There's an English proverb that goes, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb."
As someone who was born and raised in Kamuro and lives in Hiroshima, I had always assumed that this would fall in February.
In February and March this year, there were few sheep sightings and many lion sightings.
In front of my house in Hiroshima, there is a stream that spreads out to the northwest, and there are two plum trees that are over 40 years old. The trees are not well lit, so they usually bloom after mid-February, but this year, when I arrived on my way back to the island on March 13th, they had not yet bloomed.
I returned to the island for Hakuseiji to pray for a memorial stupa.
I know that I can make requests by email or phone and then transfer the money, but I believe that returning to the island and meeting Kamuro in person when I need to do so is a good way to keep feeling close to Kamuro.
As for the memorial stupas, I continue to feel a sense of obligation to continue what my parents have done, and a sense of respect for the fact that Hakuseiji Temple is preserving its traditions and that the people of Kamuro and its parishioners are supporting it.
There is the word "faith," but I think that feeling is a little different...
There is a term called "Shiba's historical view," but if you open a hole smaller than a pinhole in it and look into it, Japanese Shinto and Buddhism are difficult... Whether at a shrine or a temple, you don't think about anything, you just put your hands together and bow your head.
When I passed through the temple gate, I saw flowers blooming from the Taishido Hall to the roof of the temple. When I asked, "What kind of flowers are they?" I was told that the flowers from the Taishido Hall were "Taperume" (drooping plum), below that was "Washington cherry" (this may not be the official name, but that's what Kamuro calls it), and below that was "Kawazu cherry". When I climbed up, I found another plum blossom below that in full bloom.
When I climbed up to Odaishido and got a panoramic view of Honura, the Kawazu cherry blossoms were in full bloom at the site of the former junior high school. On the way back, the Kawazu cherry blossoms in Otsumi had leaves and fewer flowers, but I was still able to enjoy them in Kamuro.
I was able to enjoy the early spring flowers of Kamuro, which I had not noticed before, and get a glimpse of another side of Kamuro.
At this time of year, even if I were to return to the island, there's nothing in particular to do, so once I've finished my errands, I'll just read a book and drink.
The book I'm reading is Shiono Nanami's "The Story of the Romans" (I made a mistake in writing "The Road" last time), volume 10 of the paperback edition, which I started reading this year, and it tells the story of Julius Caesar from the end of the Gallic War to his crossing of the Lucicon River. As usual, I started drinking with some prosciutto and kiwi fruit as snacks.
The 14th was a full moon, and I thought I'd go see it, but the clouds, pollen, and yellow sand meant I could only see it vaguely. Still, it was a nice change of pace.
I left Kamuro on the morning of the 15th and returned to Hiroshima. The plum blossoms in front of my house were about 30% in bloom.
I can enjoy the scent of plum blossoms for a while.
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