薪割り後のコーヒー/A cuppa after wood splitting
薪割りを終えると全身汗びっしょり。真夏の日差しの下で斧を振り続けるのは想像以上に体力を使います。息を整えながら、まずは冷たく冷えたミネラルウォーターをごくごくと飲み干しました。乾いた体に水分が染みわたる感覚は最高です。
そのあとすぐにシャワーを浴びました。冷たい水が体に当たり、汗と埃が流れてとても気持ちいい。
シャワーでリフレッシュしたところで、コーヒーを淹れました。
ポットでお湯を沸かす間、コーヒー、豆乳、カップなどを準備します。
コーヒー缶の蓋を開けた瞬間、中からコーヒーのアロマティックな香りが広がります。香ばしくて嗅ぐだけでリラックスできます。
ドリップしたコーヒーと、ミルクフロッサーで泡立てた豆乳をカップに注いでいきます。出来上がったコーヒーを口に含んだ瞬間、コーヒーの苦味と香りが体にすっと染み込んでいきます。汗を流しきった爽快感と相まって、その一杯は普段以上に特別な味がします。
ところで我が家はムーミンが好きなので、家のあちこちにムーミンキャラクターたちがいっぱい。コーヒー缶にもムーミンキャラクターがいます。
一仕事終えた後の静かなひととき。薪割りを楽しんだ後のコーヒーの温もりは、僕にとって田舎暮らしの小さな幸せです。
これからも、この時間を大切にしていきたいと思います。
By the time I finished splitting some firewood, I was absolutely soaked in sweat. Swinging the axe under the sun during the middle of summer, took way more out of me than I expected. Catching my breath, I grabbed a bottle of icy cold mineral water and skulled it down in a few big gulps. Mate, that feeling of icy cold water soaking into a dry body — it's just fantastic.
Then I jumped into the bathroom to take a shower. As the cold water hit me it washed away all the sweat and dust. That is absolutely refreshing.
Once I was freshened up, it was time for a cuppa. While waiting for the kettle to boil the water, I set out the coffee, soy milk, and cups. As I popped open the coffee tin, that aroma of the coffee filled the kitchen, in fact the entire room — just smelling it was relaxing.
I poured the fresh coffee, frothed up some soy milk with the frother, and tipped it into the cups. As I had a sip of the coffee, the bitter flavour and rich smell sank straight into my body. It was just perfect. The cuppa after a bit of work simply tastes a hundred times better than usual.
Oh, and by the way, our place is full of Moomin stuff — we’re big fans. Even the coffee tin has a little Moomin character on it, so I get a chuckle every time I make a brew.
That quiet moment - sitting back with a warm coffee - after getting some work done, especially wood splitting, is the kind of simple happiness I love to have in my countryside life.
Righto, I'd like to wrap this up here for now. Thanks for reading my blog. You guys are the champs. Stay tuned for more and as always, have a good one.
Catch you soon!
