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The First Day of 2012

2012-01-01T23:58:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow it will go back to gloomy weather.

STOP

2011-10-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Howl-oween Ex-Fear-ience

2011-10-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday, October 29th
11:00 - 16:00

Come and show off your costume!
We will be taking portrait of you.

Bothell Pet Pros
20631 Bothell-Everett Hwy Suite C
Bothell, WA 98012

Check the images from Summer Bonanza Event@Bothell Pet Pros

Beyond the web

2011-10-16T00:10:00.000-07:00

A day after 911, 2011 - Apple

2011-10-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

A day after 911, 2011 - F train

2011-10-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Japanese Anemone

2011-09-29T22:27:00.001-07:00

Thinking of Japan . . .

Every morning I wake up,

I realize that 3.11 was not a dream.

And I sometimes think why the world just ends quietly.

A-plant shots in New Jersey

2011-09-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Branding?!

2011-09-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Plants I saw at Mt. Rainier

2011-08-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

Lupinus latifolius (Broadleaf lupine)

Pulsatilla occidentalis (Western Anemone)

Veratrum viride (Corn lily)

and...

Mt. Rainier and pine tree:)

This creature has a sweet name!

2011-08-07T15:09:00.000-07:00

This looks as if insects were hiding under the grass . . . or

it looks like a s strange creature with lots of eyes and kappa's* hair style;)

*kappa is an imaginary creature, a type of water sprite found in Japanese folklore.

When these eyes are open,

Read more »

"Dancing Doll"

2011-07-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Poldini's "Poupée Valsante" reminds me this fucshia: )

group art show

2011-07-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

group art show @Meyers Cafe

1700 west marine view drive, Everett WA

July 29 - September 1, 2011

Wwwwwwhat's this?

2011-07-10T16:54:00.000-07:00

sprouts

2011-07-09T00:48:00.000-07:00

This is the same flower as "Banana peels".

gooseberries

2011-07-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

I missed gooseberry flower this year again... I have never eaten gooseberries. They look a bit sour to me.

Take Me Home

2011-06-29T00:54:00.000-07:00

We were at the Bothell Pet Pros on Saturday.

There were about ten kittens from Oasis. I don't know if any of them were adopted.

This is not a kitten any more,

but this one year old cat caught my attention.

I posted more pictures from Summer Bonanza at the Pet Pros on our Facebook page. There was the pet/owner look-a-like contest.

A bird, I wan to be

2011-05-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

I want to be a bird if I have to born again.

I want to be a bird that can fly

and swim.

A birds don't need a passport and visas : )

Pray for Japan and Hope for Tomorrow

2011-03-19T23:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks for posing for me but . . .

2011-02-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

Animals often trust humans. Especially ducks are very friendly and they come to you. That's because they know people often feed them.

But sorry ducks, I won't feed you.

I sometimes meet little birds that volunteer to be shot.

I met this little bird yesterday when I was walking back to my car after watching ducks.

Another time . . .
Read more »

Sky

2011-02-17T01:13:00.000-08:00

Clouds float in

Read more »

My first birds photos

2011-02-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

I wasn’t really a nature person till I bought Canon’s first digital Rebel (which is named Kiss in Japan) in 2004.

(August 2004)

I wasn’t into photography either.

Read more »

Don't cover the whole hole!

2011-01-31T01:15:00.000-08:00

Today's seagulls

2011-01-30T19:39:00.000-08:00

Fun Flight

2011-01-17T01:35:00.000-08:00

It was my first time to see animated emergency instructions when I flew to L.A. about two years ago.

It was VERY different when I first stepped into the plane.

Read more »

“Beau Soir”

2011-01-09T23:51:00.000-08:00

An eyeball and eye line:)

It was supposed to be rainy or snowy yesterday but it turned out to be a beautiful day :)

My first bird of this year

2011-01-02T22:30:00.001-08:00

A Happy New Year!

I created a Happy Bunny Year card, but it wasn't popular among my family. I will share it anyway. (click) Some countries like Vietnam, it's the cat year by the way.

I haven't gone out to shoot birds for a long time.

This killdeer kept tweeting and walked very fast !

Look at her/ his feet --looks like high-heeled-shoes:)

Click here to listen to the killdeer.

Family: Charadriidae
Genus: Charadrius
Species: C. vociferus
The Killdeer is a mid sized-Plover.

2010 ENDs well and 2011 will START well

2010-12-31T20:02:00.000-08:00

The weather here is great this week! What a different from a week before! click

I hate gray, gray, gray, gray sky and clouds are so low, low, low. . . It seems like we live in clouds; I sometimes feel that I am isolated from the rest of world.

So, I was thinking for bird watching today but I changed my mind.　

The image below is too typical -- I'm sure many people are tired of this as I am: )

When I first found this place, I shot a lot, but now one or two . . . maybe three . . . that's enough!

Then I looked at the bay.

Nothing was moving. I was mesmerized.

