February
The fields and mountains appeared pristine pure and quiet.
Seen from afar, having lost their leaves the trees seemed to be covered with ash.
The fields and paddies of this snow country had transformed into a snow plain with a pattern of straight and diagonal lines formed by black water flowing in the trenches.
Hazy in the distance from the driven snow, it was a snowscape where everything seemed to be slumbering.
Into this wintry scene, sparrows and crows had gathered in search of fallen grains of rice among the stalks that had been abandoned after the harvest.
In stark contrast to this winter mountain monochrome were the brilliant sanguine camellias.
I discovered them in a dim-lit room arranged in a carafe for vintage sake on the wooden floor in front of a tea cupboard.
The rustic shape of the Japanese camellia blossoms were charming.
February is the beginning of spring, marked by the Setsubun Festival with bean throwing to chase out devils and followed by Valentine's Day and chocolate stalls bustling with people buying chocolates.
Who was it that decided this was the day for a girl to confess to someone that she was in love with him?
You even hear expressions like "Presenting chocolates is a solemn social duty!"
The words of a song come to mind:
Come Spring come! Come, quickly come!
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