Søndagsbillede - Lørdag var en skøn dag

I går skinnede solen  -.-   Yesterday the sun was shining

🌸 Copenhagen Sakura Festival 🌸

En slags lykkelig slutning -- A Happy Ending; Kind of

Engang var der et kirsebærtræ i Helsinge. Uglemor nød det hvert forår, dette kirsebærtræ stod nemlig lige ved stoppestedet, når hun skulle hjem og glædede hende med sit oversdådige blomsterflor. Det blomstrede altid tidligt, først i april, også i kolde år.

 🌸

For many years MotherOwl loved this cherry tree. It was situated next to the bus stop where MotherOwl waited for the bus home when shopping. It was always the first sakura to blossom, sometimes as early as the 1st of April.

2014

2016

     Senere på året 2016 blev det desværre blevet slemt beskåret. Det stod i vejen for et stillads og alle grenene blev savet af. Uglemor var trist.
     Men næste år blomstrede det alligevel!

🌸

Some months after this picture the tree was cut down. Repairs at the roof called for scaffolding, and the tree had to part with its branches. Very sad.
   But next year it was defiantly flowering again.

2017

Næste år så det endnu bedre ud.  --  Next year it looked even better

April 2018

Men det endte trist med træet.

- 🌸💧 -

But the tree came to a sad ending.

Juli 2018

     Senere samme år var Uglemor til en udstilling i vores væverforening. Navnet snyder, der bliver ikke kun vævet, der bliver også strikket, hæklet, flettet med pil, filtet, drejet i træ, kniplet og en masse andre ting. Uglemor faldt i snak med en af de dygtige trædrejere. Samtalen kom ind på kirsebærtræ, der er meget smukt, men ikke helt nemt at dreje i, og Uglemor fortalte om det smukke træ, der var blevet fældet for nyligt. Uglemor beklagede at hun ikke havde fået taget sig sammen til enten at spørge om eller bare at stjæle et stykke af stammen, der forsvandt meget hurtigt - den er faktisk allerede væk på billedet her.
     Trædrejeren spurgte så Uglemor om hun vidste, hvor stammen var blevet af. Det gjorde hun naturligvis ikke. Men det gjorde han! Den lå såmænd hjemme i hans udhus og lagrede!
     Uglemor sagde så, at hun meget gerne ville have en skål af det træ, og så glemte vi alt om det.  

🌸

  Later that year MotherOwl was at a meeting in our Weawers' guild - it's not only weawers meeting there, we knit, sew, felt, crochet, plant dye, make willow basket turn wood, and much more. She spoke with one of the really good wood turning people, and the conversation fell on cherry wood, which is very beautiful, and not too easy to work with. MotherOwl lamented her Sakura tree and said that she regrettet not havin stolen or asked for a bit of the trunk to make something from.
   (As you can see from the picture it disappeared very fast)
   The wood turning man asked MotherOwl if she knew where that tree had ended. She did not, but the man did! It was in his outhouse, waiting and curing!
   MotherOwl said that she would very much like a bowl made from this tree, the man said, well yes, of course. And then we forgot all about it.

- 🌸 -

For nyligt holdt vi udstilling igen, og Uglemor kom i tanker om kirsebærtræet. Og nu ...

Recently we had yet another exhibition. MotherOwl suddenly remembered the tree. And now ...

Fin, ny sukkerskål  -- Fine new sugar bowl.

Klagesang for et kirsebærtræ - Lamenting Sakura

Kirsebærblomsternes tårer -  Sakura no namida 桜の涙 - Cherry blossom tears. 

I mange år har Uglemor nyde dette kirsebærtræ. Det blomstrede altid tidligt, først i april, også i kolde år.

- 🌸 -

For many years MotherOwl has watched this cherry tree. It was always the first sakura to blossom, sometimes as early as the 1st of April.

2014

2015

2016

2017

April 2018

Men nu er det slut. 

- 🌸💧 -

But now it has ended.

Juli 2018

Sakura

Glimt fra søndagens sakura-festival på Langelinje.

- o 🌸 o -

Glimpse from this Sunday's Sakura festival in Copenhaguen.

     Alle de flotte ting, både ormene i æblet og bladene på kirsebærblomsten, er hashioki: De små, ofte meget smukke ting, som man lægger sine spisepinde på før og under måltidet.
     Æblerne kunne også fås med store kerner med smileyer på. Det fik jeg desværre ikke taget et billede af, men den svenske butik der stod for salget, har et billede her.

