is told, no matter what is done to her.
The other blood test results were: PCV/blood concentration was high until last year, but returned to normal this year. I am glad to hear that the diet control is going well. On the other hand, ALT/liver enzymes were high and may be chronic hepatitis. This will be rechecked in a month.
This is a prophylactic eye drop for cataracts. Konatsu was examined by a testing machine. The lens of the eye is a protein, but due to oxidation (=aging), its components are lost and it becomes cloudy. In the process, the lens becomes distorted at first, and when this happens, light is diffusely reflected and the lens appears white. Konatsu is now in this state, and although the lens is not yet cloudy, it was decided to use eye drops in the future as a preventive measure. Overall, there are no major problems and she still seems to be in good health.
It had been a long time since I went to a concert, and since Covid-19 expanded, many of the scheduled concerts were cancelled, so I didn’t get a chance to go. I don’t remember exactly, but it’s been probably about two years since I’ve been to a concert.
サントリーホールに向かう途中の、ここは虎ノ門あたり。こなつも一緒に乗っています。
On the way to Suntory Hall, here around Toranomon. Konatsu is on boarding with us.
高速道路が空いていたので家から1時間ちょっとで到着！
The highway wasn’t busy, so we got there in a little over an hour from home!
Today is a duo recital by these two musicians. Daishin Kashimoto is the concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, and Yu Kosuge is a pianist living in Germany and active in Europe, a combination that is not often heard in Japan. We had a very good time.
This is the program of the day. After the end of the program, my wife said, “I think Daishin’s violin sound has changed.” I checked the Internet and found out that he was playing “Do Berio” by Guarneri del Gesu, which he had recently acquired, and this was the first time he had played this piece in Japan. It was great that she noticed that.
樫本大進の動画です。これは珍しい、サイモン・ラトルとのデュオ
Here is a video of Daishin Kashimoto. This is a rare duo with Simon Rattle.
こちらはサンサーンス作曲のヴァイオリン・コンチェルト
This is the Violin Concerto by Saint-Saens. Nice piece.
It was a late-night earthquake. Right after I turned off the TV and got into bed, I thought, “Huh? Earthquake. The shaking gradually increased, and Konatsu seemed surprised to see what was going on.
I hurriedly turned on the TV and saw that another earthquake had hit the Tohoku region, this time measuring 6 on the Japanese seismic scale. I can only hope that the people in that area must have been scared and that the damage was minimal.
I was watching the JMA conference and found this data. They said that the tremor was transmitted to Kamakura, where I live, in 55 seconds after the earthquake warning was issued. The “0” in the center means that the earthquake had already shaken when the warning was issued. If it had been a huge earthquake, we wouldn’t have been able to escape.
This earthquake is said to have a magnitude of 7.4, but even so, the Tohoku Expressway broke ground and the Shinkansen bullet train derailed. This reminds us of how powerful the 2011 earthquake was, which measured 9.0 on the Richter scale.
話は変わって、今朝から近所のお宅で工事が始まり、その音でこなつは何だか落ち着かない。
On a different note, construction began this morning at a neighbor’s house, and the noise made Konatsu somewhat restless.
工事車両を見下ろしているが、大きい音がするたびにこなつの身体がビクッと動く(笑)
Looking down at the construction vehicles, Konatsu’s body jerks when she hears a loud noise (lol).
一方、庭はだんだん春らしくなってきた。
Meanwhile, the garden is gradually becoming more like spring.
私は今日から5連休。こなつを連れてどこかに行こうかと思うが天気が怪しい､､､
I have 5 consecutive holidays starting today. I’m thinking of taking Konatsu somewhere, but the weather is doubtful…
More news from Ukraine today. For 20 days, Ukraine has suffered from the actions of its Russian occupiers. Despite fatigue and all the risks, keepers continue to do their best to help the animals. Today, Team UAnimals provided financial assistance to several shelters to help their animals. Today Kyiv volunteers distributed food to residents who could not afford to buy food for their pets. Some exciting news. At the blockaded Gostomel shelter, today the 78 year old facility owner did a great job and brought a generator that will bring water to the shelter. Together with him we donated 70 liters of gasoline, 500 kg of dog food, and food for the shelter staff. This will help the shelter residents survive.
