Phoebe | Shining Days (1)
I have only one article left to write in the last series. I haven't written any in the whole month of May. If I had time, I would like to record everything. I would write in every detail in a painting style. However, the days passed too quickly, like a speeding Totoro bus, disappearing into the night, leaving me dumbfounded. The limited time is only enough for the people, things and places I like.
Sunday, June 9th, sunny
Although the weather forecast has been showing showers recently, the rain has not yet come. It is the hottest few days between the windy season and the rainy season. This weekend, there are two waves of guests from Dali Xiaohongshu Slow People Festival.
Yesterday, 5 internet celebrities and bloggers came. They didn't pay for the event out of their own pockets. One of them admitted that they chose it based on the time. So they were not really interested in my event. They just came out for a walk, chatted about work and life, and took some photos. Fortunately, they were nice. The three girls cooperated very well to complete the nature notes and actively asked to take photos with me. I bought a children's Polaroid to save costs. They commented that the output effect was quite retro. Everyone took a few photos, picked one to use in the notes, and used oil pastels to color.
A creative nature note, great!
Xiao Kai asked, "Teacher, do you remember my name?" Oh, of course, I also remember that her laughter was very magical. When I wasn't paying attention, Xiao Kai somehow caught a small green insect that looked like a katydid nymph and magically stuck it to her notebook. The insect struggled hard on the sketch paper. I was a little embarrassed. Should I help seal the insect on the paper and turn it into a specimen, or free it? Even if I tore off the tape, would its legs continue to jump? In the end, I did nothing. I took home a black and white image output from a children's Polaroid camera, with Xiao Kai's smiling face on it.
Today, 9 families of Xiaohongshu VIP leaders came. In order to avoid the sun at noon, the recent activities usually start at 3 pm and end in the evening. But the contact person customized the time for their group at noon. After breakfast, they drove from Santorini (why is there a Santorini by the Erhai Lake? I would not be embarrassed to use such a fake name) to the gathering point. The activity started at 11 o'clock, with four children from three generations of two families. Three children from one family followed me carefully to take nature notes. A child from another family was not interested in doing extra "homework" during the rare holiday. It actually depends on whether observation and drawing are regarded as games or tasks. The sun is very hot, and we look for shade to stay. Nature notes are a slow activity. Those who don't take notes are moving very fast. They sit on small stools in the shade of the trees to rest and wait for us.
The contact person said that there were many children and wanted them to experience camping. The payer added a sum of money to let the camping group go up to the rest point to set up tents and canopies. So Xiaoqi had already prepared it up there in the morning. He also came down to buy lunch boxes and fruits (lunch boxes for himself and fruits for guests), and helped me carry the food up. When we arrived at the rest point, the guests felt that the low canopy was a bit stuffy, so they moved the tables and chairs to the shade of the trees behind. We filled the table with food and started eating. The guests also brought their own food, such as seaweed slices, ham sausage, milk, etc. The child who didn't want to take notes felt that there were bugs harassing him, so the adults were busy spraying him with insect repellent spray. The parents felt that it was hot, and they talked about eating something and then leaving. It would be more comfortable to go to a certain place in Shuanglang to have a proper meal and tea. I saw that the oatmeal chia seed vegetarian sausage I prepared was thrown into the garbage bag after two bites. I felt sorry, but I also understood that people's preferences are sometimes diametrically opposed. What I think is good may not be recognized by others.
After a break, I asked the children to finish their notes. After all, three children had finished half of their drawings, and I had prepared some specimens so that they could finish the remaining half quickly. But the parents just wanted to leave quickly. They were nice people, too. They took away two bags of garbage, handed me a can of milk, and when I caught up with them to show them the way, they said they could just go back the same way, so I wouldn't have to make two trips. Suddenly, they left, and I only had time to take a picture of their backs as they left.
Xiaoqi and I cleaned up and continued to drink tea, eat and chat. I just met Xiaoqi. He looks like a long-haired rock singer. He is from Zhangjiakou and a friend of He Chen. He used to study fine arts and stayed in Dali for a few years. Before coming to Dali this time, he worked in Shanghai as a game modeler. I asked, do you like playing games? He shook his head and said no. Of course, he doesn't like working either, which is not difficult to predict. The hillside was very quiet at noon, and everything was shining in the sun.
Xiaoqi has sharp eyes, and I took pictures of two insects he found. He picked a bunch of mushrooms and put them in the sun to dry for Zhenhao's activities. A huge fly landed on my hand, and I let it stay there and looked at it carefully. Xiaoqi said that it was going to give birth. I was surprised, you also know this. I remembered Fabre's giant silk moth experiment in the book, "The female moth with a belly full of eggs is bloated and it is difficult for it to fly ... "
A moth, it looks beautiful.
Tripterygium wilfordii has begun to bear fruit, and the red winged fruits are quite bright. The name suggests that it is highly toxic, and the stems, leaves, and roots can be used as plant pesticides. It can only be used externally to treat diseases, not taken internally. 