- o 🌸 o -

All those pretty things, the worms in the apple and the petals of the cherry blossom, are hashioki, chopstick rests, the often very pretty thing on which chopsticks are placed before and during a meal.
Some of the apples did not contain worms, but apple pits with smiley faces. I did not get a good shot of those, but they can be found on the sellers Sweedish/Japanese home page.

Flere trodsige blomster -- Defiantly flowering again

     Denne gang er der ikke nogen, der har beskåret træet eller været ond ved det. Det var engang et japansk kirsebærtræ, men grundstammen sendte sine kraftige grene i vejret, og de sarte lyserøde blomster blev til et snehvidt flor, og træet gav kirsebær om efteråret.
     I år er der kun en lille bitte gren tilbage af det engang store japanske kirsebærtræ. Men de er jo så smukke.

This time nobody cut down trees. Only nature had its way. All Japanese cherries in Denmark are grafted because of our harsh climate. And here the rootstock has put out branches, gradually overtaking the tree. Resulting in the pink show gradually giving way to a cloud of snow white flowers - and to the tree bearing cherries in autumn.
   Now there's only this tiny branch of the Japanese cherry left, but it's still flowering beautifully.

        Det samme træ i 2012. Der kan man se, hvordan grundstammen allerede har sendt sine kraftigere grene op, og langsomt kvæler de sartere japanske kirsebærgrene. Træet til venstre viser, hvordan det burde have set ud.
     Måske burde Uglemor have hevet vildskudde af, da hun opdagede de hvide blomser for snart mange år siden. Men det ville jo være selvtægt, og byens gartnere måtte da lægge mærke til det.
     Nu er det her det eneste af hele rækken, der står tilbage.

The same tree in 2012, some years after I noticed the phenomenon. The rootstock is sending its sturdier branches up, gradually weakening the pink blossoms. The Japanese cherry to the left shows how it is supposed to look.
Maybe I should have pulled off the white branch when first I noticed. But I was young and timid, and so sure the municpal gardeners would notice.
Maybe the other Japanese cherries attracted a disease. Of the wole row this is the only left standing.

Sakura

     Hvert år nyder Uglemor et særligt kirsebærtræ når hun er på indkøb. Se for eksempel her. Inden for det seneste år er træet desværre blevet slemt beskåret. Det stod i vejen for et stillads og alle grenene blev savet af. Uglemor var trist.
     Men se nu bare her:

- o 0 o -

Every year MotherOwl is having her own small Hanami moments on her way home from shopping, as there is a glorious cherry blossom tree next to the bus-stop, photo here. But some months ago the tree was cut down. Some repair at the roof called for scaffolding, and the tree had to part with its branches. Very sad.
But now look at this: 

Stædigt træ - Stubborn tree.

     I en temarigruppe, er den seneste udfordring en sakura-temari. Opdeling og mønstre er frie, men man må kun bruge farverne hvid, pink og grøn, og eventuelt gul (gylden) og brun.
     Uglemor vil forsøge. Men nu får vi se. Den sartgrønne farve på temarien her er en illusion. Den er omviklet med de to spoler der ses i baggrunden.
     Mønsteret kommer til at blive spiraler i graduerende farver.

- o 0 o -

 In a temari community, MotherOwl is a humble member of, the latest challenge is a sakura themed ball. You must use green, pink, and white, and you may supplement with yellow (golden) and brown.
Partitioning and pattern are free.
MotherOwl wants to try, but it is hard, even if beginners are encouraged. The winding proved the first obstacle. This pretty green temari is not green at all. Its an optical illusion created by winding simultaneously from the two cones in the photo. My idea was to cover with white, but the green (that's not a green) was so lovely, I stopped there.
The stitching is going to be swirls in gradating colours.

Den ikke-grønne mari
The not-green mari

Kandidater til mønstertråde.
Runners up for stitching thread.

