I can't believe it is May already. It seems like we haven't started spring yet here on the upper left coast of America. The forecast for today: rain and drizzle, showers, rain possible followed by rain and clouds. This morning the forecast read like a horoscope: You can't rule out a possibility of rain.
The cherry blossoms are just falling now, but the iris are small yet, the peonies have just little buds, azaleas are just beginning to bloom. No sign really of wisteria and other May flowers, and forecast calls for continued cool rainy weather.
When I was in Los Angeles April 12-13 for the 60th Anniversary and deidcaiton of Seifu-an, a new tea house in the Huntington Gardens, it rained all day for the chakai. And while the rain brings the lush, green gardens, it is difficult to conduct a large scale chakai. I was prepared with my raincoat, and umbrella of course, but many others were not. I gave away my umbrella to a lady in a silk kimono that was getting soaked.
It was not without good humor, though as the men in hakama, tucked them up to keep their hems from dragging and getting wet.
One of the most interesting temae was the koicha seki which was held in the library of the Huntington. I loved the venue with tapestries on the wall and the ryurei table was set in front of the ornate fireplace almost like a painting itself:
Now -that- is one fancy tokonoma.
ReplyDeleteDear anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment. Yes, it is a wonderful mix of east and west, don't you think?