Good News for Abbey Road Studios

I was deeply disappointed with the news that the Abbey Road Studio is now for sale. Therefore, I posted the photo above to my photostream in flickr and asserted "save the Abbey Road Studio", because I strongly hope that the studio should be saved. After posting the photo, I recieved a wonderful news from my flickr friend Ollie　by return and he said that Sir Paul McCartney could buy it so that the studio will be saved. That was a realy wonderful news for me and I felt easy about it.




taken by Olympus SP350 no EXIF dataa available

アビーロード・スタジオが売りに出ているというニュースに大いに失望しました。そこで、flickr（写真投稿サイト）の自分のサイト上に写真を投稿し、「アビーロード・スタジオを保存すべきだ」と主張したのでした。 写真を投稿すると、flickr内の友達であるOllieより折り返し素敵なニュースを受け取りました。それは、ポール・マッカートニーがスタジオを買うので保存できることになるというものであった。本当に喜ばしいニュースであり、ひとまずはほっとしたのであった。

A bloom in winter, Camellia Sasanqua

This will be the last bloom of Camellia Sasanqua in this winter season. This is a typical winter flower which is native to Japan. This plant was introduced to Europe in middle of 19th century by Dutch traders. It is now very popular winter flower not only in Europe and Japan as well as in the USA and Australia.　

taken by Olympus Pen E-P1 with M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6, Aperture Priority AE, F5.6 1/20 ISO800

この山茶花は今シーズン最後の花でしょう。これは代表的な冬の花で、日本原産です。１９世紀の中ごろオランダの貿易商によってヨーロッパに紹介されました。今では日本やヨーロッパだけではなく、米国でも親しまれています。

Spring is just around the corner.

This plant is one of the species of Bergenia. I found it came into bloom last week in a corner of my front yard. In Japanese, we call it Himalaya Yukinoshita which means under the Himalayan snow because the plant is native to Central Asia and Himalayan area. This flowering plant normally comes out in the early spring, around the beginning of March, but this year, it came into bloom one month earlier than usual.

taken by Olympus Pen E-P1 with M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6, f6.3 1/500 ISO400 Aperture Priority AE

この植物はユキノシタ科ベルゲニア属の一種で、ヒマラヤユキノシタといい、原産は中央アジアおよびヒマラヤ地方です。先週、我が家の前庭の片隅で咲き始めたのに気付きました。 この花は例年早春の３月初め頃に咲きますが、今年は普段よりもひと月早く咲き始めました。

A finest story, Hope for Haiti

I was deeply touched by a only 7-year-old boy, Charlie Simpson, in the UK who raised donations to Haiti earthquake victims by internet. He opened his web site for asking donations under his parent's help. He secceeded to collect One Hundred Fortyeight Thousand Pounds within two days only, and money will be donated through UNISEF, newspaper reported here in Japan. That is absolutely a finest anecdote.

image was taken by CANON EOS40D with EF-S17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 1/320 f7.1 ISO800, Aperture Priority AE

ハイチ地震の被災者への義捐金をつのったイギリスのたった７歳の少年、チャーリー・シンプソン君に感動しました。両親の助けでウェッブサイトを開き寄付金を募った結果、￡148,000を２日間で集め、ユニセフを通じて寄付したと、新聞が報じました。まさに美談であります。

Narcissus in midwinter

This type of species of Narcissus blooms in the midwinter. We feel spring is coming before long when we look such narsissus in bloom even in the cold air of midwinter. It was balmy out yesterday, so I went out with my camera for a driving. I found that narcissuses were in full bloom beautifuly just in front of an old buddhism temple located on the skirts of a mountain.

taken by Canon EOS40D with EF-S17-85mm F4-5.6 IS USM, 1/30 f20 -0.7 of Exposure Bias, Aperture Priority AE