A bright gray butterfly, flying and showing the front of its blue-purple wings
Monday, June 10th, sunny
I spent the past two nights fiddling with my constantly-adjusted species atlas and checking insects, and went to bed very late. There was a house in the village that was being renovated, and red bricks and sand occupied the passageway, so I could only park my car by the Mei Creek, which was a little far from home. When I set out yesterday morning, I saw that I didn't have enough time, so I forced myself to move the things that I wanted to move in two trips in one trip. Today I feel sore in my shoulder and back muscles. In the first two years after I came to Dali, I started to do some strength training, and my physical strength was relatively improved. But after coming to Dali, I was busy building a new life, let alone exercising, and I didn't even do much stretching.
Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. I went to Yangbo Village to give Xiaojing two rice dumplings sent by M to try. She said that the first official customer who wanted her to get a tattoo came today. She had already tattooed many friends around her before, and asked me if I wanted one. I said I was afraid of pain (I’m just not that cool anyway). But if I really want to get a tattoo, I will choose the pattern designed by Xiaojing. That kind of childish cuteness is very unique in the world of tattoos. This is my first time to go after she moved. She lives on the third floor of a family with a terrace, three rooms and a bathroom. The third floor belongs to her alone. The small room on the east side is her kitchen + living room, and the sink is under the eaves outside the door. A storage room in the middle is shared by her and the landlord. Her bedroom is on the west side.
When I arrived, the guests had left, but Yang Mi was there. Yang Mi always had a smile on her face. The last time I saw Yang Mi and Xiao Jing, we went to watch a movie at No. 404, Agan Town. Yang Mi had long hair at that time, wore a helmet, rode a motorcycle, and looked heroic. I looked closely at the tattoo on her arm that Xiao Jing had tattooed. I had seen the stream on her left forearm and the red sun reflected in the stream before, and then I looked carefully at the mushrooms tattooed on her right forearm. I praised it for being very suitable for her. Xiao Jing's Xiaohongshu and WeChat public account are called "Cangshan Mushroom Elf". Calling oneself an elf usually makes people feel embarrassed. But they are indeed elf-like women, free from rules and clichés, so it is appropriate and very natural.
Yang Mi cut her hair short, and the natural curls became very obvious. She wore a blue vest that she had sewn by hand, with white stitching on the shoulders and the sides below, and a pair of wide-leg pants that were very loose but still had a good shape. She had learned wood-burning from a master in Jingtian Village. Yang Mi looked simple and stylish. The back of her neck was much darker than other parts of her neck, and her arms were slender and powerful. The floating lines of her deltoid muscles caught my attention. Yang Mi was the nickname Xiao Jing gave her.
Xiaojing wore a green tight top, showing her slim waist and beautiful breasts, and a pair of navy blue wide-leg overalls. Xiaojing never hesitates to show her sexiness, which is a kind of lively vitality. When I first met Xiaojing in Shanghai last year, I took a photo of her. She smiled brightly in the sun, which reminded me of the description of Midori in "Norwegian Wood": like a deer jumping into the world in the spring.
Yang Mi and Xiao Jing are both good at dressing. So is Zhen Hao. When I went to check out the place on Tuesday, I met Zhen Hao, He Chen and Xiao Qi. Zhen Hao was wearing a floral dress that she loved, and she said she bought it at Xiaguan Chili Market for 15 yuan. On her upper arm near the shoulder was a tattoo of an image that appeared repeatedly in her dreams. Tattoos are a body art suitable for those capable and unique people.
What a nice dress. She is holding a bunch of Nepalese fragrant grass seedlings in her hands, planning to take them home to plant.
I saw Yang Mi's dog, Xiaoxi, for the first time at Xiaojing's house. I asked how Xiaoxi got it, and Yang Mi said she picked it up from the mountain. Xiaoxi is five or six months old, and looks like a small Malinois, and sometimes like a fox, with a humble and docile look. Haha is fierce, after all, this is his home. Haha also fits Jason's description of Lucky: a doll dog. It has curly hair and sparkling eyes, and looks at you like a child.
I brought a papaya. Xiao Jing peeled it, blended it with some milk, and added some mineral water. I asked for an ice cube to add, and the lightly sweet papaya milk tasted good. Yang Mi got up early in the morning to lead the mushroom picking activity. She was a little sleepy and yawned. Xiao Jing was infected by her and started yawning. Then she curled up in a chair like a cat and took a nap among the flowers and plants in the house. Xiao Jing said that during the busy summer vacation, she just wanted to take the time to sleep and rest every day.
While she was asleep, I picked up a basket of mushrooms under her table and prepared to take some home. The mushrooms exuded a strong fungus aroma. Yang Mi walked out, sat on the steps of the terrace, and looked at her phone. I visited various small details in the house. The table and chairs in the middle of the small room were all outdoor supplies. I picked up a sterculia fruit that they brought back from their trip to Mengding. The fruit bloomed like a flower, dotted with black seeds. After holding it in my hand, I immediately found that there was a layer of needle-like hairs on the outer layer of the sterculia fruit, and many tiny needles pierced my hand. I pinched it and asked Yang Mi what it was, but my hand still hurt after letting it go. Yang Mi used her fingers as tweezers to help me pull out the vertical needles that were visible to the naked eye.
