さて、本日は東北・仙台空港に移動。2/25-26お両日の青森県での講演に備えて、久しぶりに東北の風に吹かれてみたいと思っています。ここのところ「十津川」の記事を続けていますが、26日までは札幌を離れることになるので、講演の準備もあり本日は小休止。記事の続きは出張先のホテルなどで気分も変えて続けることにしたいと思います。
わたしは住宅雑誌事業の譲渡後、全国を歩いてあらたな「取材対象」を巡っていますが、カミさんのブーイングもあるので（笑）、冬の最盛期・降雪多量時期は、天候を見ながらできるだけ出張を避けています。わが家と周辺の駐車スペースなどの「雪かき」を女性一人に押しつけるのは避けるという意味合い。健康維持にすばらしい体動機会とはいえ、さすがにカラダにはコタえる。
１月にも出張はしていたのですが、天候を睨みながら「この日程なら」という狙い撃ち。だいたい札幌では年間で15回くらいの「雪かき」が平均的でことしは本日朝もやらなきゃなりませんが、それも入れるとおおむね14回に到達。今日を過ぎればあと１回程度だというのですね。この予想当たるかどうか、ですが、しかし長年の経験則には強い蓋然性があると思います。それを信じての出張外出であります。
写真は2/22放送のテレビ天気予報で、北海道の冬まっ盛りの「ダイヤモンドダスト」。気温が零下15度を下回ってそのほかの気象条件が重なると出現する真冬のファンタジー風物詩。この景色は北海道の青い池で知られる上川支庁・美瑛町の山間部でみられた映像だそうです。札幌でも何度かは経験した記憶がありますが、この冬はまだ札幌、零下10度ほどが下限なので、たぶん見られないでしょう。
１月は記録的に少雪でしたが、２月に入っての「帳尻合わせ」ぶりは驚異的。いまや平年値を超えてきています。まぁそれでも足を伸ばして内陸部までドライブしたりすると「光の春」を実感。やわらかくて温かみのある陽光が、白い雪原に反射し空の青さとのコントラストで独特の季節感を呼び覚ましてくれる。演歌の「北国の春」（⇐古いっ）が耳奥に沸き立ってくるかのようです。
ということで久しぶりの「転地」で気分も転換させてまた記述を続けますのでよろしく。
English version⬇
[Temporary relief from snow shoveling, today on the Pacific side of the Northeast]
“Diamond dust” image in weather report. Winter in the north, the polar regions. On the other hand, I also feel the “spring of light”. I want to change my mood and increase my will to express myself in a new place after a long time. The weather report shows images of diamond dust in the northern winter and the polar regions.
Well, today I'm moving to Sendai Airport, Tohoku, to prepare for my speech in Aomori Prefecture on 25-26 Feb. I'm hoping to get some Tohoku wind for the first time in a while. I have been writing about Totsukawa for a while now, but as I will be away from Sapporo until 26 Feb, I have to take a short break today to prepare for my lecture. I would like to continue the article in a different mood at the hotel where I will be travelling.
Since the transfer of my housing magazine business, I have been walking around the country to find new “interview subjects”, but my wife has been booing me (laughs), so I try to avoid business trips during the peak winter season and heavy snowfall as much as possible, depending on the weather conditions. The implication is that I avoid putting the responsibility of “shoveling snow” from our house and surrounding parking spaces on the shoulders of one woman. Even though the physical exercise sessions are wonderful for maintaining health, they are indeed hard on the body.
I had already made a business trip in January, but I decided to take advantage of the weather conditions and aim for this date. In Sapporo, the average number of snow shoveling is about 15 times a year, and this year we have to do it again this morning, but if we include that, we have reached about 14 shoveling sessions. After today, there will be only one more shoveling. I'm not sure if this prediction will come true, but I think there is a strong probability based on many years of experience. I am going out on a business trip with this belief.
The photo shows ‘diamond dust’ at the height of winter in Hokkaido, as shown in the TV weather forecast on 22 February. It is a midwinter fantasy-like phenomenon that appears when the temperature drops below 15 degrees below zero and other weather conditions combine. This image was taken in the mountainous area of Biei-cho, Kamikawa Branch Office, which is known for its blue ponds. I remember experiencing this in Sapporo a few times, but this winter is still Sapporo and the temperature is still 10 degrees below zero, so you probably won't be able to see it.
There was record low snowfall in January, but the “balance of the books” in February is astounding. It is now above normal. Even so, you can still feel the “spring of light” when you go for a drive inland. The soft, warm sunlight reflecting off the white snowfields and contrasting with the blue of the sky evokes a unique sense of the season. The enka song “Hokkoku no Haru” (⇐ old) seems to boil in the back of my ears.
I will continue to write about this place after a long absence.