Sakuraelefant

     For et par dage siden var Uglemor og Ugleungerne en tur i Hillerød. Det er en hel udflugt, og vi gør det ind i mellem bare for sjov. Denne gang havde vi også et praktisk formål. Nogle Ugleunger trængte til nye sko, en til bukser, en til jakke og så var der hul i bunden af en skoletaske.
     Ud over at klare de fleste af vore ærinder, mødte vi en flok elefanter i byen. Der var blå elefanter på torvet, og inde i indkøbscenteret stod denne aldeles sæsonpassende Sakura-elefant

- o 0 o -

Some days ago MotherOwl and the Owlets went to Hillerød - a bigger city than our small town nearby. It's quite an outing and normally takes us away from home all day. This day was no exception. Apart form having fun and eating sushi, the trip had some down to earth-purposes. One Owlet needed a new school bag, another new clothes, and more than one needed new shoes now spring had arrived.
We accomplished most of our missions, but we also met something totally unexpected. We met elephants. In the streets some blue ones was happy to be climbed by the Owlets, and inside the mall we looked at artistically painted ones. The most fitting for the season was this sakura-elephant.

Sakuraelefanten blev selvfølgelig også til en uglepalet.

The sakura-elephant was turned into an owly palette if course.

Vejen hjem -- 17 -- On My Way Home

Hovsa, nu er det jo blevet onsdag. Billedet blev taget i går, men så skete der så meget. Og denne blogpost har voldt mig endeløse problemer. Tilsidst måtte jeg ind og pille ved koden bag for at få min vilje.

- o O o -

Oops it's Wednesday. The photos got taken yesterday morning ... and then life happened.And this blog post was unendingly complicated to write and set up. In the end I had to go in and play with the html-encoding to make everything come out as I wanted it to. Tiring, but I learned something.

Når kirsebærtræerne blomstrer    When cherry trees are a-blossom
- det gør de i denne nat - -           Just like they are tonight -
er det som lys, der brænder          They are the lights a-watching
over en bortgemt skat.                  A hidden treasure bright.

     For 2. tirsdag i træk skinner solen på vejen hjem. Der er ikke den store forskel fra sidste uge på dette billede, men hvis jeg nu vender mig en lille smule ...

- o O o -

Once again the Sun is out and shining. It's hard to see that it's not the same picture as last Tuesday, but if I turn around, just a little ...

Træet er det samme lindetræ, som altid er med på mine "vejen hjem"-billeder.
The tree is the same linden that is always portrayed on the On my Way Home photos

     Rapsen er begyndt at springe ud. Om et par dage er hele marken gul. Og slåenbuskene ved siden af træet har knopper så store som tekopper. Et sted er de llerede sprunget ud.

- o O o -

The canola has started it's blossoming. In a few days the fields around here will be yellow. The sloe bushes under the trees have buds that are so close to bursting. One branch on the south side of another tree, is already blossoming.

Slåenblomster -- Blossoming Sloe

     I søndags hvde vi besluttet at tage til sakurafestival på Langelinie ligesom sidste år. Men da vi havde stået og ventet på at komme over vejen ved Lyngby hovedgade, hvor der kpom et marathonløb i vejen, og allerede var blevet kolde, kunne vi ikke helt se fornøjelsen ved at sidde under de smukke kirsebærtræer og se på samuraier og spise bento. Det må vente til næste år. Men kirsebærblomster-sangen af Erik Grib kørte rundt i hovedet på mig.

- o O o -

Last Sunday we had decided to join the yearly Sakura festival (hanami) in Copenhagen. But on our way there after mass, we had to wait for some marathon runners to cross our path, and we all were cold after this. We then decided that it would be no pleasure to sit on the lawns under the beautiful cherry trees and watch samurais and ladies in kinmonos while eating a bento. We just returned home. But a cherry blossom song stayed in my head. Here it is in my own (not so successful) translation.

Når kirsebærtræerne blomstrer             When cherry trees are a-blossom
- det gør de i denne stund -                    - just like they are today -
er det, som jorden rækker                      It is the Earth that offers
himlen sin blomstermund.                         Her flower-kiss to the sky.

Når kirsebærtræerne blomstrer                When cherry trees are a-blossom
- det gør de i denne nat                            Just like they are tonight -
er det som lys, der brænder                      They are the lights a-guarding
over en bortgemt skat.                             A hidden treasure bright..

Kirsebærtræernes trolddom                     The wizardry of cherries
hvisker bag hver en hæk                         Whispering in the nook. 
den samme lysende sladder,                     Is like the waters dancing ¨
der går i en rislende bæk.                         Past pebbles in a brook.

