Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Year in the Life of a Field: May

It was the type of day one might call a harbinger ... sunny, warm, muggy... A day that promises summer is coming, and that it is coming very, very soon. All that promise at nine o'clock in the morning was a bit much, but it was a beautful day for photographing the fields.

By the time I arrived at my chosen fields, they were already decked out in rice sprouts. Rice in Tokushima is planted in April or May. These fields which were bare a month ago were planted during Golden Week (April 30 - May 5) I wish I had a photo of that for you, but I was on vacation, and didn't get back to them until they looked like this:

A quick look back shws me just how fast things grow here. Last month this field was empty, and a mere two months ago, this area was full of carrots and cabbage. Or lettuce. Or kale. Something leafy. I am not so knowledgeable on veggies. Hey, I eat them (sometimes) what more do you want?

Last Saturday I stood in front of the fields. It has only been a couple weeks since they were planted. The the rice is still small.

I am curious about these canopies off to the side. It isn't rice, but the plants are still a small green blur, so your guess is as good as mine. Except in the case of people who garden, then your guess is a lot better than mine.

The following field is not my normal field for pictures, but things were happening. I stopped to ask if I could photograph them. The woman is Hori San, and she was overseeing a couple different tractors out on that bright Saturday morning. I am guessing this is the ploughing stage. I went to work for the day, and by the time I came back through on Tuesday, the whole area was full of rice.

Here is the field being flooded. I hadn't ever seen this before. So interesting!

Earlier posts about this field:
January
Febraury
March
April

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Finally: Sakura

Apparently I did not post picture of this year's cherry blossoms. Perhaps I was still a little bummed that the weekend of hanami, or "cherry blossom viewing", I was cooped up in a stuffy room at a seminar. But here they finally are: David's romp through the springtime blooms. It seems it was a beautiful day.


 










Sunday, May 05, 2013

One Year in the Life of a Tokushima Field: April

“Look! April photos!” I exclaim.
To which the world replies, “No Heather, this is May.”
“But - ” I whine, “I have so many photos from April to post.”

In all truth, I didn’t take the camera out much in April, although I did take it to Tokyo early in the month, which warrants its own post or seven. I also am trying to keep up my end of the bargain with the field project, which is proving to be a rather boring endeavour.

As I watch the field change (or not change), it occurs to me it is interesting in fits and starts.

On my way to work one fine day, the farmer was out in the field taking down the carrot coverings. It was fun to watch the progress. And I wondered, what if I turned around, went home, got the camera and came back .... What if? If I did that I would be late for work.

Let’s weigh this: Late for work ... interesting pictures ... hmmm ... my photos aren’t good enough to justify that.

Instead, I figured I would just bring the camera as soon as possible. he next day was not a good day to haul my camera around. By the time the day came when all the planets were aligned, I remembered the camera, the weather co-operated, I left in time to take pictures, and arrived at the field .... it was empty. Completely empty. Sigh.

Here is the field. Ta da! Once more smoothed and straight, ready for the next planting. If it is the same as last year, rice should be going in any day. Well, first water. I noticed that water goes into the field and sits for awhile before the rice is planted.

For the time being, we are left with this empty field. Waiting. And it is a delightful surprise to realise I can learn from this boring photo. At a time when I expected busyness, to only find stillness, capturing unseen preparations.

When I began thinking about the empty field, I expected my “lesson to be learned” would revolve around thinking ahead: always carrying my camera, making sure my lamp oil never runs dry, et cetera, et cetera. I expected to say I have learned to be hyper-vigilant, never relaxing, because opportunity is not a lengthy visitor.

However, maybe that isn’t the message here. With my blog, I most certainly am lazy. I most certainly should work a little harder to post entries. Yet the empty field reminds me of the necessary preparation needed to produce a healthy crop.

In the end, the message of this photo isn’t what I expected. April photos in May? Sigh. I am behind again. But I, with others, know that restful preparation balanced with work is the ideal.

I look at the empty field and remember that I need balance. What do you see in an empty field?

Earlier posts about this field:
January
Febraury
March