John, 9V1VV, and Brahms' 2nd symphony

It was in May 15 years ago when I met John Davies, 9V1VV, in person. A year or two prior to his visit here, we have run across on 40m CW. He was running an electronic keyer as a bug and seemed to be oriented to ragchewing on CW. That is why we have had so many QSOs ever since.

He was born in the Republic of South Africa and has moved to England in his boyhood days. After his father, he has started doing with radio and later has become a R/O. He seemed to have spent his young days from his twenties to thirties on aboard as a R/O. He used to tell me he had had a lot of communications with radio operators at commercial stations all over the world. He could tell who was on the key from the characteristics of keying. In late thirties in his life, he started his career as an engineer ashore in Singapore. Later, he has found himself reading the ad signs with Morse code without being conscious of that. He wanted to come back the world of Morse code communication and decided to be a ham. I wonder if this short description of his bio is not comprehensive but good enough.

I met him at a local station. A tall and smiling gentleman was there. I took him to my home and let him see my station with nothing particular set up. I have told about FOC, a British CW Club, which I had been active in and he has become a member in a few years. 

In May 15 years ago, as we promised, I met him at a local train station. At the small concourse, a tall gentleman has stood smiling at me. I took him to my home and let him show my humble shack. It was the day of the local orchestra rehearsal. I was supposed to attend it by any means since it was very close to the concert then. I impudently asked him if he would go there with me. His reply was affirmative. Maybe, by that time, I knew he had been a classical music lover. His concern was mainly baroque, I guess. He has, however, an extensive knowledge even in the music of the other ages. 

The rehearsal place was a hall in the midst of farms. Rice has been newly planted everywhere, I believe. Through the hall window, some trees were seen as this photo shows. They were swaying slightly with comfortable breeze coming over the watered rice paddies. He has listened to the rehearsal and told me this orchestra was well trained on the way back. I thought it was a diplomatic compliment. But I was still pleased to know he had not been bored with it. He seemed to have walked around the hall as well.    

The other orchestra members have welcomed this British gentleman visiting the orchestra rehearsal. 

Again, I am amazed to have had such a long period of friendship with him. Several years later, he has visited Tokyo with his son and wife. We have had a pleasant lunch together at a restaurant close to my mother school. Time sure flies so fast. He has become the editor of the FOC magazine, FOCUS, while I quit the club as well as ham radio itself. As a proverb says, those who go first will be last and those who follow will be first. Sometime in the future, hopefully, I would join him on the air by some means.

On the way back to the railway station after the rehearsal, he told me he would recall of the symphony we practised then. It was Brahms' 2nd symphony. Whenever I listen to this piece, I also recall the spring time when we met in person, and of himself as well.

Again Apres Un Reve and farming

 As I repeatedly told in this blog, my wife and I have played "Apres us Reve" at the wedding ceremony, my wife with piano and I with cello, believing that bad company telling us it was the only chance for us to compulsorily listen to our performance. Even though the ceremony was starting around noon, we were practising it at the student hall in the morning hours. Taking the instrument, we headed to the wedding hall on a taxi. How about the gig? Far away from my memory. 

Living in a small resident dorm, we were not so busy for half a year or so as it would be later. Having supper at the hospital staff restaurant, always some fries, we have gone to the student dorm hall, where we could play table tennis or play piano. Not too often, we have played some simple pieces like "Swan" by Saint Saens or this "Apre us Reve". Time was flowing slowly. It was the prelude of the hell busy days coming to us soon. In that respect, this piece is one of the unforgettable pieces for me.

Here is another excellent performance of this piece by a spanish cellist. Fairly slow tempo. At the refrain, they go faster and stronger as if they would go passinately after the dream all the way. I believe this portion should be played in this way. I love their performance so much.

By the way, less time for music at present. But I am spending much of time in the garden farm preparing for summer vegetables. I won't rely on pesticides or even chemical fertilizers. I would go with compost made from pulled weeds, rice bran or organic nutrients. It is a challenge. But the crops always taste better and could last longer after being harvested than the products by conventional farming. It's worth trying to. In a couple of weeks, when we have least chances for frost, it would be the time to plant the seedlings or to seed in the farm. It is a fun to see them growing.

New furnitures

 My wife has been complaining of backache when asleep on a couch before TV. It is an old one we bought almost 30 years ago. Its cushion is "tired" and the central portion was settled a bit, which might be causing her backache. We have talking of purchasing a new couch. It could be a present commemorating her retirement. 

We have been to a big furniture store and found a good couch with spring cushion. It might be resilient enough and would last long, at least, for another decade until either of us go to heaven and the other would come into a facility for aged. We have decided to purchase it. It is already set in the living dining room. It was not a perfect solution to her backache but has still been of help to her. She is watching TV lying there with our cat Hikaru. 

I also have been considering of replacing my chair in my room. Pretty old one. A portion of the back fur was torn. At the store, I was fascinated by this chair made in Norway. It seemed good for relaxation. Honestly, the size is a bit too big for reading or writing etc. The reclining is, however, perfect. I love it so much. Again, it may accompany with me for the rest of my life.

