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My own group
Either they forgot I am new or I’ve graduated from assistant because when I showed up to the staff meeting today before the junior high students arrived, my initial was next to one of the planting areas. Not me and Kawasaki-san as usual. Just me. Oooooh! Exciting. A bit scary, too. Fortunately, my mentor was…
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Rainy planting
We had an epic rainstorm yesterday. Two schools had scheduled rice planting sessions at Oyama Senmaida. The morning group cancelled their visit. The afternoon group of 124 second year middle schoolers (7th grade) came anyway. I was on planting duty, and I dressed for “I will get soaked no matter what I wear.” I opted…
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A Fine Evening in May
This is one of the loveliest seasons in Japan: Rikka, the beginning of summer. Days are warm, nights still cool, and humidity low. Not too many biting insects. Perfect for outdoor activities; good weather is motivating. Here is a vignette of May 11th at 555. On this fine afternoon, Tod re-mowed paths around the property…
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Fledgling, a tragedy
I was at my desk late this afternoon working when I heard the cat door thunk, followed by loud, distressed squeaks. I ran downstairs to find Beryl skulking back outside with a bird in her mouth. It looked limp and lifeless. I tried to encourage her to drop it but she kept running away. When…
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Chaotic 5th graders
The Oyama Senmaida staff have all been telling me how random the 5th grade classes can be when they come to plant rice. I didn’t quite believe them. But today I saw it for myself. Ninety Tokyo-based 5th graders turned up on a field trip to plant rice. Hara-san, Kawasaki-san and I prepared two paddies…
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Post-GW Garden Report
Two weeks off weeding to enjoy time with guests has put me far behind the curve of growth. We had a big rain that kept me indoors yesterday so I ventured out this morning to have a look at the situation around the property. Mist was rising out of the valley and it was beautifully…
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Week two, what did we do?
Jeanie and Tim are returning home today and I have a week’s worth of memories to journal. I tried to take more photos this time, but I still failed to capture all the moments. Tuesday, April 30: A slow morning. Laundry. It was rainy so we spent a day at home. There might have been…
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Happy 55th
Tod’s mom baked his favorite birthday cake and we invited friends over to enjoy it with us. We spent the day preparing. Tim & I hung lights in the garden while Jeanie baked. Evening came and so did the guests. Our first party on the patio was a success. Happy birthday, Tod!
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Farmpark Koi Nobori
Today I participated in a children’s festival at the newly opened Soil to Soul Farmpark. The weather was perfect, there was a huge turnout and 23 people made koi nobori at my stall. I sold almost all the large fish and about half the small ones, which was opposite of what I guessed I’d do.…
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How an Artist Builds a Fence
Engineers, please do not read. In my imagination and vision, the patio still has some tasks to accomplish. One of them is putting up a fence to wall off the garden compost pile (formerly Gomi-yama #2) from the sitting area. A fence would make a visible end to the space and also provide a background…
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