More Pictures

Cooking dinner

At Mariners game

RSBG tour

The Conservatory at RSBG

Kerry Park

Coffee break after the Pike Place Market

Family Visit

It's been a while since I posted last time. My mom, aunt, and grandmother visited us from Tokyo and we had a wonderful time together.  We had lots of good food, saw Seattle Mariners game (although we lost the game big time), visited the rhody garden, spent some time with Darma...and more. It was only 5 days, but we did so much that it felt like weeks! Darma looks very confused when the company from abroad leaves. She looks really sad... I bet she's waiting for them to come back!

Things are going well these days. Busy at work, but weather has been awesome. Days are getting shorter and shorter. It's dark by 8:30 PM now. The pictures are some things in bloom in the garden right now. All the lilies are started to bloom and adding some colors! Lillium michauxii is about 9 feet tall and orange flowers hang down. One of my favorite lilies!  We started collecting seeds for propagation. So far, we collected trillium, Meconopsis (blue poppies), primroses, peonies, and more to come. I enjoy collecting seeds and cleaning them. Before we know, leaves will start turning colors and fall will come!

前にブログを書いてからしばらく経ちます。１ヶ月ほど前に母、祖母、叔母がシアトルに遊びに来て楽しく過ごしました。おいしいものたくさん食べて、マリナーズの試合見て（大負けだったけど）、ガーデンに行って、ダーマと遊んで。たった５日間だったけど、毎日忙しく、何週間のように感じた！ダーマは、海外からのお客さんが帰ると混乱してるみたい。しょんぼりして、かえってくるのを待ってるみたい。

毎日仕事は忙しいけど、楽しくやってます。日に日に暗くなるのが暗くなるのが早くなって今では夜８時半には暗いです。朝６時におきると、今までは明るかったけど、今では薄暗い。写真は、今ガーデンで咲いてるいくつかの花たち。ユリが満開で、色鮮やかに咲いてます。Lillium michauxii は、３メートル弱の巨大ゆりで、オレンジ色の花が風鈴のようにぶら下がってます。大好きなゆりの１つ！それと、種を集め始めました。これまでに、トリリウム、青いケシ、いろんな桜草、シャクヤクなど。これからまだまだ増えていきます。種を集めるのって好き！ペーパーバッグ片手に、ガーデン中歩き回ってます。

知らぬうちに木々の葉っぱの色が変わりだして、秋が来るのだろうな。

Darma and the Pea Pod

Vanda

Vanda orchid bloomed in the conservatory at RSBG. Stunning color and beautiful venation! This is one of my favorite orchids. Orchids are epiphyte, which means they just sit on another plant without taking nutrients from that plant. In wild, they grow in the tree fern trunk!

バンダという蘭がグリーンハウスで咲きました。きれいな色と、網模様が美しいでしょ？私の大好きな蘭のひとつです。蘭は、着生植物で、ほかの植物の上に根を張って生きます。寄生植物とは違って、乗ってる植物からは栄養分を一切とりません。野生では、大きなシダの幹に育つのだって！

One Year With Darma

We found Darma at the Seattle Humane Society on July 5th of 2010.  Yesterday marked the end of her first year with us.  As a treat for Darma, Atsuko wanted to make her a cake.  But when she got it...

Darma Is Learning Touch

Darma's Favorite Toy

This toy used to belong to Lappu, the Shiba that we had in Tokyo. After his passing, my mother sent this toy for Darma. Ever since, it has been her favorite toy. We call it Dango, which is Japanese for dumplings. We name all the toys she owns, and she seems to identify each one of them. When we ask her "where is Dango?" , she brings Dango. If we ask her "Where is squeaky?", she will being candy cane shaped toy that we call squeaky. 

Anyhow, Dango has a squeaky ball in the middle dumpling. See how it is squished and holey?  Well it's because that's the only part she chews. I have mended it twice, and I discovered two more holes today.  I took it away from her so she won't make the holes bigger, and put it on the mantel. Now she sits in front of the fireplace and stares at it. Dango is absolutely her favorite toy! I really think she can smell Lappu on Dango.

このおもちゃは、東京で飼っていた柴犬のラップのものでした。ラップが天国に行ってしまった後、母が母がダーマのためにアメリカに送ってくれました。それ以来、ダーマの大のお気に入りのおもちゃが”団子”です。ダーマが持っているおもちゃはすべてに名前があるけど、ダーマはそれぞれを認識している様子。団子はどこ？ってダーマに聞くと、団子を持ってきてくれる。スクイーキーはどこ？って聞くと、お菓子の形をしたおもちゃを持ってきてくれます。

ともかく、団子は、真ん中にキュッキュなるボールが入ってます。どれだけ潰れてて破けてるか分かるでしょ？なぜなら、ダーマはそこをいっつも咬んでキュッキュ鳴らせてるから。すでに２回も破けたのを直したけど、今日また穴が開いてるのを見つけたので、団子を取り上げて暖炉の上に乗っけました。そしたらダーマは暖炉の前に座ってジーっと団子を見つめてます。団子はダーマの一番のお気に入り。きっと、ラップのにおいがするからだと思う！

Summer Quarter Starts Monday

I start Intensive English Grammar tomorrow and have class 6 hours a day for the next week.  It's only one week but, it will be long.  Next week, I start my other two courses for the summer.  Those will last a total of 4 weeks.  Nothing to bad from the sound of it.  I won't have my grades for my last two courses for another week or so.  I wish they would get put up sooner.  I don't think I did bad or anything like that, I would just feel better knowing they are posted.

Atsuko Made A Wonderful Dinner

One Class Down

I turned in the final for Teaching ESL Writing this morning.  That means one class down, one to go.  I have my History of English Language final next Thursday, with the final class today.  I am looking forward to it, since it has been an interesting class.  I am expecting good grades for both, but will still keep my fingers crossed.