A new adventure begins in Okayama.

This year, some indigo seedlings traveled with me from Yorii to Misakicho.

and I planted some seeds in my landlord’s backyard.

I didn’t write about this but last year, working in my indigo field was wonderful.  I loved the light, touching the dirt, seeing the indigo grow.  I was completely overwhelmed and behind in all the work I had to do!!!  but it was all a really great experience.  Where I lived in Yorii, it was so hot.  It actually got to 45 degrees celsius.  I never had experienced such heat.  In areas where there are many elder people, they are warned not to go outside on such days.  The humidity was also extremely high!

Anyway, I was faced with many challenges during last indigo season, one of them being the heat, another one being that I only had one body and two hands!  and another one was that I didn’t have enough space for drying my leaves.  My house was filled with leaves at some point!  I worked at a summer camp so at that time my living room was also filled with leaves!  Ideally, leaves should be dried in one day, under the heat of the sun.  but to spread all the leaves out in the sun is a lot of work…  I used my little vinyl house to dry some of the leaves at some point too…  the leaves did dry, but they also got too much sunlight I feel…

All this to say that I was dreaming to have a bigger workplace, so I started looking for new places and I was also yearning to be more in nature.  to be in a beautiful place in the morning when I woke up.  Hearing birds sing when I wake up has always been my thing (in Tokyo I always lived near a park to make that come true).  Anyway…

I haven’t found the house or the workplace of my dreams but I moved to Misakicho, Okayama.  The air is so delicious and this season makes it easy to just take in so many deep breaths.  The green is so lush and I have a temporary home and plot of land for my indigo.  There surely is a house waiting for me~ close by, with a bigger piece of land for my indigo, possible some extra rooms for visitors…  and a workspace for my sewing machine, to dry my harvest and ferment the indigo leaves into sukumo.  and maybe a little stream or a mountain water source…

I was a little late making my seedlings this year…  let’s see how this season goes~ super excited anyway for all there is to come.

岡山でニューライフが始まりました。

去年の寄居の畑とさよなら。４年前に初めて藍を育てて、去年は初めて寄居でたくさん収穫できました。たくさん収穫できたは良かったのだけれど〜収穫したところで、乾かす場所、蒅を作る場所、色々、場所が必要となってきて、引っ越しを決意しました。一時的に家と畑を見つけてとりあえず、今年はここで藍を育てつつ、長く住める場所、藍を育てられる畑探し。ここは美咲町、岡山県。山の中。鳥取と岡山市の真ん中辺りかな。

きっと、近くに、丈夫な屋根と、ミシンを置いたり、蒅を作ったり、染色をする場所が見つかります！ここに来て、この季節が最高という事もあるけれど、呼吸しやすくて、空と緑に癒されている。山に来てしまったな〜と思う日ももちろん！たぬき、マムシ、イノシシ。。。いるいる。

始まる始まる。畑仕事の季節〜今年も勉強だ〜

藍の苗も元気です〜移植するまで、どきどき〜