We also replaced the bed mattresses. The old ones were almost 40 years old and again pretty tired for cushioning. The new ones have tight spring cushion. The manufacturer says it is a high density continuous spring system with polyesther hollow structure on each side. The tension is high and evenly distributed. In addition, as they advertize, it would last for 10 or 20 years, longer than the other types of beds. It is long enough for us. 

Most of our furnitures or electrical items are getting old as the owners are. It will be the last timing to replace them now. We won't spend much money for travelling or the other enjoyments any longer. We might be allowed to waste some for such a thing now.

Azalea blooming and my mother's anniversary soon

This row of azalea was planted along the entrance almost 40 years ago. I can't remember if we asked some gardener to do that or if I have done it with my father. Too long time has passed. It is called Satsuki, a kind of azalea, which stands for May in Japanese. Or the season when this tree blooms might be called Satsuki. It used to come out typically in May. But it is flowering earlier like this.

As written elsewhere my mother used to sit at the place this row of azalea ended late afternoon wathcing people and cars going on the street. It was some time after my father had passed away and when she suffered from dementia. She was as if waiting for my father coming home. 

As written elsewhere in this blog, in April of 2009, she has been gone to Miyagi where my brother and his wife cared for her. My brother and his wife wanted to be with her. It turned out a bit tough for them to do so and she was admitted to a facility there, where she has suffered from the big earthquake and eventually died at a hospital also in April of 2011. She has wanted to come here. She might have dreamed of this azalea or magnolia coming out in the garden.   

In April of 2009, she was on my brother's car heading north to Miyagi. She was excited as if going for another trip like used to do for many times. She has not known it was the last trip for her without coming back home here. The same photo was uploaded elsewhere.  

The flowers are out as if nothing has happened to us since those days.  

Along the street, the dogwood trees are literally in full blossom as well.  

My brother and his wife will visit here and the grave our parents are in eternal sleep in the beginning of next month.

 

A small collection of CDs sorted out

I wanted to put the CDs in order and, if possible, to record them as files in the hard disc. Then I could have quickly found the CD or sound source I would like to listen to. I would do that when retired. As a digital luddite, however, I felt inclined not to start that project but left them cluttered and scattered around at various places. It has been a task for me to find out a sound source necessary.

Some of them have been put in a few boxes. Giving up the above mentioned digitalization project, I decided to sort them out in more boxes with title. The total amount is not so many. Only 400 CDs or so. I have still found the CDs I have not listened for years. They were sorted out according to the composers into 10 boxes.  

It is a primitive system. But it won't be too long before I should give up listening to them. This is sufficient for me.

Arranging things in this way, I found my collection, not large enough at all, is confined to only limited genres of music. I should get more of such as Haydn, baroques or earlier music. I also would like to have more chamber music variety. Keyboard music is the genre I need to be more familiar with. I would not only enrich the collection but also enjoy the old favorites even more. 

This is for the bed room. I have the other sets of audio at my own room and at the living dining. I may bring a few CDs into those rooms when I would listen to them there.

 

Apple flowers Artificial pollination

We have a copule of apple trees in the lawn area. Their flowers are fully blooming right now. Some of them are already starting falling down. I remembered they had been different species of apple but was not sure if they were compatible with effective pollination between them. 

When I told a friend of mine that there had been very few apples borne in the past, I was told to do artificial pollination. I thought it had been done by bees. I should have kept bees for that purpose. Without bee keeping, I should do manual pollination.

A couple days ago, I have poliinated with a fluffy material of a earpick. I don't know if it will work or not. The 1st trial. After pollination, a wire has been tied to the base of each flower. About 10 of them were done with the procedure. Looking forward to having fresh apples in fall.

 A bit later from now in a year, I often heard Cap W0CCA proudly talking of the beautiful apple flowers blooming in his big orchard. Watching our 2 trees flowering in the way the photo shows, I always remember of his story of the apple orchard far away in Colorado. 

A promise will be realized this fall

My wife has finally decided to retire this fall. At age of 70 years. She has worked longer as a doctor than I have. As a doctor, a mother and a wife, she has worked amazingly well. It is not easy for her to get her clinic closed. A lot of things to do. Even though her clinic is a relatively small one, it has taken over the legal status of the medical corporation I had established at my clinic years ago. As with the procedures in administration, closing the corporation is quite tedious and troublesome. An accounting firm will help her to do that. A lot of items should be transferred from the office to home here. My wife is not good at such work!, I know, and I am sure I will be deployed for that moving work then. 

When we were in engagement in medical school days, we once took a walk along Shinobazunoike in Ueno at night. It was a big pond in a park quiet and serene away from the noisy downtown of Tokyo. Neonsigns were recflecting on the water of the pond. At the height of happiness, sitting on a bench along the lake side by side with her, I told her "Let's do the house chores half and half in the future." Of course, she nodded with big smile. 

Decades have passed ever since.  

Several days ago, she has started talking in smiling tone about how we should share the house chores after her retirement. She asked me how about cooking of 3 days each other and buying something for supper for a day. Candidly, I was dreaming of being freed from cooking. But recalling that words we spoke at that night, I could not deny or resist her proposal. I might have to ask her about that episode in Ueno later.

Anyway, a new and possibly the last phase of our lives will start this fall.

One of the recent supper dish. Home grown spinach with bacon and egg.