Saturday busy buzzing

Saturday was way busy around our home and garden. At the edge of the garden there is a utility pole, and early morning I heard the sound of too many trucks on the road for our quiet neighbourhood. There were three or four truck from the electric company, and they proceeded to set up to adjust the tension in the power cables. They first installed bridging cables, when there was some buzzing as the connections were made, when the air became tainted by the smell of electrical burn, weld. Then the cables were cut, shortened and connectors fitted, with the cables reconnected, and the bridging wires removed. It took them 6 hours to achieve all of this for four cables. Here is a photo of them working with the bridging cables.

Bread baking

On Saturday we baked a batch of bread in the wood fired oven. This turned out quite nicely as the photo on the left suggests. Unfortunately photos do not capture the music of the bread as it cools, crackling crusts, nor the aroma that filled the garden as it cooked and then the house, or the flavours as we ate them.
This bread was made from type 55 French flour, salt, a little sugar, some polish starter dough, and 60% hydration of water only. We shared some of the bread with neighbours and friends.

Fennel and... companions

Companion gardening wisdom is that fennel is a no no for growing along with other plants. As luck had it, some carrots appeared in the midst of my recently planted fennel bed. The fennels are mature enough to be approaching their second harvesting. The image to the left shows a carrot harvested on Saturday that was growing cheek by jowl with a couple of fennel plants, there are others still sitting there. The coin next to it for scale purposes is a 5 yen, which is 2.2 cm in diameter, sorry I forgot to measure the carrot and it was eaten on the day of harvest, delicious. The only problem was, as can be seen, some splitting, which is the result of uneven watering, i.e., a dry spell followed by lots of rain. I will harvest more carrots soon...

5 yen coin:
http://braesidecottage-garden-music.blogspot.com/

Floating Worlds Tour

This is a photo of a reflection of Ab on the lid of a grand piano.

Floating Worlds Tour

Here is photo of Ig proper, with Ab's hands playing clarinet in the foreground.

Floating Worlds Tour

Here is a photograph of Ab Baars, shakuhachi, and Ig, viola. Enjoy, the music was as angular;-)

Floating Worlds Tour

I have been sooo busy with the Floating Worlds Trio concerts on top of all else to be able to post. Now I will begin to post some of the photos I took of their concerts. The first concert was performed at the Kumamoto Street Artplex Extravaganza festival, where they performed in the Contemporary Art Museum. Attached is a photo Ig Henneman playing viola to the audience.

Kikuchi Gorge

Over the September break, known here as Silver Week in contrast to the May Golden Week, we took a trip to Kikuchi Gorge and Mt Aso, with its active volcano. The day was overcast, not providing the best light for photography, but I think I succeeded to capture a few nice images here and there. Here is a photo of life in the crevice of black wet rocks in the coolness of the Kikuchi Gorge. The gorge is densely foliated and boasts a wonderful torrent of water that feeds into the Kikuchi River.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

A couple of days before we arrived a typhoon swept over Okinawa islands, dumping salt laden water all around which damage the leafage on much of the vegetation. Some trees were as good as stripped of the leaves, and were sprouting new ones. Here, the choral landscape in miniature is scattered with leaves fallen from the vegetation running along the edge of the choral bay.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

More landscape in miniature; a chasm that is about 15 cm deep, with the residue of a salt water lake in the bottom, with the sun descending to the left generating shadow and texture to surfaces.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

A close image of the texture of the choral that forms the basis and structure of the island.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

Images of the landscape in miniature can provide a different perspective on the same formation processes, as illustrated to the left.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

This is a photo of the elementary and junior high schools combined on Minna Island; they have an enrollment of 5 students in total; 3 elementary, and 2 high school students attend this school. The total population of the island currently is about 65 people, of whom 18% are young, 61% adults and 21% are elderly residents. However, 29,100 people visit the island every year using the beach some of whom stay overnight in the bed and breakfast accommodations, as we did.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

There are very few roads on Minna Island, they could probably be counted on two hands, if not one hand; they link the port to the opposite side of the island, with a few branches running at 90 degrees off of that main trunk. This is the branch leading to the primary school; on Minna Island there is only elementary and junior high school provision, to attend high school students need to take the ferry daily to attend school.
The first building on the left is a typical older house on the island, constructed of concrete with heavy roof tiles because of the power of typhoons. Looking closely reveals that the tiles of half of the roof furthest away are newer, probably the others were whipped off in typhoon storms.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

Choral textures and colour; the colour of choral is quite varied depending on circumstances and location.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

The shore line on the opposite side of the island from the port, and beach.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

A simple view of one of the few roads on the island, this one leading into the vegetation, perhaps to a farm or house.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

The flowers and vegetation on Minna Island are remarkably beautiful and give the island much of its attractive charm. This flower is called hama-omoto in Japanese, and White Spider Lily in English.

