early spring in nagano

a few days in nagano;

mountain country located in the center of japan.

walking through mountain path is really nice, 

especially when it's in spring time, 

and everything's coming new. 

we could still see wild cherry blossoms and 

many early spring flowers which ended 

so many days (weeks) ago in my neighborhood.

(isn't it like silk stitches on beautiful kimono?)

and young green buds are about to open!

it is something that i get so much excited to see.

every day the color of the mountain changes

from almost grey to yellow green and to pale green.

i found many beautiful nature treasures.

a part of the things i found today:

akebi's （アケビ）buds and dried bee hive, 

walnut （山胡桃） cracked by squirrel (？), 

wild wisteria （山藤）seeds like chocolate beans, 

above them some sort of japanese oak's（コナラ/クヌギ etc）

young flowers in cluster, 

horsetail （つくし/スギナ）shoots.

早春の長野にて

毎年５月の連休にはここで短い休日を過ごすのだが

今年はまた一段と春が遅かったらしい

着いた夜は全国的に寒波で、気温は２度

都心では桜の咲くのが異常に早かったが

こちらでは、まだ山桜が咲いている

こぶしもあけびもいかり草も　ふきのとうでさえもまだ咲いている

ちょうど芽吹きの季節だが

’山笑う’にはまだ早い

ようやっと芽が開きはじめたという感じだ

まい朝、山をみると少しずつ色がかわっているのがわかる

だんだんもりもりとみどりが盛りあがってくる

そしてある朝　

「ああ山が笑っている」と思う