The art of the picnic

Detail from The Maple Viewers, Kano Hideyoshi, 16th c., Tokyo National Museum Collection
http://www.tnm.jp/en/servlet/Con?&pageId=E16&processId=02&col_id=A10470&ref=2&Q1=&Q2=&Q3=&Q4=11[34]_____4181_&Q5=&F1=&F2=

Because I became exhausted just reading about the logistics that go into running the tavern at A&S, I have to say that there is much to be said about the delights of a picnic on a summer's day.

One tent. (Optional. The first HOCM picnic was done under some trees on a blanket).

One Radio Flyer in dire need of paint and some WD-40 to stand in for porters to transport one's picnic goodies to the ideal idyllic spot.

One pond with poetically arranged willow trees and attendant water fowl. Optional, but highly idyllic as long as one manages to stay clear of the attendant water fowl poo.

A coupla deadbeat monkeys who can't be trusted to serve the mochi without eating it all. Cute though, and Always Cheerful (TM).

One five pound bag of sushi rice, a package of chicken thighs, rice vinegar, salt and a bottle of teryaki sauce. (Note to self, find that teryaki marinade with the sesame seeds in it again. The batch that went to Estrella was even better than this one.)

One hami melon. (Note to self, keep an eye out for this at the market again, it is yummilicious.)

Two bags of edamame. (Note to self, this was too much of a good thing. One package would've been ample.)

One bottle each of Hana Awaka (300ml) and Sho Chiku Bai nigorizake (750ml). Probably more sake than we needed to have for an intimate luncheon gathering, but nice to have.

Two teapots, one green tea with brown rice, one Chinese black tea with roses.

Three packages of supermarket mochi. (Yes, trystan , nom,nom,nom....)

One package of dorayaki. (One of my weaknesses.)

Assorted pickles. (Another of my weaknesses.)

One package dried squid. (I usually try to keep the menu from being too "weird," but the occasional exotic novelty in the name of horizon broadening is not a bad thing, particularly when one is serving under daylight conditions and informs one's guests of what is being served.)

One sheet of plywood and two IKEA plant stands. (Note to self, tabletop is looking rather tatty. It's probably time to sand it vigorously and stain or paint it.)

An assortment of cushions, camp stools and carpet for guest seating, with room to spill onto the lawn if necessary.

Delightful company to eat and drink the picnic fixin's. Thanks to all who came out and helped make some of that mountain of food go away.  Special thanks to lady_anna  for bringing soba, quail eggs and the nummy tangerine jellies which were most seasonal and cooling.

Why it's wrong that I want this outfit

Screenshot of Mieko Harada as Kaede, from Kurosawa's Ran. http://www.kurosawamovies.com/gallery/main.php

Well, for one thing, Kaede is the Goneril character in Kurosawa's adaptation of the King Lear story to feudal Japan. I'm not all sweetness and light, but she's way meaner than I am. 

For another, see the triangles all over her kosode? That's a serpent scale motif, traditionally used in Noh costumes worn by the Hannya, a woman who is turned into a demon by her own jealousy.
https://eee.uci.edu/clients/sbklein/images/NOH/nohmasks/pages/surihaku.htm shows two examples of snake scale Noh robes.

Lastly, she dies in it.

It's still freaking gorgeous though.