Life   of   Tara 

   The sunset at Tara

    28/12/2011

　　（たらの芽庵 から眺める山並みの夕日です。）

   I wrote about the sunset at Tara in ‘the letter from
  Taranome-ann’ too. The scenery is wonderful. The sun is
  sinking into the mountains that I can see from Tara.
  The color is changing into dark red from orange gradually.
  I used to immerse myself in the working of the great sky.
   Few years ago, Tara had no electricity. Therefore we
  had to clean up after the work in haste before the sun
  sunk. And we used to prepare dinner under a white
  gasoline lamp. After dinner, outside of Tara was already
  dark and we were able to watch the wonderful starry sky.
   Now Tara has electricity. I can work at Tara without
  paying attention to the sunset. Therefore, I recall the
  sunset at old-time Tara with nostalgia.

    A white snake

    05/12/2011

　　（蜷局を巻いた白蛇と出会った後に）

    One day, I visited Tara and cleaned the room as usual.
   I climbed the stairs for cleaning an attic room. At that time I
  came across a beautiful white snake at the top of the stairs.
  The snake lifted a neck and coiled up. For some reason, I
  thought the snake was female. She looked at me with warm
  eyes. I didn’t think she was dangerous at all. I was greatly
  moved by a sublime atmosphere there. And I left there quietly
  without cleaning an upstairs.
   After a week, I visited Tara again. I found a dead shape of
  snake in front of door. It was not the snake at which I looked
  a week ago. It was a black little snake. I stopped at the door
  and looked at it fixedly. I opened the door and entered
  the room. But my white snake was not found anywhere.

    Walden

    05/11/2011

　（地元の古老達の協力で、何とか腐食したベランダを
　　作り替えました。ソーローのシンプルライフを目指して）

    I read sometimes Walden written by Henry David Thoreau. He
  wrote as follows in it. 
   Most of the luxuries of life, and many of the so-called comforts,
  are totally unnecessary. And not only are they unnecessary, but
  they prevent human beings from realizing their full powers.
   To be a philosopher is not just to have fine thoughts, or to
  establish a school of thought. Rather it is to love wisdom and
  live according to its principles — a simple life. 
   Indeed, these sentences themselves are quite simple and
  understandable easily. I like such simplicity and clarity. I think
  that Japanese intellectuals in these days are struggling each
  other so as to compete for value judgment without true action.
  They are going to fight not for wisdom but for fine intelligent
  thought.
   When a balcony of Tara was almost collapsing two years ago,
  I had to construct a new balcony by myself because other
  members were busy at that time. So, I tried to draw a plan for
  a new balcony for oneself and ordered timbers to a local dealer.
  A local dealer was surprised to hear that I intended to build such
  a big balcony by myself. And he was kind enough to mortise
  timbers so as to be able to put together those timbers easily.
  Though he and his workers were very old, they worked hard
  till late at night. I was very moved by their effort. So I also worked
  hard till late during three days by myself and was able to
  construct a new splendid balcony finally. I think such conduct
  is a result of simple wisdom with generous-hearted people.

   A big nest of Japanese yellow hornet

    11/09/2011

　（大きなスズメバチの巣が玄関ドアの真上に！）

   I visited Tara after a long absence yesterday.
   To my astonishment, there was a big nest of Japanese yellow
  hornet. Its diameter was about 40 cm. And to my perplexity,
  the big nest was situated over the front door and a lot of hornets
  were buzzing around the nest. Some people have possibility to
  appear around Tara, such as a clerk in charge of reading
  electric meter. So, I decided to entrust extermination of hornets
  to a business operator. If a nest of hornet existed far from
  the front door, I would not decide to exterminate it. That is,
  I think it best to coexist with a lot of creatures such as hornets
  and snakes at Tara. However, there seems to be unsafe for
  people as for this situation. So, it is difficult for us to live together
  with all creatures in some wild place.

  About termite and bark beetle

    11/08/2011

　（たらの芽庵はシロアリや木食い虫に食い荒らされながらも、
　　何とか、維持しています。）

    As I wrote in ‘ The letter from Taranome-ann’, my log house
  suffered from attack by insects which consumes woods.
   I thought it might have been done by termite. However, as long
  as I watch these two pictures in my log house, I think a criminal
  might be a bark beetle. But, seeing next picture, I think a
  criminal might be a termite too. Anyway, I have struggled for
  these insects so far.
   Though damages of eating away my log house have stopped
  as of now, I had to protect from such erosion.
   Therefore, I injected pesticide into logs and repaired damaged

  logs. However even if I repair all the damaged logs, the strong log
  house itself may collapse.
   If there is someone who has knowledge about such a thing,
  please guide me.

     
        The hornet

    23/07/2011

      （スズメバチに刺された体験記です。）

   That was an affair on May 8th this year. I went to Tara and
   worked there as usual. When I swept the floor, I grasped a
   white towel on the desk without finding a big hornet in the
   towel. Therefore I got stung by the hornet. I had severe pain
   in my left hand at that time. So, I sucked the cut of my fourth
   finger immediately and spat over and over again.
    Then, I ran to the water supply, gargled my mouth repeatedly
   and washed out venom. My tongue became numb for a
   while. My every part of the body also became dull. I have had
   such experience for the first time.
    I thought what this occurrence meant, though my mind was
   vacant. I thought this occurrence might be some kind of
   initiation to next step for me. After three hours or so, my pain
   ceased. I was relieved that it didn’t get too bad. But I was
   tired very much.

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