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| The Davis Brothers, photo by Ka Davis, collage and digital. |
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The best three hours of my day today were from 10 - 1 pm,
on the phone with good, good friend Denise. I had called earlier,
but she was en route from Washington to Yuma, AZ where
they have a winter home. We texted and arranged a good time to call.
A friend for somewhere around thirty plus years. Do you have friends like that? Where you know you are there for each other but life gets in the way and that's okay because we understand? She and her husband had their 43rd anniversary Thursday and are genuinely good people.
I've been smiling all day remembering our discussion of everything from politics to movies. We are on the same page. So, friends, I wish for you that special unconditional friend, and if it's been a while, maybe give them a call? You don't have to talk for three hours, but it was surely good for my soul.
2GN2S
Crate of oranges sells for $9,600 in Japan
How many mandarin oranges can you buy with one million yen -- or roughly $9,600? For one fruit-loving buyer at an auction this week in Japan, the answer is just 100.A
single, 20-kilogram crate of 100 Japanese mandarins (also called mikan)
hit the auction block on Thursday at Tokyo's central wholesale Ota Market. It was the year's first auction
of satsuma mandarin oranges, a famous citrus species from Ehime
prefecture, on the island of Shikoku in southern Japan.
'Three suns'
Nishiuwa
is one of Ehime's mikan-producing regions and its semi-seedless citrus
species of oranges is known for its good balance of rich and sweet
flavors, its easy-to-peel thin skin as well as its melt-in-the-mouth
texture. The highest priced Nishiuwa mandarins are from one of the region's leading brands -- Hinomaru."Hinomaru
mikan are produced in a limited area on the coast of Yawatahama city in
Ehime prefecture," Shin Asai, from JA Nishiuwa's sales department,
tells CNN. "It's a mikan that is grown with so-called three suns -- the
actual sun, the reflected light from the sea and the reflected light
from the stone walls of the terraced fields."Only about 100 farmers produce this special kind of mikan in the area."Hinomaru Mikan this year have been particularly good quality," Asai adds.
The high bid at Thursday's
auction was considered "a very celebratory price" to mark the beginning
of Japan's mikan season, according to a representative of Nishiuwa
agricultural association."Since
the quality of the fruit of each year is evaluated at the first
auction, it will greatly affect the subsequent sales," Asai says. "First
auction is very important for the fruit industry."
The typical price of this type of high-end mandarin orange is usually around JPY7,800 (or $75) for 10 kilograms. It
wasn't the first time the sweet mandarins fetched such a staggering
price in an auction -- the highest bidding price last year was also in
the million range."But
considering the negative impact in the economy because of Covid-19, we
were surprised and also delighted that it was auctioned off for one
million yen," says Asai.
"It is not only an important
part of their diet, but, perhaps more importantly, fruit is considered a
luxury item and plays an important and elaborate ritual part in Japan's
extensive gift-giving practices."
Mandarins are one of the most popular fruits in Japan. According to a report in 2019 by Japan's Statistic Bureau, mandarins were the country's highest yielding fruits in 2016 and 2017.
Just because ...
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| Hoopoe, Israel's State Bird |
• A touching 3-minute video, a duckling, here.
• An art 3+minute video, Emma Pettit, here.
• An under 3-minute video, pandemic change of life, here.
A smiles for Saturday ...
7 comments:
The little girl actually has nailed the pose the sculpture is doing. That is what is so special about watching young children. They don't have the fear of failing that we seem to acquire with age.
The story and the tradition of the fruit was delightful and I did notice everyone bidding was wearing a mask. (What a concept!)
And you are so right about having good long-term friends. I have a couple from high school and when we char or get together, it's like all the years have melted away.
Have a great weekend. And one of the good things about the pandemic is the slightly slower pace, that allows us to choose to spend 3 hours chatting with a friend. :)
Great image of love. We need more of that in our lives. I watch a weekly vlog of two dads who are fostering three children who are brothers and a sister. I see the love in their lives. I think that is why I watch it. It helps when we see people showing their feelings for one another. :-)
I only can agree with your friend Carrol. She expressed my thoughts perfectly. Thank you Carrol, I would have needed hours to find the right words and thank you, dear Jacki for another wonderful blog.
You are so dear CArrol, to take the time to comment. I love to get your opinion. After all, I haven't worn that blue dress since your advice. ;o)
I hope you were able to make it to Lgauna today, since it ends tomorrow. I thought I might, but didn't? Thanks again.
Thank you, John. My cousin posted that of her sons, and I asked if I might work with it. I like the softness.
Thank you Elenor, you do amazing with your English, please don't be so hard on yourself. If I had to write to you in your language, German?, I would be losy. Thanks for your comment, I was thinking this morning that I hadn't heard from you in a while and wanted to make sure you were well and safe.
Thanks so much, you are so dear.
It was indeed great to visit on the phone my dear friend. I loved the mama bear story and the photo of the little ballerina girl. Bless you for brightening all our days!
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