この種類の水仙は寒中に咲きます。大寒の冷たい空気の中にもかかわらず、この花を見ると春遠からじを感じます。　昨日は天気が穏やかで、カメラを持ってドライブに出かけました。 山の裾野にある, とある古いお寺の前に美しく咲く水仙を見つけました。

love to be in warm places

The above image was taken by my first digital camera Minolta DiMage 7 in back to 2002 at a patio, faces the Indian Ocean, in the Galle Face Hotel, colombo. I used to see gorgeous sunset with drinking cold beer in this wonderful place. I really love to be in any tropical countries whenever in winter season of Japan.
A similar image can be seen in BlackMagic on my flickr's photostream.

taken by Minolta DiMage7, 7-50.8mm F2.8~3.5, f8 1/300 IS100 Aperture priority Mode

上の写真は２００２年にコロンボのゴールフェイス・ホテルのインド洋に面しているパティオにて、私にとっては最初のディジタル・カメラ、ミノルタ・ディマージュ７にて撮影したものです。この素敵なパティオで冷えたビールを飲みながら素晴らしい夕日を眺めたものでした。冬の間はいつも、どこか熱帯の国に住んでみたいと憧れます。

Hope for Haiti

I was deeply moved by the charity conceret for Haiti held by great and world's famous musicians like Madonna, Stevie Wonder and others in the US just recently. This image, taken in sometime last October, is to be dedicated to all of supporters to Haiti and all victims. Another dedication can be seen in my photostream of flickr.

taken by Canon EOS40D with EF 100mm macro F2.8 USM, f4.5 1/125 ISO400 Aperture Piority mode

最近、アメリカでマドンナをはじめとするトップ・アーティストが開催したハイチ地震へのチャリティー・コンサートに感動しました。
この写真をハイチを支援するすべての人々と被災者に捧げます。

waiting for spring, buds of the oriental paperbush

Cold and strong wind started to blow from late last night, and it was a sharp drop in the temperature this morning. It was very warm yesterday, but today was so cold and more than 10 degree Celsius lower than yesterday. I have come to know again it is still winter now, so buds are still hard and waiting for spring.
This plant is called Mitsumata in Japanese and the scientific name is Edgeworthia chrysantha. As for the English name, it is called Oriental Paperbush. The bark of this plant is used for raw material of Washi (means Japanese paper).


taken by Canon EOS40D with EF 100mm F2.8 macro USM, aperture priority mode, f8, 1/100, ISO400

冷たい強風が昨夜半から吹きはじめ、今朝は急激に気温が下がった。昨日はとても温かかったが、今日は昨日より１０度以上も気温が低かった。まだまだ冬であることを思い知らされた。蕾もまだ固く春を待ってる。
この植物はミツマタと言い、英語ではOriental Paperbushと呼ばれてる。樹皮は和紙の原料として利用される。

feel spring on a pink plum blossom

I found a Prunus Mume in a park nearby my house when I went out for a walking as my daily exercise. It was warm today and yesterday that was alomost same climate conditions as middle or end of March TV news reported. I felt that the spring is around the corner because of that I did not need an overcoat for a walking and I found a plum blossom.

For better view in large and black backdrop

the image taken by Olympus E-P1 with M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 and aperture priority mode, f5.5 1/160 ISO200

日課の散歩の折、一輪の紅梅が咲いていたのをみつけた。昨日、今日ととても温かく、３月中旬から下旬の気候だとテレビのニュースが伝えてた。散歩にコートが要らなかったことや、紅梅を見つけたことから、「春遠からじ」を感じた。

a smiling statue

The above image was taken in Singapore several years ago at my 60th visit . I was fascinated by wonderful smile even though it was just a statue.

The image was taken by CANON EOS10D with EF 28-105mm 1:3.5-4.5 II USM and Aperture priority mode

この写真は数年前、６０回目のシンガポール訪問の折撮ったものだ。単なる彫像ではあっただが、素敵な笑顔に魅せられて、撮影した。