Certain Time of The Year

It being that time of the year, the usual post is not here. Huzzah! It being Christmas, I was going to take a Christmas related photograph for a certain other blog. Loveliest part, I have yet to mention the fact I have been doing the 365 Project on this blog for the last two months since I have started. This certainly goes to show that I can be lazy.

Problem is, I didn’t take a photo of anything Christmas related for the 365 Project, but rather of a gourd. Why a gourd? I told myself, “I’ll take a photo of this gourd, so at least I have taken a photo for the 365 Project.” Good thing, as I got lazy with taking a Christmas themed photo.

With the gourd I photographed, a day or two ago I decided to shake the gourds I have which are of process of drying. One made a rattling sound; one gourd has finished drying and just before Christmas. It still needs a cleaning, yes. When it will be cleaned, have the top of it cut off and its innards taken out I am not sure. Regardless of what happened to this gourd, I’ll probably simply turn to referring it as “The Christmas Gourd”. Will it serve as a reminder to not be lazy? Possibly, it’s certainly not unlikely.

As for how Christmas has been, it has been a simple day yet nice in its own way, with it coming to a close in Australia I happen to live in the area where it has begun raining within the last hour. The storm shall bring plenty of rain and loud thunder, but it is better to get rain over a overly hot day.

Rain

Day in, day out. Winter shall arrive in a few months and I ponder how plenty the rains will be during the upcoming winter.
Rain has been of certain plenty over the summer that seemed more of a winter. Even if a lack of water from the skies occur for a season it likely will not be missed by numerous people, but such cooling droplets surely will be loved by those living regardless.

Loving The Sunshine

One day to another, life has been slightly busy.
I’ve noticed my lack of posting about how the very gourds I’m raising, amusing how I’ve posted so little on the very thing I am attempting to give the best care. At least I can say the very plants I am growing are doing well.

What I find most interesting is not long ago there was plenty of rain, a contrast to what is now a period filled with sunshine. The warmth from the sun is both plentiful and much adored by me.

Hooray For Rain

What a fantastic weekend I had, plenty of rain, some flooding of local areas and more rain. Huzzah.

But really… I am growing quite a few plants and a worry during all the raining was that a number of plants I am growing won’t be able to deal with the large amount of rain. Everything seems fine, and its great to be able to walk into the sunshine once again.

Rain, Thunder and Lightning

Since it has been raining earlier for me and has started raining again, along with the start of thunder and lightning, it got me thinking about the symbolism of rain. For me it is a nourishing force of nature, and that is all it really is for me while with thunder and lightning, I don’t really know what to think of it.

Then again, for many people who are not farmers rain is seen as an annoyance instead of a nourishing force since it can ruin a planned day, but it can also be seen as very needed do to drought. Rain itself can be seen as a symbol of Heaven’s tears, but also for sorrow and anger.  Rain also symbolizes cleansing but physically and mentally.

With thunder and lightning, it is seen as a symbol of Zeus by the ancient Greeks and likely it is the same of many people to this day. Union of the skies and of the earth is another symbol of thunder and lightning. A bolt of lightning tells of the loss of ignorance and punishment of humans by gods.

Teru Teru Bozu

The teru teru bozu, or ‘shiny shiny Buddhist priest’ is a small traditional doll from Japan made with a white cloth or paper and a rubber band or string. Teru, meaning shiny refers to sunshine while bozu refers to the baldness of Buddhist monks.

Japanese farmers made these during the Edo period when they became popular, being hung outside a window by a string. When upright it is said to stop rain, when upside down it is said to help bring rain. When good weather is desired and hung upright a chant is said, “Fine weather priest, please let the weather be good tomorrow.”

Interestingly, the teru teru bozu has influenced modern culture though non-Japanese may not have realized it. It is the Pokemon known as Castform to which was based off this little amulet. While the teru teru bozu is a common sight in Japan today it isn’t in other countries, so many outside of Japan are likely to not know what Castform is based off.

It is even claimed that the origin of the teru teru bozu is that a monk promised good weather to a village that was getting too much constant rain. When the monk failed, he had his head cut off after being tracked. The majority of historians think the story developed after the teru teru bozu became widespread.

There is even a nursery rhyme in where the teru teru bozu is promised a golden bell and sake for the success of a sunny day, failure means off with the head. The rhyme goes:

Teru teru bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
Like the sky in a dream sometime
If it’s sunny I’ll give you a golden bell

Teru tero bozu, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
If you make my wish come true
We’ll drink lots of sweet rice wine

Teru teru, teru bozu
Do make tomorrow a sunny day
But if it’s cloudy and you are crying
Then I shall snip your head off

Busy

Ah… busy, busy, busy. That is how I am feeling now.  

Giant Bottle Gourd



I am quite happy with how everything has been going on plant wise with all of the seedlings popping up. The rain that had came recently is much needed with the only downside with having to stay indoors to keep dry for a number of days.

Got the opportunity to get a few quick walks in the rain. Only if clothes never got so wet that they need to be changed, then I would be laughing.