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

These small mini-vans, and mini-trucks seem to be the vehicles of choice on the island. I have no idea how people obtain petrol for these, as I saw no petrol station, there is not even a shop on the island. The vessel that brings people to the island is unequipped for carrying anything other than people. There must be some form of provisions shipping to supply gasoline and other provisions. Otherwise, people most likely go to the mainland to purchase their goods.
This mini-van has been lying here for some time, the doors taped closed, with bamboo growing through it, as well as around it.

Summer Okinawa

This is a picture of Minna Island taken from the Tropical Dream Centre's incredible Shell tower. It is easy to see how low it sits in the ocean, with little undulation in the overall profile. Just as out family spent our summer holiday on the Scottish island of Millport, getting there by train and paddle steamer, so my wife spent her family summer vacations on Minna Island, taking a chug chug fishing boat to get there, bathing in miniscule amounts of water as then water was extremely scarce with no source from the mainland, which is not the provision. Here is the google satellite image of the island:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=
116093404158140423252.0004712947338d2d6be7a

Summer Okinawa, Minna Island

Early in the morning of 12 August we took a jet ferry to Minna island, which is a quite small, low lying crescent shaped island. Minna has a delightful choral beach, with clean, clear water where numerous fish can be seen swimming by beneath you as you swim above or swim among them. The island offers extensive water sports facilities if that is what you want to do, it also offers quiet peacefulness for swimming and sun bathing. There are few facilities on the island, though a few houses offer chalet or bed and breakfast accommodation. The people who live on the island and offer the accommodation are welcoming and friendly. The island itself is beautiful, as I will attempt to show with a few of my photographs.

Summer Okinawa

This is the view to the east of the hotel balcony, taken in the early morning.

Summer Okinawa

The quality of the water surrounding Okinawa is astoundingly clear. The choral also contributes a vibrancy of colour to the sea and wondrous array of forms, textures and colours to the landscape. This view was taken from the balcony of our hotel room, of choral rising out of the sea, eroded at the water level which will probably eventually eradicate them as the pounding sea constantly erodes further and further years onwards.

Summer Okinawa

The manta ray are amazing fish, seen left. I particularly like how the colours combine with the darkness of the fish itself.

Summer Okinawa

A third photo from the aquarium presents a wonder of light and colour,

Summer Okinawa

Here is a second image from the aquarium, enjoy the beauty of the fish and the colours in combination.

Summer Okinawa

In the north of the main island, Okinawa possesses a magnificent aquarium. We often visit there and have taken Hannah there since she was a little older than a baby. She loves watching the fish swimming through the rays of light against a choral background. The image is a little soft as the light was low, the fish was moving and I used an iso setting that was a little low for the light conditions.

Summer Okinawa

Hannah, her grandfather and I spent morning in a small park near the sea, where Hannah played on the chutes, climbing frames, and so on. Then we went to the neighbouring beach. This beach is low key, with life guards and a safety net. Last summer Hannah and I spent many hours at this beach swimming and playing in the water. Here Hannah is tumbling into the water, unintentionally as she is fully dressed. Soaked then, from that point onwards she enjoyed splashing about in the water.

Summer Okinawa

This is an image of a heart in a tree, taken at the start of our trip up north, just the trio together. The tree was in Nago, in the northern part of Okinawa main island.

Summer Okinawa

Here is another orchid image, I will add their names when they are confirmed with grandfather. I particularly like flowers which are green or green tinged, this one is particularly gentle. This orchid's name is, Grammatophyllum scriptum, about which wikipedia offers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatophyllum

Summer Holiday

Hannah's grandfather in Okinawa has a garden richly endowed with flowers, particularly orchids. On the left is a photo of one of his orchids in bloom. This orchid is called Vanda, for which wikipedia informs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanda

Summer Holiday

We are all now on our summer holidays in Okinawa, at the home of our in-laws. Here you see a photo of Hannah in boxing spirits, jumping and waving clenched fists with a fierce laugh.

