（１３４）　　ｍｙ　ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｓ　ａｂｏｕｔ　ｆｌｏｗｅｒｓ

I am becoming an elderly dog.

Last year, A-chan, my favorite Shiba dog who lived in my neighborhood, passed away.
At the beginning of this year, Mom's friend, who was one of the readers of my diary, also passed away.
Around that time, Dad's junior high school classmate passed away too.
Those three seem to have had cancer.

The cherry blossoms in the windmill park began to fall when the tulip flowers began to open.
When the cherry blossoms completely fell, the tulip flowers also began to wither.

Ono no Komachi (小野小町), a female poet in the Heian period, wrote about flowers in a Japanese poem.
"花の色は　移りにけりな　いたづらに わが身世にふる　ながめせしまに” (The flowers withered and their color faded away while I was meaninglessly spending my days and the long rains were falling.)

When I saw the tulip flowers, I began to indulge in the feelings of flowers.



I'm indulging in thought in front of the pink tulips that are beginning to bloom.


It was the same day as Photo 1, and at that time, the cherry blossoms were still in bloom.


I am indulging in thought in front of the red tulips that are seventy percent bloomed.


I am indulging in thought in front of the yellow tulips in full bloom.


I’m indulging in thought in front of the red tulips in full bloom.


I’m indulging in thought in front of the red tulips that are beginning to wither.