The sun finally decided to make an appearance at about 4 in the afternoon.  It had rained earlier in the day, and it was mostly cloudy.  It was a good feeling to see the sun peek out a bit before it dunks behind the horizon.

Slowly the heat rises.  The air inside most buildings is quite stale as companies, schools, and stores cut back on their energy consumption.  This is a good thing; however, the stale air makes me feel a bit queasy.  I was thankful to get out into the fresh air today, when I came across these three white dwarfs.

I saw two sides of flowership today in my walk back to the station in Chiba.  One was a a single budding flower.  It was pushing through between a stone wall and an iron fence.  It contrasted so nicely with the cool gray stone on this overcast day.

The other was a group of tiny purple flowers.  They had all budded and were growing in the tight space between a wall and sidewalk.  There were about half a meter off the main street I was walking on, but there flowerhood caught my eye.  They were all working together in a tight space.

I know that it takes a community to care for each other, just as these flowers were.  They might not be holding hands, but I’m sure their roots are all intertwined under the earth.  Search out those connection to each other.  Those connections that are so vital to humans well being.

Don’t be afraid to show a little flowership, or flowerhood to each other.

Summer is creeping in quickly over the last two days.  The air is still pleasant, but i can feel the heat to come.

The flowers are beginning to change.  Long gone are the first blooms of spring.  As we move into the rainy season the hydrangeas are starting to awaken from their slumber.  They enjoy the rain, so much.  Even mine, on my patio, has opened its first couple of blooms.

Today as I was on my way back from the supermarket, I braked in front of a neighbor’s home.  There was this tall weed-like plant that was covered in large burgundy hued flowers.  Such a sweet color, just like a good bottle of wine should be.

Out with the old, and in with the colors of summer.

sip, sip, click, click.

ah.

I went to my public health screening yesterday.  I am thankful that at least one thing the Japanese government has gotten right.  It provides access to health care to all.  However, the air was so stale inside the auditorium it gave me a blistering headache.  Once I finished the screening and stepped back into the fresh air, I felt refreshed, but the headache still persisted.

I took a slow bike ride back home, even through the headache, this purple just spoke to me.  Looking at it made me feel a bit better, I was only able to snap a quick picture, and kept on peddling.

Thinking about how we need to be apart of our surroundings.  We need to participate in our community as best we can.  Learn to live in some harmony.  Seek out the colors that make each community unique.

This is just where I want to be.  It would be fresh to chill in my little urban garden and eat my fill of all the little bugs that get in the way of my gardener’s plants.

Today actually started off badly.  I forgot my camera.  I know, I know, it is just about unthinkable.  I hadn’t left my camera behind in more than a year.  I contemplated returning to my home to snatch it up, but that would have put me mad behind schedule on shabbat.  So I decided to just roll with it.

Once I got to where I was going, about 2 hours later, we were all reminded that the earth is a living and breathing organism, with a aftershock that made me jump out of my chair.  It hit rather hard and fast.

On my way home, I kept on pondering on what I was going to hook up for the shabbat dinner, and I settled on a mushroom quiche, and some mustard marinaded new potatoes.

I was a bit exhausted from my travels, so as the clouds rolled in I just sat in my little garden, with my kitties looking up at the sky.  That was when I noticed the ladybug.  I realized that they had all emerged from their cocoons and were crawling all over my grapefruit, pomegranite and lemon tree.  These guys, and gals are great.  They just much up all the aphids in the garden.  So I decided to grab my camera, and get shots of them.

Remember the Father’s little creatures too.  They are as important to our lives as any animal.

Have a beautiful and restful sabbath.

These little ones just sprouted up overnight.  It is amazing that these little ones are just passed by most.  I guess it is my challenge, and to keep my eye open to catch whatever I can.

Blooming Bottlebrush trees always reminds me of my youth growing up in Miami.  The blossoms would come out and a green tree suddenly becomes red.  That yellow pollen that are on the individual needle points would just get everywhere, but it didn’t matter we loved the ones that were at our houses, and on our streets.

Today I saw one on my way home.  I remember seeing it last year too.  I actually got too close to it last year trying to get a macro photograph that I got yellow pollen on my lens.  This year, I got close.  Not close enough to touch the pollen, but close enough to reveal a bit of the inner beauty of the Bottlebrush tree.

Such an unusual flower.  Nature is truly full of wonder.  I am amazed by the variety and the ability for nature to thrive.

These are just Jacob Schere’s Bottlebrush memories.