Solar Eclipse

Here is one of the images I managed to capture of the solar eclipse yesterday, 22 July 2009, at 11:05. Unfortunately, this being the end of the rainy season, the sky was heavily cloudy, with intermittent small breaks when this was taken. I think the thin cloud actually facilitated the photograph, as when the cloud cleared more there was overexposure, but the images produced are engaging and curious in different, not representation of eclipse, way.

As I edit the original images I will add some more later.

Courgette Stem

Every year a number of my courgettes succumb to some form of stem rot. I had put this down to squash vine borer, and thought the only possible solution was covering with nets. Well this year, the stem of one courgette plant severed, so i dumped it. Only later I learned I should have sliced the stem vertically, removed any insects and then left it suspended in a bucket of water for a week to re-root before transplanting it.

On Sunday, another plant is beginning to rot at the stem. But close examination revealed no insect infestation. The top of the split was sealed, but careful splicing of the plant revealed no insects inside. The bottom of the splice looked open, but I dreaded digging into the roots, certain this would kill the plant. But now my suspicion is this might not be vine borer but some form of rot. We are at the end of the rainy season, and sometimes it has poured for days. Often the rot occurs in the rainy season in these plants. When I looked at the image of a stem infected with squash vine borer there are similarities with this picture, but they do not perfectly match. Opinions please, is this squash vine borer infestation or is it stem rot due to excessive wetness/humidity, or to some deficiency that can or can't be rectified. Thank you.

Squash Serpente di Sicilia

This is the first Squash Serpente di Sicilia harvested, indeed it is the very first I have ever harvested. Here, Hannah is playing it like a guitar, enjoying the fun. Seems this can be cooked as courgette, I look forward to trying it.
The rainy season is ended or ending, and the squash and courgettes are blossoming again, so we look forward to a renewed wealth of fruits.
One of the courgette plants succumbed to squash vine borer so it was buried in the compost heap. It seems that was not the best solution.
Solution, if the stem is sheared, cut back the stem to where the squash borer is removed, perhaps jetting it with water. Then suspend the plant in a bucket of water until it re-roots and replant it. Re-rooting should take a week, and the plant will establish itself again.
If the stem is frayed. Eliminate the worm by spraying with strong jets of water. Perhaps this will need splicing the stem vertically and prying it open. Perhaps the worms will need to be cut, or otherwise destroyed. Then bind the stem back together again and bury it in earth and compost, as it will then re-root and regrow.
These will be the approaches adopted next time, hopefully not necessary.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Dancing hands on the piano.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Pianist with action bassist.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

This is the hands themselves as the topic of the photo, low iso setting captures the movement as a blur.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

This is a photo of the audence reflected on the piano above the pianists briskly moving fingers.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

This is the last on for the noo, must do numerous other things this morning, now it is not dreech and dreery!

Street Artplex Festival 2009

In profile, backdrop lighting, saxophonists. I will add the names after confirming with the programme.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Contorted expression, of the ones this pianist adopted, this one is mild.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Here is another of the pianist, in movement.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Here is a photo of the pianist, the focus prefers the piano, rather than the individual.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Here is another photo of the bassist with the image of the pianist reflected on the inside of the piano.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Yesterday was the day for the Kumamoto Street Artplex jazz, music festival. There were numerous musical events, all free, all performed in public spaces, such as arcades, department store foyer. Events were occurring simultaneously in different parts of the city centre. I took some photos, still learning how to manipulate the new DSLR Nikon D300. On the left is a photo of bassist and pianist as part of a quartet.

Three Sisters bed

Here is an image of the three sisters companion planting bed. This seems to have been a practice of native American, and is very effective indeed; the plants grow in harmony, and the weeds are having a real tough time growing; a win - win situation in my book. The French beans here are a purple variety, unfortunately they revert to green on cooking, but fortunately the taste simply delicious.

Runner Beans

This is a close-up of one of the runner beans, these form beautiful scarlet flowers, and are delicious to eat. They should be prolific.

Sunflowers mutiple heads

Here is a photo showing the multiple heads of the sunflowers; it is quite stunning to see these around the garden.