Og jeg, der gik ud at søge                       And I who went out a searching
efter en bortgemt skat,                            After a treasure trove
glemmer de lys, der brænder,                  Forgets the lights a-burning
for sladderen i en nat                               In the whispes of night's grove.
     Erik Grip 1976


Solopgang/solnedgang: 5:36/20:41, dagens længde 15:05, tiltaget 8:14

Udflugt til København -- A trip to Copenhagen

     Sidste weekend var vi en tur i København. Som det måske er fremgået af denne blog, har Uglemor et svagt punkt for japanske ting, og nu var der Sakura-festival på Langelinje. Det måtte vi opleve. 

     På vej derud, så vi en svane med nyudklækkede saneunger og et endnu ikke klækket æg. . 

     Selve festivalen var en oplevelse. Kirsebærtræerne var sprunget ud, der var samuraier i fuld udrustning, cosplay-folk med alle farver hår, familier der nød en bento  (japansk madpakke) under kirsebærtræerne (sakura er japansk for kirsebærtræ/blomster), karaoke, ninjutsu, salg af japanske bøger, våbenattrapper, tøj og mad. Og sidst, men ikke mindst sumobrudning for alle, hvor man blev iklædt en 20 kg tung rustning og skulle brydes på en måtte. Det var vældig sjov, og man var totalt hjælpeløs, hvis man væltede.Vi prøvede alle sammen, og billedet viser Skribenten og Trolli, der kæmper.

As readers of this blog may have discovered, MotherOwl has a weak spot for all things Japanese. Last weekend in April there's a Sakura festival in Copenhaguen. We had to go there. It was great, On our way there we met a swan with newly hatched chicks and a still unhatched egg. The sakura (Japanese cherries) were in full bloom, we saw samurais in full armour, cosplayers with hair in all the colours of the rainbow, families - us included - enjoying a bento (Japanese lunchbox) under the Sakura trees. We listende to karaoke, saw displays of ninjutsu, and tried our skills at sumowrestling. We were dressed in "armours" weighing 20 kg and pitched against an opponent on a mat. Very funny, an when you were defeated, you were totally helpless on your back. We all had a go, the photo shows the Writer and Trolli.

Svane - Sakura - Samurai - Sumo

     Bagefter gik turen op i Rundetårn, hvor der var en udstilling med Otto Frellos malerier og ting. Det var sidste dag, så der var mange besøgende, men vi kunne alligevel nyde de finurlige billeder. Uglemor har elsket hans malekunst og sprudlende fantasi gennem mange år, og efter et foredrag om hvordan han malede på BogForum i 2001, var hun helt solgt.

After the festival had ended, we went to Rundetårn (the Round Tower). The Danish painter Otto Frello had an exhibition there. It was the last day, but we could still enjoy his imaginative pictures. MotherOwl had the pleasure to hear most of his teachings on how to paint at BogForum in 2001. Since then, and even before, she has been fascinated by his way of painting.

• En sød, nysgerrig brandhane -  kloakdæksel fra Varde (på Uglemors ønskeseddel) - Otto Frellos signatur - Rundetårn. 
• A cute fire hydrant - manhole cover with an interpretation of one of Otto Frello's paintings (MotherOwl wants one like it) - Signature - The Round tower. 

Fjorten dages billeder -- A Fortnight in Pictures.

Der er gået fjorten dage, siden sidst ... og det er ikke fordi Ugleboet har ligget stille. Nej snarere har Ugleboets indbyggere haft så meget om ørerne, at fjerene har stået i alle retninger. Her kommer en række billeder fra de forgangne dage.

 - - - - -

A fortnigth without blogging, and not because everythig has been quiet in the Owlery. We've been so busy that feathers have flown in all four quarters. Now I've better show some pictures and tell a little of what we've been busy with at the Owlery.

• En af hønerne var blevet skruk. Den lå og optog reden, så de andre måtte lægge deres æg udenfor i en rede under bladene.  Der fandt Uglemor den en dag, hun hjalp Minimax med pligterne ...
• On of our chickens was broody. The other found nowhere to lay their eggs, and started a new nest hidden under the big leaves. MotherOwl found them one day...

 

• Og så fandt hun også de bits, vi havde købt for nogle dage siden sammen med vandkanderne. De lå stadig i vandkanden sammen med sprederen.
• MotherOwl also found the drill bits we bought together with the new watering cans. They were in the watering can together with the nozzle.

