Unsuccessful hunting, Soba farm, Distant memory of the woods

When I was working in the garden as usual yesterday, Hikaru was rushing toward me with something in his mouth. What? Was the poor victim a mouse? No, it was smaller than it. Any small animal like a mole? Mole could never be in the brightness out of soil. Running around me as if bragging the game, he eventually had it fall before me. It has flapped into the sky. It was a small bird, possibly a sparrow. Hikaru ran after it to the fence. And he has given it up on the top of the fence looking after that bird.

In the drizzly gloomy day, he occupies this place beside the window, where he could monitor around the garden. Mostly, just napping. He has completely recovered from the trauma and septic condition. Regaining even more appetite than before. He still sometimes waits for us before a cupboard where Churu is stored. But dry food is OK for him now. He seems to aim at 10kg of body weight.

It is a typical day of the rainy season. While rain won't drop, I have pulled some weeds. No end of the job. Yesterday, the 2nd batch of potatoes was harvested. Leek was taken from the farm and cooked for side material to boiled mackerel with sweetened miso. I have forgotten taking its picture. It is a common family dish in Japan.

The neighbor farmer has planted soba in his farm. It has grown and is blooming like this. Soba is often used as green manure. It also adjusts the nutrients in the spoil since it absorbs nutrients much. The white flowers look like a carpet.

As reiterated in this blog, there used to be woods like that behind the soba farm when I grew up here. I was here only for a few years and had gone to Tokyo before I entered elementary school. The memory is only sketchy. Wind was blowing among trees in the woods. People in the sanatorium singing hymn every morning. It was the very first memory in my life. The woods has extended a few miles to a town near by. Of course, it has been developed into residential and industrial area now. The woods being there in the same manner as decades ago even if it is smaller in size, it is still deeply moving to me. Starting my life here and going to end the journey at the same place.