2017,05,08, Monday
![]() うちから歩いて1分のところに家があるTさんは、夏が近づくと登山客が泊まる自分の山小屋運営に行ってしまうので、しばらく奈良田の自宅に帰ってこなくなります。まだ春先の今の時期、Tさんを近所で見かけることのできる貴重な期間。 いつもの様に、朝の登校バスを見送ってから、そのまま(ま)と朝の散歩に出かけると庭仕事をしているTさんと出会います。Tさんのうちには立派な猟犬が4匹。今は人懐っこい子犬もいるので、(ま)はその子犬と遊びたくて真っ先にTさんのお庭へと向かいます。来月には静岡の猟師さんに引き取られていくことが決まっているとのことで、限られた期間を一緒に遊んでいます。子犬も、毎日顔を見せる(ま)に日に日に慣れ、距離が縮まり、今では二人(?)で追いかけっこをして遊ぶにまで至りました。犬を飼ったことのない我が家ですが、(ま)の犬好きはなかなかの筋金入り。夕方の散歩にもついていくことがあります。首輪をしていない子犬は、Tさんや親犬の近くを行ったり来たりしながら一緒に歩きます。その後を追う(ま)。車道を子犬がパッと横切ると、(ま)もすぐに続いて渡ろうとします。私が(ま)を注意する前に、Tさんがすぐ「子犬はまだ分かってないから飛び出すけど、アンタはちゃんと右左見るんだよー」と注意してくれました。子犬とともに、(ま)もしつけてもらいました・・・! ちょっとぶっきらぼうで、自然の厳しさをよく知るTさん。でも、お庭と近所で接している間に見せる表情や会話からは、とてつもないやさしさを感じます。ニホンハッカを根っこごと、ブルーベリーの苗木、カブトムシの幼虫、ペットグラスの見分け方、あく抜きされたワラビ、月桂樹を枝ごと等々、お庭に寄るたびに様々なイイモノを頂きました。 「ニホンハッカの生の葉っぱを、こうして手のひらでパーンと叩いてから沸かして飲むと、最高よ」 よく日に焼けた顔で、にかっと笑う表情が印象的です。子犬も引き取られて行き、またTさん自身も山小屋へ行く時期が近づいてきた頃、Tさんは自分のデジカメで撮った(ま)と子犬の写真を1枚だけ現像して、うちまで持ってきてくれました。 「9月にはまた子犬が産まれるから、そしたらまた遊んでやってよ」 それだけ言って、さっさと帰っていきました。山小屋では、登山客にピリリとした態度をとることで知られるTさんですが、私と(ま)の大好きなご近所さんの一人です。そして山で生きるための「マンノウガン(万能丸)」な一人に間違いないのだと思っています。 (わ) He is versatile #1 Mr. T lives one minute away from our house, and he moves to his log house during summer when many mountain climbers come. Once he moves to the log house, we don't see him until summer ends, so it's precious time to see him around now. After we, Makasa and I, see Umeo and Sukla off at the school bus stop in the morning, we go for a morning walk almost every day. Soon, we see Mr. T working in his garden. There are four big hunting dogs, and Makasa loves watching them even as they always barks at her. However, these days, her motivation of watching them is something different because there is a puppy too! The puppy is supposed to be taken away by another hunter in Shizuoka prefecture next month, so Makasa is allowed to play with it in this limited period of time. She loves the puppy, and it's interesting to see them getting used to each other day by day. On the first day, it didn't come to Makasa at all, but now they play run and catch together. Sometime, we follow Mr. T going for a walk with his dogs. Makasa walks with the puppy without any neck band. One day, when we came to a road, the puppy ran across the road regardless of whether cars were coming or not, and Makasa also tried to follow it....Then, Mr. T gently said to Makasa "the puppy doesn't know how scary cars are, but you have to be very careful". Yes, Makasa needs more training too. Mr. T is a person of gruff nature, but knows the harshness of nature. However, whenever we see him in his garden, I can feel a very gentle and warm part of him. He is always free to share many things such as Nihonhakka (Mentha canadensis) with roots (so that I can plant them in my garden), a nursery tree of blue berry, young worms of beatles, specific grass that dogs like eating called "pet grass", Bracken (astringent taste removed), Laurels as a big branch etc.... "Put leaves of Nihonhakka on your hand and slap them with the palm of the other hand...see they smell so good and ready for making tea with boiled water."he said, with a dark tanned face showing a friendly smile. In the beginning of June, a few days before the puppy was taken to Shizuoka, Mr. T came to our house and handed a photo to Makasa. That was a photo of Makasa with the puppy. He said,"In Sep., my dogs will have more babies, so you can play with those puppies," He just said so and went back. He is known as a man who is not so "friendly" but very strict with mountain climbers, but he is indeed one of our favorite neighbors. And, he must be the one of "the versatile"ones to survive in this mountain area, which is called "MANNOGAN" here . Wakana | カテゴリ: どれみ |
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