April 16, 2024: Cherry Flowers （桜の花）

April is the time to enjoy cherry trees in full bloom. A lot of the trees are seen in my town, too. Among them are the two trees, which I particularly keep watching. They are always the sign to show me how the cherry trees bloom in my town. They are in the garden of a private house but much larger and older than all the cherry trees in public places like parks and the streets near the house. When I see them in full bloom, I feel it is the time to enjoy full-bloomed cherry trees in my town. So, they attract not only me but also a lot of other viewers. Some take pictures of the trees, and others talk to each other for a long time in front of the trees. It must be very loud for the house owner. When he also happens to get out of his house, he is always asked a lot of things by the viewers in this season. It must be tough for him, and he should have gotten fed up with them. But he cannot afford to ignore them or cut the trees.
A week ago, I went to look at the cherry trees. But it was unfortunate that they were not in full bloom. Far from it, one of them had already lost its cherry blossoms. When I had gone to look at them a few days before, the trees had been in full bloom and greatly impressed me. But on the one day before I went to see them again, one of them lost its flowers due to the rainy, cold weather the day before. It was a great disappointment, and I also missed taking pictures of the trees in full bloom. I have to wait until next year to take photos of the trees in full bloom.
So, I went to see other cherry trees on the streets. They were still in full bloom and made up for my disappointment.

　4月は満開の桜を楽しむ時期です。ボクの町にも、たくさんの桜の木があります。その中でも、ボクが特に気にしている木が2本あります。この町の桜の開花状況を教えてくれる証です。２本は民家の庭にあるのですが、公園や街路樹など公共の場所にある桜よりもはるかに大きく、古いです。この木が満開の花を咲かせると、満開の桜の見頃の時期だと感じるのです。そのため、ボクだけでなく、多くの他の見物人もこの2本を見に来るのです。写真を撮る人もいれば、長い間話し込んでいる人もいます。家の主にとってはうるさいに違いありません。また、この季節、主が家から出ると、いつも見物人からいろいろなことを聞かれています。主にとっては負担で、うんざりしているに違いありません。でも、それを無視したり、木を切ったりするわけにはいかないのでしょう。
　1週間前にこの桜の木を見に行きました。でも、残念ながら満開ではありませんでした。それどころか、1本の木の桜はすでに散ってしまっていました。数日前は満開で感動したのですが。前日の冷たい雨のせいで花が散ってしまったようです。とてもがっかりすると同時に、満開の桜の写真を取り損ねました。満開の桜の写真は、来年までお預けです。
　そこで、他の桜並木を見に行きました。こちらは、まだ満開で、すこしは、悔しさを晴らしてくれました。