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.
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.
Today is my wife’s day to go to the hair salon, so I dropped her off at Shichirigahama and decided to walk around Kamakura-Hiromachi Forest with Konatsu for about an hour and a half until she was done. I actually installed a pedometer app on my phone about a week ago, but I’m still up to about 8,000 steps/day. So, I decided to walk for exercise as well.
鎌倉広町緑地は市内で一番規模の大きな森で総面積は48ヘクタールだそうな。
Kamakura Hiromachi Forest is the largest forest in the city, with a total area of 48 hectares. (48 hectares is equivalent to 118 acres)
ではいつもの広場の駐車場に車を置いて、さあ出発！ 後ろの森が広町緑地の東端だ。
So we left the car in the parking lot of the usual plaza, and off we went! The forest behind us is the eastern edge of the Hiromachi Forest.
浄化センター入り口から森に入るとすぐに急坂を上る。
As soon as we entered the forest from the entrance of the purification center, we went up a steep slope.
動物の匂いがするのだろうか？こなつはあちこちでこうして匂いを嗅いでいる。
Does it smell like an animal? Konatsu is sniffing here and there like this.
After climbing up the hill, we came to this road, but it was still very up and down. The road was muddy from yesterday’s rain, so we had to be careful on the descents.
しばらく歩いていると､､､
After walking for a while…
木に番号を書いて透明なシートが貼り付けられていた。なんだろう？
There was a transparent sheet attached to the tree with a number written on it. What is it?
Apparently, this is what happened. I later found out that oak wilt has been confirmed in Kanagawa Prefecture in the past few years, causing widespread damage to Quercus serrata and Shii oak trees. It is said that the fungus is brought inside the trees by a small insect called “kashinaga”. As a countermeasure, they are injecting medicine into the trees and wrapping sheets around them.
その被害に遭った木はこうなってしまうんだって。知らなかった。
This is what happens to the trees that are damaged. I didn’t know that.
再び散歩に戻ります。我々は⑪の入り口から入り、現在⑬に来ています。
Back to the walk again. We entered through entrance ⑪ and are now at ⑬.
From here, we could see Sagami Bay and beyond that, the Miura Peninsula. After this, I plan to walk to the entrance of ⑭Shichirigahama, leave the forest, and walk the outer course back to the starting point.
ここが七里ヶ浜出口。さっきの入り口からの距離は2kmちょっとくらいかな。
This is the Shichirigahama exit. The distance from the entrance is about 2km.
出るとすぐに住宅街
As soon as we got out, it was a residential area.
ここからはいつも車で通っている道を下って行きます。
From here, we went down the same road we always drive on.
On the way, there is a pond called “A pond begging for rain.”. There is a legend that during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), when the area was suffering from a drought, Saint Nichiren chanted a sutra here and it rained heavily.
下り坂が続くからこなつの足取りも軽いね。
Konatsu’s footsteps were light as she continued downhill.
この突き当りで下り坂が終了
At the end of the road, the descent ends.
こなつもやれやれという顔だ。
Konatsu also looked tired.
ようやく出発地点の浄化センターが見えてきた。
At last, we could see the purification center where we started.
よく歩いたなあ､､､と歩数計を見てみると
When I looked at my pedometer, I realized that I had walked a lot…..
No way ! I only walked 4,800 steps. But well, I went up and down the mountain path, so I got more exercise than my steps! I can’t help but feel satisfied with myself lol
I was expecting to be able to drive on snowy roads again since heavy snow was forecasted, but it started raining in the morning. and when I went to work, it started snowing around noon in Tokyo. The Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway had closed some of its routes in preparation for the heavy snow, and I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic if it snowed heavily, so I left work early and came home.
家に帰ってきたときには丁度こなつの夕方の散歩の時間。今日はママが連れて行ってくれるらしい。 When I came home, it was just time for Konatsu’s evening walk. My wife was going to take her out today.
I was going to go with her to take a picture of Konatsu, but when I went outside to take a test shot, the snow didn’t show up at all, so I decided not to go.
こなつは「なんで一緒に行かないの」って顔してるけどね。
Konatsu has a “why don’t you go with me” look on her face, though.
Can you see it’s snowing in this picture? But it doesn’t look like it’s going to be all white with snow… Having grown up in a warmer climate, I’m always happy when there’s snow on the ground.
Konatsu would go back and forth between the two of us and finally be satisfied. For Konatsu, this may be like a dessert. I am careful not to take in too many calories so as not to make her fat.
She still looks like she doesn’t have enough, but we don’t give her any more. Konatsu seems to understand that this is the end, and doesn’t ask for more. She is a very perceptive dog.
When Konatsu found someone over there and approached him …
甲斐犬の信玄君だった。今、4歳か5歳くらいだったかな。
It was Shingen, a Kai Ken. He is about 4 or 5 years old now. Kai Ken is a Japanese dog. It is said that he is faithful to his owner and does not bark in vain.
歩いているうちに辺りは薄暗くなり､､､
As I walked, the area became dim …
家に戻った時には日没直後、キレイだね。そして、その翌々日の今朝はとても寒い。
When I got home, it was beautiful right after sunset. And it was very cold this morning the day after that.
朝の散歩からもどったこなつは毛布の上が気持ちいいようで、ここから動こうとしない。
Konatsu, who returned from the morning walk, seems to feel comfortable on the blanket and does not move from here.
歳を取って寒さに弱くなってきたのだろうか｡｡｡ それともここの居心地が良いだけのこと？
I wonder if Konatsu has become vulnerable to the cold as she gets older .. Or is it just a cozy place here?
I am on winter holidays from today. Even if it’s winter holidays, it’s the same as usual to get up early in the morning and go for a walk with Konatsu.
日の出直前の七里ヶ浜です
Just before sunrise
今朝も寒くて足元は凍っていますが、ワンコ達は元気いっぱい。
It’s cold this morning and the ground is frozen, but the dogs are full of energy.
A few hours later, here is Odakyu OX on the Kugenuma coast. While my wife was shopping, I was killing time while taking a walk in the Prefectural Shonan Coastal Park with Konatsu.
いつもとは逆の方向から見る江ノ島です。
It is Enoshima seen from the opposite side as usual.
右も左もサーファーでいっぱい。今日から休みの人が多いんだろうね。
Both right and left are full of surfers. I think there are many people on winter holidays from today.
いつもは波打ち際まで行くのは嫌がるのに今日は平気な様子。波の音を聞きながらの散歩は気持ち良いね。
Konatsu usually doesn’t like to go to the beach, but she looks fine today. It feels good to take a walk while listening to the sound of the sea.
My wife cleaned up the house and decorated it for Christmas. Then I pulled out the paintings that had been closed and hung them on the wall, and it was completed.
玄関だけですが、それらしい雰囲気にはなったでしょう。
It’s just the entrance, but it has a Christmas-like atmosphere.
There was such a cat next to the entrance, and Konatsu and the cat glared at each other. The Yokosuka Line passes there, and because of the amazing sound, this game draw (lol)
