Hydrangea Flowers in the Rain

We are still in the rainy season here in Utsunomiya. 

My schedules of playing tennis are apt to be cancelled recently. It is not the exception today.

Hydrangea flowers in Utsunomiya Central Park are blooming beautifully these days.

On occasion, forgetting about playing tennis, taking pictures of flowers can refresh my mind.

 

I Take Pictures on a Rainy Day

This is the way I take pictures.

It is hard to take photos holding both my camera and an umbrella.

All photos of today's post were taken by my wife, Kiyono using her smartphone.

I Go to Utsunomiya Central Park in the Rain

The baby snail on wet leaves goes well on a rainy day.

The frog and the carp in the water do not care about the rain, of course.

I Go to Tochigi Prefectural Museum

June 15th is  "The Day of Tochigi Prefecture."

To cerebrate the day, many local museums and art galleries are admission free on the day, on one day before the day and on two days before the day.

My wife and I went to Tochigi Prefectural Museum today for free.

Iris Flowers at Tochigi Sports Park

I play tennis at Tochigi Sports Park usually once or two times in a week. 

The park has sixteen tennis courts, taking me about a thirty-minute bike ride from home to the place.

The park also has flower gardens in addition to baseball fields, gymnasiums, athletic fields and else.

Iris flowers were at their best now.

Home Garden on My Balcony

My wife and I keep a home garden on our balcony.

Mulukhiya called 'moroheiya' in Japanese, okra, cherry tomato are growing in their flowerpot.

Mulukhiya and cherry tomato are having yellow flowers recently.

The Azaleas Are in Full Bloom

Utsunomiya Tower and azaleas

There were lots of trees in Hachiman-yama park.

Cherry blossom were already finished but the azaleas were at their best just two weeks ago.

I visited the park two times in May.

I found that white color azaleas bloomed one or two weeks later than red or purple color ones. 

I Go to A Little Zoo in Hachiman-yama Park

My wife and I went to a little zoo which kept a pony, capibaras, monkeys, Japanese cranes, peacocks, pigs and else just one week ago.

The zoo was located in Hachiman-yama Park.

Luckily, it was exceptionally not closed, even Utsunomiya Tower and other shops there were closed due to COVID-19.

Roadside Flowers From Home to Utsunomiya Central Park

Chinese violet cress in a vacant land

tree peony beside Union Street

There were flowers even on the way from home to the Utsunomiya central park.

Most shops along the Union Street were closed due to COVID-19, though wild flowers in a vacant land and flowers in a street side flower bed were blooming beautifully.

I Go to Utsunomiya Central Park #2

There are not only flower gardens but also a big pond and a medium size pond with traditional Japanese style bridges.

While I was staying in the park, I rarely met people.

I think the number of people visiting the park might be less than one tenth that of the number on a usual day.

Carps and wild ducks, they were swimming as usual, did not care about COVID-19 at all.

It was a very quiet day.