The mushroom grandpa in the small scene is very cute, and his eyes are like stars.
Pottery made by Xiao Jing. There is also a star in the front. The doll head jar is great.
Dried fruits of Datura and eucalyptus are placed in a jar, and a Trichosanthes kirilowii is hung on it.
The top right is the apple that pricked my hand. I gave two stones I painted to Xiao Jing, Little Witch and Bread:)
A wall
The color of the wooden box in the back is so beautiful, Jason gave it to me. The driftwood is so beautiful too. On the right is a bunch of paintings by Xiao Jing
There was a pile of homemade wine on the ground. Where did the flower stand pillar next to it come from? Yang Mi pointed to the vent of the range hood on the wall and said that she had asked about this question before and it was dug out from there. It looks very beautiful!
Mushrooms! Xiao Jing played music, and I said it sounded a bit like the soundtrack of He Chen's videos, not mainstream.
The top middle one is a gift Jason brought back from Xihuahua Farm. It was probably made by Haishan, an 18-year-old inheritor of Weishan embroidery. Ah, this is really a lively embroidery, very appealing
I praised this rattan table, and Xiaojing said it was bought at a flea market.
After Xiao Jing woke up, he discussed with Yang Mi whether to go to the beach for a picnic and look for the hairy-headed parasol, and then started to prepare to go out. I followed him. So this was an evening for walking the dog and the bay, watching the clouds rise and the moon rise. We chose a piece of grass to sit on, spread a piece of cloth, and it became a simple tea table. The food for tea was a box of blueberries and bread made by Yang Mi's friend. The bread was really delicious, toast inside, chewy outside, caramel color, and a little cheese flavor. What kind of bread is this?
We took a selfie.
I said, I haven't sat idle like this for a long time. This is before the summer vacation, let's spend the summer vacation first. Xiaojingjing nodded. The picking group is the busiest group in the summer vacation. She took out a small notebook and pen from the big black cloth bag and started to draw a small picture of Yang Mi sitting in front of her. When she finished, Xiaoxi and Haha were playing in front of us, and I tried to paint them on the paper . Sometimes the puppies rushed over and ran away, leaving a little saliva on my face. Kittens and puppies are like children. Just watching them play is very relaxing.
The moon rose, the sky gradually darkened, the night breeze was cool, and we walked back. Xiao Jing asked: "Sister Phoebe, when did you start to have white hair?" I said: "Ten years ago, when I was in Guangzhou, I suddenly found that I had a lot of white hair. After these ten years, it has become more and more obvious." She said: "I have also started to have white hair recently, and I thought to myself that I have to do what I want to do quickly." I said, I think so too. Just like the gardenia, it is snow-white when it first blooms, and turns yellow over time. The color indicates age. The more white hair, the less youth there is. Although psychologically, we can always stay young. Yuasa Masaaki has an animated film "Spring Night is Short, Girls Go Forward!" I want to watch it but haven't seen it yet. When can I watch it with my friends? Xiaoyan said that the original novel is very popular among the boys in her class.
I chatted with Xiaoyan after she finished her college entrance exam. Children grow up so fast.
Tuesday, June 11th, sunny
I went to eat lunch at noon and saw Bobo, Teacher Qiao and others sitting at a table outside Eryuanzhai. Bobo greeted me and told me to go eat quickly. Some people are fasting, and there are free lunches in the past five days. Listening to Xiaolu's podcast, she said that there are too many free things in Dali, and she thinks that bookstores should not be taken for granted as free spaces. She and Mo Qi have different opinions, each has their own reasons, and I agree with them.
Ah, the house is dirty and messy, I need to clean it up. I washed a tub of clothes. After washing for a while, I remembered to add the cloth bag I brought down from the mountain to the wash. I picked the seeds of Imperata cylindrica scattered on my cloth bag one by one.
MK invited me to a vegetarian hot pot near his home. He showed me the little owls he took at the Owl Ecological Village. They were very cute. Afterwards, I remembered that I had seen an advertisement for the village recruiting volunteers in the Cangshan and Erhai Insect Group.
Wednesday, June 12 Cloudy with showers
It finally rained. I wonder what the weather will be like for the Xipo Night Observation tomorrow.
I borrowed a book called Two Summers, co-authored by Yoko Sano and Shuntaro Tanikawa, from Xiao Jing's house. In the poem "Summer is Coming", Tanikawa wrote:
Whenever summer comes, I always look forward to "this time is the only one"
But when summer ends, I feel that no summer is the only one in life.
…
The cicadas are chirping, the sun is shining brightly
The distant horizon is blurred
Summer is here again"