For parts of the world, today is the first day of summer. After torrential rains this morning, the sun came out this afternoon. The sky can be so blue here. I feel sorry for those living where the skies are polluted much of the time.
Water is pouring off the hill. The drainage ditch alongside of the road down to the post office, is a cascade of muddy water.
I’ve been by this barbed wire fence hundreds of time, but didn’t notice until today that when they strung the fence, they left loops of barbed wire. The wire is rusted so it was left a long time ago. What happened? Was it just left there in case repairs were ever needed in the fence? Did the person stringing the fence forget it? Was it their contribution to rural art?
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First Day of Summer
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Rikka
According to the traditional Japanese calendar, May 5 is the start of summer this year. The traditional Japanese calendar, based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, divides the year into 24 solar terms, which mark each 15 degree movement the earth makes around the sun. The term which just passed, April 20 through May 4 this year, was 穀雨 – Kokuu, which translates to “rains which help the grain grow”. It marks the time when the rains arrive to make the grain grow.The six terms of summer are:
- 立夏 – rikka, the start of summer 5/5~5/20
- 小満 – syoman, small fullness: the time when everything is growing well 5/21~6/5
- 芒種 – bousyu, heads of grain: the time when the heads of grain are forming 6/6~6/20
- 夏至 – geshi, summer solstice 6/21~7/6
- 小暑 – syosyo, little heat: the time when it gets hot 7/7~7/22
- 大暑 – taisyo, great heat: the hottest time of the year 7/23~8/6
Not a great deal of warmth to mark the start of summer here. The rains which helped the grain grow won’t stop falling.
The mother hens are as busy as ever.
And there is always more planting to do. Looking at a bed of freshly planted soil, it’s hard to believe that in a short time, there will be nothing but vigorous green growth here.
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Flowers, flowers, flowers
Something new is blooming every day. It’s a great time of the year to be outdoors.
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How a Mother Hen Protects Her Chicks
One of the way a mother hen protects her chicks is by fluffing up and making herself look much larger. It’s almost comical watching these fluff-balls protecting their little ones.
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Spring Garlic with Chicken – True Paleo Fare
This is a simple recipe with just a few ingredients.
- One whole five-month old rooster which has been crowing for no more than a month and butchered within the last four days
- One bunch of green garlic freshly plucked out of the garden – to grow a bunch of garlic, leave whole bulbs of garlic in the ground the summer before. Each garlic bulb will shoot up a bunch of slender garlic, perfect for dishes like this.
- Some sprigs of freshly picked oregano
- Sake or white wine
Cut the rooster into drumsticks, thighs, and breasts. Save the wings and the rest of the carcass to make soup.
The breasts should be a nice rose color, the bones a shiny alabaster. The skin and meat should have a bright, translucent sheen. The fat should be a pleasing, lemon color. The thighs will be bright red.
Arrange the pieces of rooster in a heavy pot. Top with the garlic and oregano. Add some sake or white wine so there is a half inch to inch in the bottom of the pot. Cover the pot and put on a very low flame. Let it gently simmer for two hours.
Out will come tender, juicy, tasty meat. Dish up as whole pieces or cut up and serve. Sprinkle with salt if you like.