 

• Den sidste søndag i maj var det tid for den årlige valfart til Aasebakken. Her bærer spejderne statuen af Vor Frue af Aasebakken tilbage ind i klosteret. Vejret holdt tørt indtil dørene havde lukket sig efter statuen, så kom regnen. 
•  Our yearly pilgrimage to Our Lady of Aasebakken is always the last Sunday of May. Here the scouts are carrying the statue back inside the monastery. When the doors were closed, it started raining.

• Morgenstemning hjemme i vores landsby
• Morning in our village. 

• Skyggens lærling - Trolden på sin sidste skoledag, nu er det tid for eksamener. 
• Ranger's  Apprentice. It is Trolli on his last day of school. Now only the exams, then Summer holidays.

• En uindbudt gæst prøvede at flytte ind hos Spirillen og Piraten. Minimax bar nænsomt, men bestemt den lille skovspurv udenfor. 
• AN uninvited guest tried to move in at Marsupilami's and Pirate's place. Minimax gently, but determined carried the young sparrow outside.

• Håndtagene til skufferne fra den gamle reol var meget beskidte. Uglemor synes ikke de skal pudses op. Derfor fremstår de patinerede. 
• The handles for the old drawers were very dirty and dusty. MotherOwl did not want them ploished, but cleaned them thorougly. Now they just look old and worn. 

• Alle skufferne er færdige og håndtagene er sat på igen. Nu mangler bare selve reolen. 

>All the drawers are finished and the handle screwed back on. Only the shelves are still outside, being cleaned now. 

• Vores genbo fik beskåret sit birketræ meget voldsomt. Ugleungerne og Uglemor lavede sjove ting af birkebark. Der er en mand oppe i træet på billedet. 
• Our neighbour had a birch that was too big. In the picture a man is about to start cutting it down. MotherOwl and the Owlets made funny things from the bark. 

 

• Et stykke af et andet birketræ. Uglemor pønser på at lære at dreje i træ og fik at vide at så skulle træte flækkes, så det ikke slår revner. Uglemor er meget stolt over denne flækning, der er foretaget med en lille håndøkse. 
• A piece from another birch. MatherOwl has always wanted to learn woodturning, and was told that the wood is to be split to dry without damage to the wood. MotherOwl is very proud to have split this log in the middle with only a small handaxe. 

• Birkesæbe. Uglemor har lavet en sæbeform af træ, og den skulle afprøves med en birkesæbe. Formen er vældig smart. Her er sæben lige hældt i og dækket med birkeblade - bare for sjov. 
• Birch soap. MotherOwl made a log mould. It was used for the first time making birch soap. The mould is good. Here the soap has jus been poured into the mould and coveres in birch leaves - just for fun. 

 

• Formen er også god til at skære sæben. Her har Uglemor taget sæben ud af formen, fjernet det hvide plastic, formen var foret med, og nu bliver der skåret. 13 stykker sæbe på ingen tid skåret med en ostehøvl. Supersmart. De grimme ender blev skåret i små bitte tern der skal bruges til fyld i en anden sæbe. 
• The mould is a big help in cutting the bars as well. MotherOwl unmoulded the soap and took avay the plasic lining. And the she cut 13 soaps in next to no time with a cheese cutter. The ends vere cut into tiny cubes to be mixed in a future soap. 

 

• Her er sæberne så. Den gukle farve er birkeblade, den grønne klorofyl (slikfarve).
• The soaps. The yellow colour is birch leaves, the green chlorophyll (candy dye). 

• Grøn forårssæbe, naturlig farve og klorofyl. 
• Green Spring Soap, the soap's own colour and chlorphyll.

• Kaffesæbe. Det grønne er en lille bid af forårssæben. Heldigvis ramte jeg den lille bid, da jeg skar sæben.
• Coffee soap, The green is a little piece of the spring soap. I was lucky to cut through it. 

• Sakurasæbe - japanske kirsebærblomster - farvet med paprika og med dekorative rester fra forårs- og kaffesæben. 
• Sakura Soap - Japanese cherry blossoms - dyed with paprika and ith decorative bist from the spring  and coffee soaps.

Det var en smule af det vi har foretaget os.

This was just a little bit of what's been going on.