Considering the public holidays and my work schedule, I decided to return to the island from the 11th to the 13th. There's nothing particularly special happening, but I have my monthly lawn-mowing duty to take care of.
I had planned to prune the loquat tree branches that I had cut during the Bon festival on the 11th, but since vines were wrapped around them, I gave up on the idea.
After tidying up the room and having a quick lunch, I settled into a chair by the window. The summer heat still lingered, but the breeze from the sea was pleasant, and the sea was calm, with gentle waves rippling over the subtle patterns created by the tides, presenting the usual tranquil scene.
I casually leafed through some short story and essay collections that had been lying on the table for a while, and then put them back on the bookshelf. While looking for a new book to read, I noticed "Useless Landscapes" by Haruki Murakami and photographer Koichi Inakoshi, and picked it up. This book describes Murakami's life abroad during his forties, focusing on his experiences of "living in different places" and his relationship with "travel." Reading it while looking at Koichi Inakoshi's photographs, I finished it in just over an hour.
When I was younger, I was quite fond of photography, and I would often spend hours flipping through photo books, pondering how to capture a scene in a way that would result in a photograph like the ones I saw in the book.
After setting the book aside and gazing at the sea for a while, I noticed that I had a photo album titled "Pictures of Waves, Stories about Waves." I took out that book, and our drinking session continued for even longer.
On the 12th, I started mowing the grass from 7:00 AM. It was a bit haphazard, but I was satisfied as long as there were visible signs that the grass had been cut. I know that mowing grass usually involves more time and effort spent on post-mowing cleanup, but with only a two-night, three-day stay, I was happy just to get the mowing done. I'm planning to return to the island in late October, and if I have the energy, I intend to do some cleanup of the cut grass before mowing again.
In the afternoon, I listen to NHK's FM radio, enjoy reading a book and having a drink, while taking in the view around me. Dragonflies and butterflies flutter about, the sunlight shifts towards the south, and I feel the approach of autumn, all the while grumbling about the lingering summer heat.
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