今日はとんでもない荒天でした。
穏やかな朝だったのが、暗くなり時折突風が
吹いて雨が降ったり、大雨になったり。

そんな中、届いた葡萄の苗の仮植えをしたり、
昨日に引き続いてカシスを植えました。
昨日はワイナリーの裏の畑に百本ほど。
美味しいカシスが出来ますように。

誕生日だった昨日はフェイスブック経由で
たくさんのメッセージを頂いて驚きました。
嬉しかったです。リマインドされるとはいえ、
キーボード（今は画面か）を打つ手間を掛けて
頂いた皆さん、ありがとうございました。
嬉しいものです。ほんと。

予期せぬプレゼントなども頂いたり。
ありがとうございました。

懐かしいジャガランダの花の写真なども。

We had really bad weather today. It was calm in the
morning but it turned to be dark and windy with
rain which became heavy later.

In such a weather, we planted vines for temporary
storage until new vineyards are ready and black currant.
Yesterday we planted black currant by the winery. We hope
they will grow in good condition and produce good currants.

It was my birthday yesterday and to my surprise I received
many messages through facebook. I know Facebook reminds the
account holders of their friends’ birthday but I was happy to
have received messages. Especially from the friends from the
distance including Canada and Chile. Thank you for your
birthday messages. I was really really glad.

I got birthday gifts, too. Thank you!
Also a picture of good old Jagaranda flowers.

3月最後の日の天気は大荒れで、
朝暖かく風が強かったが、そのうち降り始めた
雨が大雨となり、気温がどんどん下がって
遂には大雪になってしまった。

そういえば、昨日は大忙しで
定年や任期満了で退職されたお世話になった
方々の多くにご挨拶にも伺えませんでした。
この場でお詫び申し上げますとともに
長年にわたるご協力ご支援に感謝申し上げます。

今日長野電鉄屋代線（河東線）もラストランと
なりましたね。こちらも長い間ご苦労様でした。

We had very bad weather today for the last day of
March. It was warm and very windy in the morning
and it started raining. The rain got harder and turned
to be snow with the lowering temperature.

On Friday, I was too busy to visit say farewell to those
who retiring as of the last day of the fiscal year. I am sorry
for not having a chance to say thank you for the long support
and cooperation. I will do so some day in the near future.
Thank you indeed.

As of today, Yashiro Line of Nagano Electric Railway stopped
its operation. Thank you for the long service.

25日にあった味噌作り体験。私もメンバーの
須坂市グリーンツーリズム研究会のメニューです。
昨年育てた大豆を使って。

参加者は昨年より増えて満員御礼だったので
(子供も楽しんでいましたよ)私は例によって見るだけ参加、
のつもりが着いてみたらすっかり終わってお昼の
真っ最中。遠慮しつつもお昼だけ頂きました。

（大豆を煮た釜を洗う越さん）

越さんの手作り料理の数々で舌鼓。
まるで春祭りに呼ばれた様。
肉・魚など無くても色鮮やか・豊富な
料理の数々。1年後の手前味噌も楽しみ
ですが、こういうおもてなしが嬉しい
ですね。

（ごちそうさまでした　yammy yammy!）

次は4月15日の井上の里山歩きです。
かたくりの群生と桜。
詳しくはこちら↓
http://www.keitravel.com/cms_uploads/satoyama2012.pdf

Miso-making event was held on March 25 as one of
the rural excursion menus of our Green Tourism activities.
Ingredients were home grown soy beans.

We had more participants this year and I just went
there to see how the things going on. When I arrived,
most of the works were over and the people were enjoying
the lunch. I felt sorry but I joined with them and enjoyed
lunch together.

As always, we all enjoyed very much the delicioius
home cooking of Mrs. Koshi. We felt as if we had bee
invited to a rural spring festival. Without fish or meat,
she still prepared the beautiful and wide variation of
cuisines by using locally obtained ingredients. We love
to enjoy own miso one year later but these dishes were
really enjoyable.

Next event is the hiking in the flowers in Inoue
area with sakura cherry blossoms and dogtooth violoet
flowers on April 15. Please check the details here.

水上がった？
というのが最近の葡萄農家の挨拶代わり。

まだ剪定が終わらずに枝を切っている。平年だと今の時期
切った枝の先からポタポタと水が滴るのだが、今年はその
気配がまだない。

今朝もご覧のような雪。日が出ると直ぐに消えてしまうのだが
今週も雪の予報が出ている。やはり地温が低くて根っ子の
活動がまだなのだろう。

昨年は開花が平年より10日遅かった、今年はさらに遅く
なるのだろうか。

Have the sap dripped? This has been the conversation between the
Grapegrowers recently.

I have not finished pruning vines yet and am still cutting the
branches and twiggy. Usually it is already the time when the
sap starts dripping from the edges of the twiggy. But this year
we have not seen one yet.

We had snow this morning like this photograph which of course
will melt away as soon as the sun shows up but we still have
snow forecast this week. This low temperature keeps the roots
still inactive.

We had late flowering last year by 10 days than usual year and
I wonder if it gets still later this year?

信濃毎日新聞3月20日号の全県版に
楠わいなりーの初醸造・初リリースのワインの
記事が載りました。新毎さん、ありがとうございます。
早速お店にも記事を飾っておこう。

ウェブでも記事を見れますよ。
検索だと「信濃毎日新聞」→「3月22日」→「社会面」と
見て下さい。あるいは、以下のアドレスをチェック。
http://www.shinmai.co.jp/news/20120320/KT120319SJI090012000.html

それにしても、県民ショーで須坂の「栗中華」やってましたね。
お菓子屋さんは明日からすごいことになりそうですね。
駅前のお店の「ちよか」は栗抜きですが、お気に入りです。

Local newspaper in Nagano, Shinano Mainichi Shinbun took
the news of Kusunoki Winery first release wines on its prefecture
wide topics page. Thank you very much. I will show the article
at my wine shop.

You can check the article on the web page of the newspaper as follows;
Check ‘Shinano Mainichi Shinbun’, ‘March 22’, and ‘Society’ or click
following address.

By the way, Kuri-Chuka or Chestnut Cake of Suzaka was take up by the popular
TV Show tonight. Many of the confectionary shops in Suzaka will
be very very crowded tomorrow with the viewers, perhaps. I like
another Japanese cake called Chiyoka at the shop near the
train station which does not have chestnut inside.