４月１日（月曜日）２０２４
快晴の4月1日。久々に多賀大社にお朔日の参拝に行き、その後、神社裏の御神田の淡墨桜（うすずみざくら）を見に行きました。先日カフェにお見えになった名誉宮司のN様に今が見頃と教えていただいたからです。
御神田脇に３本の淡墨桜。どこから苗を移して植えられたか教えて下さったのですが、情けなくもいわれを忘れてしまいました。ピンクの桜が開花して次第に墨を薄くしたような淡い色に変わっていくのがこの淡墨桜。まるで水墨画のようです。私がいたボストンにも墓地の桜を見に地元の人が訪れますが、八重の濃い色の桜。この淡墨桜とはかなり趣が違います。
たんぽぽやつくしも少し前から顔を見せてワタゲになっているのも見られました。先日は庭にモンシロチョウが２羽ひらひら飛んでいるのをお客様が教えてくださり、ようやく明るい春がやってきた感じです。
April 1st was a clear fine day. After visiting Taga Taisha after a long time, I went to see Usuzumi-zakura at the back of shrine and side of shrine's rice field. It is a kind of cherry blossom but colored a little lighter than regular one. Mr. N, honorary shinto chief priest, let me know that it is a good time to view Usuzumi-zakura.
There are three cherry trees beside the shrine's rice field. Mr. N told me the story about why they planted it but I regret that I forgot it unfortunately. Mr. N said that it changes the color from pink to off pink when it fully opens. It looked like an ink painting and was so beautiful. When I was in Boston, people loved to go to the cemetery to see cherry blossoms. However the type of the cherry tree was different from Usuzumi-zakra. The cherry tree in Boston had double blossoms and a much darker color.
I saw dandelions and the field horsetails on the side of the road. One of the cafe's customers let me know that two cabbage butterflies were flying in my garden. I feel that the bright spring has come finally.
