Notes:
plum セイヨウスモモ;
hay fever 花粉症;
cedar スギ;
sneeze くしゃみをする;
—————————-
How do you know when spring is here? The prettiest signs of spring are the flowers. The plum blossoms open early, in February, but you can still find them blooming here and there in the middle of March. Another sign of spring is the farewell party. This is the time when people leave their company or move to a different office. Their co-workers have a farewell party to say goodbye to them. There is one sign of spring that nobody likes. It is called “hay fever.” Many people are allergic to cedars and start to sneeze. Their eyes water, and they often feel sleepy or have headaches.
——————————-

(image from https://www.hellomagazine.com)

Notes:
mandarin orange 温州ミカン;
bulbul ヒヨドリ;
weasel イタチ;
———————————–
A friend of mine lives outside the city. Although his house is 20 minutes from the train station, I enjoy the walk to his house. There are little gardens here and there. At this time of year, the peach trees are starting to bloom. We can see mandarin oranges on the branches of other trees. I saw one tree full of birds. There must have been 50 bulbuls in that small tree. They were eating all the oranges! I kept walking along a path that followed a stream. Nature is not always kind to animals. I saw the body of a dead weasel floating down the stream. (by Prof. Douglas Jarrell)
———————————–