知り合いのジャム工房を訪ねて
杏で有名な森に行った。１０日ほど
前の開花予想では今日当りが満開の
はずだったのだが寒の戻りのせいで
杏はまだ蕾であった。暖かい日が戻れば
一気に満開になりそうなほどで、
景色は大分ピンクがかっていた。

定年退職してから本格的に
杏つくりを始めたその知人は
何箇所も杏畑を借りていて、
その他にも葡萄、色々な野菜
ジャムを作っている。米も
６反分ほど作っているそうで、
感心するほどの農家ぶりだ。
家には烏骨鶏まで飼っている。
堆肥も自前で、
自家栽培のフルーツを自分の
工房でジャムにして売っている。
よくもまあそんなに色々と
できるものだと感嘆。
「ずく」があるんだねえ。

そして何よりも驚いたのはその畑が
とても綺麗なことだ。森という
土地柄なのかもしれないが、
どの畑も綺麗なものだ。

畑の整備にしろ、日々の生活にしろ
口実を作って何かと後回しにして
しまう自分を反省。

I visited one of my friends in
Mori that is famous for its apricot
blossoms in Spring. According to
the blossom forecast around 10 days
ago, today would be the peak time
of the flowers. But by the recent
cold weather they were still buds.
Once warm weather comes back, they would
burst into full blossoms in one day.
The secenery was a bit pink by the
bud color. It is said one hundred
thousands trees in one sight there.

He started apricot growing after
he had retired around 6 years ago.
Now he rents a few apricot orchards
in addition to his own and grows
grapes, vegetable and rice.
He keeps hens and he makes his
own compost, too.
What's more, he makes his own
jam at his own factory with his
own fruits! What a industrious
farmer he is! He must have a
lot of 'zuku' .

What makes me surprised more is
that his orchards and farms are
very neat and cozy. I wonder if it
is because of the community attitude
of Mori. All the orchards there are
very nicely done.

I feel a bit ashamed of me for having
things undone in my vineyards and
in every day life with minor excuses.
I've got to do with more 'zuku' or
self-encouragement.

夕刻６時くらいまでは畑で
作業ができるようになったのだが、
さすがに今日は冷え込んで
防寒ブーツの中の足も冷えて
きた。作業を終えて帰る道すがら
西の空が明るくてその下に
須坂市と長野市のあかりが
見える。

天気の良い休日。
今朝ほどはりんごの樹に
オイルを撒くスピードスプレイヤー
が走り回っていてうららかな
一日を予想させたが、冷たい風も
強く冬の様なうら寂しい夕方となった。

It is enough bright to work
in the vineyards up unitl around
6pm now. But it was chilly today and
I felt cold at my foot in the
late afternoon. On the way back home
on the west facing slope, the lights
in Nagano and Suzaka city were seen
under the bright sky.

It was fine Sunday. There were many
sprayer vehicles driving here and
there to spray oils to the apple
trees. A warm spring day was expected
but we had a cold windy day and it
turned to be a quiet winter sunset
at the end.

ようやく最後の畑。
あと３反分。切るのと、
不要な枝を外すのと、ワイヤに
巻きつける作業のうち、ともかく
切る作業をやっている。

標高が高くて凍害でやられた
樹が多いので更新しなくては。

午後４時を過ぎるとさすがに
風が冷たい。周りの景色も
下とは大分ちがう。右のは
四阿山らしい。その奥の白い
山は万座辺りだろうか？

そろそろ下ではジャガイモの植え付け
が始まる。すっかり５月頃と
勘違いしていた。
やる事が色々出てきますな。

Now I am in the last vineyard for the
pruning. Pruning consists of cutting off,
pulling out and wrapping. I have to
concentrate cutting off now then the other
operation can be done later.

During pruning, I found many vines
died of cold injury. The trunk breaks
as shown in the picture. It is an awful
sight for the grapegrower. I have to
renew these vines this year. I had to
pay much more attention at such high
altitude.

The wind was cold after 4 o'clock even
it shined like today. The sorrounding
scenery is different from the lower
vineyards. The mountain at the right
may be Azumaya-san mountain and the
white one behinde must be one at
around Manza area. I am not familiar with
these mountains.

Potato planting will be starting soon
at Suzaka area. I thought it would be
in May but actually we did it in early
April last year. There are many more things
to do.

昨日から降り始めた雪が
今朝には少し積もりました。
今朝はこんな感じです。
先週は23度にまでなったのですが。
「ずく」出してこんな日も
剪定で畑です。

所で、あのシャンパンですが、
日本がWBCで優勝して選手達が
シャンパンファイト（一昔前
ならビールかけですが）に
使ったシャンパン。

ランソンのブラックレーベル
だそうです。結構お手ごろ価格で
意外でした。浦野酒舗さんに
教わりました。浦野さんでは
取り寄せてくれるそうです。
もう既に注文をした人も
いるそうですよ。

優勝にあやかって、
景気づけにやりましょうよ。

We have snow falls since yesterday and
there was aroud one inches of snow here
this morning. It was warm and the temperature
was over 23C dgrees last week. What a change!
Even today, I had to go out to prune in the
vineyards which needed extra determination
on such a snowy day.

By the way, about the Champagne that
was used at the champagne fight at the
party by the Japanese baseball team
after winning the WBC (it must have been
beer fight some one dacade ago).

It is Lanson's Black Labele which is sold
at very reasonable price. I learnt it from
URANO bottle shop. You can get it though
URANO bottle shop. I hear somebody place
the order already.

Following the great win at the WBC, why
don't we buy the bottles to chear ourselves up
at such a difficult time.

知り合いの農家の冷蔵庫に
保存されていてちょうど美味しく
後熟していたラ・フランスを
これまた知り合いのジャム工場で
コンフィチュール（つまりジャムですな）
にしてもらいました。

地元産の美味しい果物のジャム
として紹介して販売してゆこう
と思ったのですが、すみません
完売しました。発表前に予約が
150個ほど入り一般向け販売が
できなくなりました。
粒々感のある、砂糖少な目の
美味しいジャムになったんです。

今回は季節はずれでもあり
あまり数ができなかったので
仕方ありません。

今年は地元の果物を使って
何種類か作ってゆこうと
考えています。プルーン、
ブルーベリー、カシス、
イチジク、黄金桃等、
手に入ったものを試して
みます。

知る人ぞ知るという程度なんですが、
須坂あたりは果物の宝庫なんですよ。

I got the La France pears from one
of the farmers here stocked in his
refregerator. They reached good
condition after post harvest ripening.
Then I asked another friend who had
own jam factory to make it confiture
(jam).

I intended to introduce such product
here but to my regret I cannot do it
any more this time because booking piled
up to around 150 and all the jams were
already booked. It is not completely
creamy but having a bit of solid
texture. It is not too much sweet and
very flavorsome and tasty confiture.

As it was already out of season for the
fruit and I could not make bigger quantity.
I hope to have more in next fruit season
later this year.

I may try some other fruit, too like
prune, blueberry, cassis, fig, golden peach,
etc., whatever I am able to get locally.

Though you man not know, Suzaka area is famous as
the producer of many kinds of fruit among
the limited number of people!