• Daily Life

    Wisteria Hysteria

    For the second time this week, I headed off to nearby Yakushiike Park to get photos of the glorious wisteria there, this time with the hope that they would be in full bloom. I was probably still a bit too early, but it was beautiful nonetheless. And the short trip was made even more enjoyable because I was caught riding a bike inside the park by a loudspeaker-blaring jobsworth of the type I associate with the place. But I was left alone after dismounting even though I noticed the officious guard had come after me with his guard stick in…

  • Daily Life

    Quick Cleanse

    Aging, if nothing else, has made rising early a common habit, and I was able to take advantage of that by slipping off to a nearby park and being blessed by the sanitizing surroundings. Yakushiike Park in Machida is not far from my home, so I got on my bike in the predawn hours and headed off to take some shots. The park is famous for its flowers throughout the seasons, and I consider it the best place to see wisteria in bloom in our local area. With past experience having taught me that the park is staffed by officious…

  • Daily Life - Strine Strife

    Where’s the Whist Amid the Wisteria?

    Being greeted by the sublimely serene sight of fully blooming wisteria in the outer suburban wonderland of Yakushiike Park only to have the calmness crushed by the piercing squeal of a little prick abusing and haranguing me for riding a bicycle in the park wasn’t really what I had been expecting at 5 a.m. As the angry man hurled invective at me, I felt my blood boil and the urge to smash him in the face was becoming almost uncontrollable. He screamed loudly, fiercely and incessantly as I tried to take photos of La Cangura amid the flowers. I envisaged…