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.

Himalayan Blue Poppies

It has been a extremely busy spring, but finally it started to slow down. I have been working 6 days, sometimes 7 days a week! At least I enjoy what I do, so it wasn't like a torture for me. Just the physical exhaustion. Anyhow, it has been really cold this spring so that we are approximately three weeks behind the normal blooming time. If you happen to visit the garden in the next few weeks, you MUST check out our Meconopsis Meadow. The blue petals are just unbelievably beautiful. This is the plant I fell in love with when I did my internship in Scotland in 2008.

I even brought back the seeds to AR, but there was no way they would have survived the hot summer in AR. They like cool summer.

I was walking through the nursery today and realized a robin was loudly making noise at me. Surely enough, I found there eggs in their nest on Rhododendron falconeri branch. These eggs were so little and so warm. I can't wait to see them hatch!

忙しい春だったけれど、ようやく落ち着いてきました。週６日、時には７日仕事してました！少なくとも、仕事は楽しいので拷問ではなかったけれど。肉体的疲労だけ。この春はずっと涼しかったので、例年の開花時期よりも約３週間遅れてます。もしここ数週間のうちにガーデンに来る機会があれば、ヒマラヤの青いケシは必見です。青い花びらは、信じられないくらい美しいです。この花は、私がスコットランドでインターンシップをしていた時に一目ぼれした花。種を持って帰ってきたけど、アーカンソーの暑い夏を生き延びるわけもなく。ヒマラヤの青いケシは涼しい夏でないと生き延びません。

今日、グリーンハウスをチェックしてたら、コマドリがピーピーやけに騒がしくしてました。思ったとおり、石楠花の枝に去年からあった巣に、卵を発見！卵は親指くらいの大きさで小さく、あったかかった。孵化するのが待ちきれない！

D&D @ D20 Games

Once or twice a month, I meet with a group of people to play through an adventure called Tomb of Horrors.  It puts our D&D skills to the test.  We have lots of fun while we are at it.  Last Sunday we met up for another session.  The store was filled with groups of people playing games.  It was a pretty fun Sunday.

Spring

春になって、あっという間に時が経ってもう５月半ば。
毎週末のようにイベントがあるこの時期は、一年の間で一番忙しい時期です。
４月からのプラントセール、母の日のイベント、フラワーショーなどが終わって、ようやく少し落ちついてきました。

先週の水曜からは、出張でワシントン州のバンクーバーへ。オレゴン州ポートランドからコロンビア川を挟んで向かいの都市です。ここ会合があって、行ってきました。仕事とはいえ、ガーデンツアーに参加したり、レクチャー聞いたりして楽しかった！なかでも、ドイツから来ていたシャクナゲ博士とたくさん話す機会があって、いいコネクションを沢山作れました。

今日（日曜）の午後帰ってきて、ダーマがものすごい勢いでお出迎え。ジャンプしてピーピー鳴いて、きっとウィルよりも恋しがってくれてた（笑）
明日からはまた出勤です。でも、今週末は久々の２連休！予定つまってるけれど。シアトルでは、この春記録的な寒さと降水量を更新してます。はやく暖かくなってほしい。青空が恋しい！

It's Been Sunny Out

The weather here has been nice for a few days.  We get to see sun light, and blue sky.  I almost forgot what those things looked like.  Atsuko is enjoying herself at the conference in Vancouver, WA (not Canada).  She'll be home late tomorrow night.  Until then, it is just me and the dog.  The dog spend most of the day on the couch, but I've been getting here up and walking every few hours.

It's Nice To Be Done With Midterms

I actually only had one midterm, but I spent quite a bit of time on it.  I probably spent 4 hours working on the take home essay and another 10 to 15 hours studying with the other grad-students in class.  I'm crossing my fingers that I got a good grade.  To reward myself, I went and play in a Magic The Gathering tournament Saturday night.  Today, I volunteered for a few hours at the Rhody Garden then came home and read for this week.  Class work never ends!