It was 21°C yesterday. With all this rain and sunshine I expect the weeds will get off to a good start this year. The asparagus bed is already ahead of the pack; full of rogue grasses that are already hopelessly intertwined with their hosts. The wind has been strong too, the first spring wind (haruichiban) has passed.
Kento, pumpkin, three years ago.
There’s a tummy bug going around and both the children have been unwell. Maya has had her nappy changed more often. It’s been more of a 24 hour event for Kento. He’s been fine throughout the day, only to wake at half two in the morning to be sick in bed. This had continued for the past three nights. [yawn].
Hakusai second attempt
I moaned recently about the hakusai being under-par. Although it isn’t a cure-all, I was told to wrap himo (string) around them to prevent them from spreading out. Something to note for the future. Most of this year’s are going directly to the compost bin. They are finished and starting to go to flower. 
Chocolat Brewery is made from roasted malt and cacao, having the characteristic of aromatic chocolate flavour and bitter taste.
Brewer Sapporo
Style Other
I didn’t expect this to be so good; rather a clever ploy around Valentine’s Day. The beer is brewed with ROYCE chocolate. It doesn’t taste odd at all. Lovely chocolatey aroma and a nice combination with the malt. I love dark beer and this hit the spot (made a dent in the wallet too).
Apart from the odd flurry, there hasn’t really been any snow this winter. Quite at odds to other parts of the world, it again seems peculiar. I wonder if it will have any effect on the flavour of white leeks and daikon.
Maya
Maya is a year old. She has already been walking a couple of months. Doors are now no longer an obstacle and she has figured how to lift and open the stair guard. I’m going to have to remember to unlock it before I barge through it. Her appetite hasn’t abated, if anything she eats more than Kento. The little tears if her chawan (rice bowl) is empty. Looking back over past photos brings a familiar sense of déjà vu. Even Kento shared the same rotundness. 
Hakusai first attempt
Each subsequent attempt at growing hakusai (chinese cabbage) has ended up for the worse. The cabbages are splayed, instead of the solid stumpy stubs that were harvested a few years back. It would be good to understand why. Is it the weather or perhaps the compost isn’t cutting it? 
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