Day 15 of WAR: Animal rescue status. The war with the Russian invaders has been going on in Ukraine for more than two weeks. In such difficult conditions, UAnimals team continues to rescue animals. Unfortunately, the situation is critical for many shelters. Many of them are still blocked by Russian troops and are in the area of active shelling. It is impossible to get to such shelters, especially since it is not possible to evacuate animals from there. This means that with each passing day, the lives of every animal in blocked shelters are becoming more and more endangered. We try to stay in touch with shelter owners and look for ways to save animals. Today we helped the Kyiv Botanical Garden by providing it with 100 kg of fodder. In the garden, local volunteers sheltered hungry animals from the private sector nearby. They also helped with horse feed at the Kyiv Hippodrome. In addition, our team provided funds to the veterinary clinic “Asti” (Pechenizskaya 35) for the purchase of medicines, equipment and feed for sick animals. This clinic provides free treatment for injured animals. Besides, assistance from UAnimals was sent to Kharkiv Zoo. Another 1,100 kg of feed we sent for the needs of Odessa animals. Today, UAnimals team began evacuating two bears and a wolf from Chernivtsi and Kamianets-Podilskyi to Romania. We do not forget to monitor the situation with animals in small towns and villages and situationally help local shelters. UAnimals team is sincerely grateful to you for your support during these difficult days for Ukraine. Everything will be Ukraine! 🇺🇦
Everyday I look at facebook and see one after another updates on the UAnimals page about the pets. In Japan, the news coverage is rather pro-Ukrainian, but in the rest of the world, I am sure there are many different reports depending on the position of each country. Still, attacks on unarmed civilians are not acceptable, and the pets are only victims.
We can only hope that both the dogs and their owners are safe. This is the least I can do, but I hope it will convey the message that there are people in faraway Japan who care about the dogs and their owners.
My wife had a tough time with adverse reactions both the first and second time, but I’m not sure about this time. She has been home for 3 hours after the vaccination and so far seems to be fine.
12歳と3日のこなつ、頂いたプレゼントで遊んでいます。
Konatsu, 12 years and 3 days old, playing with a gift she received.
I like the towel with her name and initials on it. Konatsu is living comfortably without any worries, but on the other hand, news of pets is coming from Ukraine, and I feel unbearable when I see articles about pets and not being able to evacuate because of them.
UAnimalsのfacebookから写真をお借りしました。
I borrowed the photo from UAnimals facebook.
誰かゴルゴ13の連絡先知らないかな？
Does anyone have contact information for Golgo 13? lol
Today is Konatsu’s 12th birthday. Konatsu became a part of our family when she was a puppy of about 5 months old, but it seems like it was just a while ago. We must be getting older too.
これはこなつが我が家に来て1ヶ月くらいの頃です。
This was about a month after Konatsu came to our house.
最近のこなつは少し足腰が衰え始めたか？と思えるような時もあります。例えば車に乗り降りする際に躊躇して、抱っこされるのを待つように動かずに待っていたり、家の階段で足を踏み外したり。ランでは元気に走るからまだ心配ないとは思うけど、気を付けて見守る必要はありそうだ。 Recently, Konatsu’s legs and feet have started to deteriorate a little. For example, she hesitates when getting in and out of the car. For example, when getting in and out of the car, he hesitates and waits without moving as if she is waiting to be carried, or she steps off the stairs at home. Konatsu runs well at the dogpark, so I don’t think we need to worry about her, but we do need to watch her carefully.
We have the Doll Festival on March 3. It’s the day to pray for healthy growth and happiness for young girls. Most families with girls display dolls called Hina-ningyo. This is my daughter’s doll, but it’s also for Konatsu.
All the parking lots in the city center were full because of the influx of tourists today. One by one, cars wandered into the alleys looking for a parking space, but…
裏道に入っても全て満車なのです。そういう私はどうしたかと言うと､､､
Even if you take the back roads, they are all full. So what did I do?
あるんですよねえ、これが(笑)
There is a parking lot that only the locals know about, lol.
ママの買い物を待つ間、私とこなつは人の少ない静かな所を散歩してきました。
While waiting for my wife to go shopping, Konatsu and I went for a walk in a quiet place with few people.
今日は人力車も大忙しのようだね。
It looks like the rickshaws are very busy today.
この辺りはちょっと歩くとお寺が沢山ある。ここ↑は蛭子神社、「ひるこじんじゃ」と読みます。 There are many temples in this area if you walk around a bit. Hereupon is Hiruko Shrine.
小町大路を歩いているところです。もう少し先まで歩くと
We are walking along Komachi-oji.
妙本寺の山門が見えてきます。
The main gate of Myohonji Temple came into view.
ここは静かで気持ちの良いお寺で、ここも頼朝や日蓮上人と関係が深いお寺だそう。
This is a quiet and pleasant temple, and I heard that this temple is also closely related to Yoritomo and Saint Nichiren. ※Yoritomo,he established Kamakura shogunate and was the very first general of the Kamakura shogunate.
境内には日蓮上人の像もある。
There is also a statue of Saint Nichiren in the precincts.
参道にこんな旗が立っていました。やっぱりねという感じ。
Kamakura is now a very popular tourist destination, and TV historical dramas are on the air. This is the flag that tells us that this temple is a place with a connection to that history.
賑わいはまだ序の口、おそらくGWの頃には凄いことになるんだろうね｡｡｡
It’s only the beginning of the crowds, but it will probably be great around the holidays in May.
