Beni-bana

We call this flower "beni-bana".
beni means 'red' and bana (hana) means 'flower'.

English name is 'safflower'.

It was used for coloring and making cloths and foods red and yellow.

You can see beni-bana fields here and there in this season.

My daughter colored white cotton handkerchief with beni-bana as a school program yesterday.

She said it turned pink and very beautiful.

I didn't see it because she dried it at school and will bring it back home today.

I am looking forward to seeing the handkerchief and

her big smile!

Birds are singing in the morning

We are in the rainy season here, in Japan.
It lasts almost one month.
After it ends (at mid July), a Real summer comes.
Geee...., I hate summer.

Anyway, a couple of swallows made mud nest for eggs by the front door. It is the first nest since our house had been built 6 years ago. Swallows are good animal so we don't bother them and see they're bringing mud hundreds times to make their nest. It's amazing!

One of the swallows has been still almost all day, so there must be eggs.

We have no pets and we are looking forward to seeing babies.