Then I started to walk toward Puget Sound,

Read more »

White Christmas or Golden Christmas

2010-12-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

Season's greeting!

2010-12-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Wish everyone has a warm place to stay and enough food!

Tonight we were watching C-span during supper time and we were very impressed with Senator Mary Landrieu.

To see the original picture of this white-crown sparrow, click here and jump to Seattle Audubon Society to listen how the bird sings: )

A watery eye squirrel

2010-12-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

I met a squirrel on Saturday.

Did his or her eye look watery because the sun was too bright?

Or does he or she have an allergy?

Bridges 2

2010-11-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

I wonder where your eyes land first?

Bridges

2010-11-16T23:30:00.000-08:00

It was a gray, rainy day till we hit the road yesterday.

The traffic was heavy and it was very windy so the floating bridge swayed. But it was far better than driving in the heavy rain.

Banana peels!

2010-10-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

from the top, AND, from the bottom

2010-10-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

Blue Angeles

2010-09-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

First - decoration models for a bar mitzvah cake :)

August 7, 2010

The Next day - over Lake Washington for the Seafair Air Show :)

August 8, 2010

August 8, 2010

Finally at the Museum of Flight last weekend :)

I'm particapating in the Group Art Show for fundraising

2010-09-08T15:55:00.000-07:00

Group art show at Meyers Cafe
fundraising for HEALTHY FAMILY fOUNDATION
through September 30th 2010

Reception: September 15, 2010 @5 - 7 P.M.

1700 west marine view drive
Everett, WA (map)

Angel's Tears* framed; print size 11" x 14"

*Second Prize for Digital Photography, Mukilteo Lighthouse Juried Art Show 2006
Printed in 2006 SPINDRIFT, the award winning art & literary journal of Shoreline Community College
Selected piece for "Green: Art & the Environment" Shoreline /Lake Forest Park Arts Council Gallery 2008

Irony

2010-08-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

Blue Angels vs Eagles

2010-08-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Mt. Baker

2010-08-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

From the airplane going home to Seattle from Japan, October 2008

From the Hurricane Ridge Road, July 2010

From the ferry to Kingston July 2010

From the ferry to Edmond September 2008

Mt. Baker (3,286 m /10,781 ft) is an active Stratovolcano and located in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State.

Greens

2010-08-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

I printed these images

and

I got a little sick of seeing all greens spread in my room：）

Uneasiness

2010-07-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

Driving in Seattle is not bad
except
on dark rainy days and
often too much traffic and
sometimes a big car right behind me
and bad manner pedestrians . . . : )

YES, I often see bad pedestrians this year!

Autumn Color Now 　なぜか秋色 (Updated 7/29/10)

2010-06-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Are the greens buds?

Are these sepals?

Updated July 29, 2010

I am glad to find out this is a kind of Euphorbia (トウダイグサ).

I created a blog called "教えて" which means teach me or tell me in Japanese since I have some internet friends who like plants and who are good at researching names for plants.

Duo flying

2010-06-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

We looked at each other：）目があった！

2010-06-03T00:49:00.000-07:00

This American Robin said Hi to me!

Traffic

2010-06-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

Don't trust everybody

2010-05-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

Animals often trust humans. They don’t run away even though I approach very close. I SOMETIMES wish they would fly away quickly before I shoot them.

When I saw this American Robin, I had a 100mm lens on my camera. Since it is not powerful enough, I began to walk up.

By the time I shot this image, I could reach the robin - just about my arm length. I felt like teaching him,

“Don’t trust me. This camera may be a gun!”

But he never seemed to be bothered, so I shot a few more.

Another time I was taking pictures of swimming birds -- I found myself shooting this flying duck as soon as I turned a bit to the right.

I wasn't thinking anything at all at the moment but later I thought that I was like a hunter and thought about the word "shoot".

"Inspired by Nature" by three artists

2010-05-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Nature

June 2 - July 2, 2010

The opening reception: Friday June 11th, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Deb Casso, Peter Bentley and my work from the top
(postcard created by P.Bentley)

Phinney Center Gallery

532 Phinney Ave. N Seattle WA 98103 (map)

Spring Song 2

2010-05-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

"Listen to my singing, too"
A red-wing blackbird said.

Click here to go to Seattle Audubon Society and listen to the bird sings.

This female red-wing blackbird is not singing. Only male birds sing?? I found a very interesting article "Bird Songs" by Gareth Huw Davies. He says:

In most species, a male bird owning a territory is essential for attracting a female and breeding successfully. Males claim a territory by singing in it. They generally use shorter, simpler songs for territorial defense. They are addressing their songs to rival males. These territorial songs carry over long distances and convey detailed information about the location and identity of the singer. Gaps in the song enable the singer to listen for replies, and determine where their rival is and how far off.

Spring Song

2010-05-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

Don't say "Just a sparrow" and listen to the voice of White-Crowned Sparrow @ Seattle Audubon Society website.

With Clouds Without Clouds

2010-04-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Looks like a space station with clouds.

When there's no clouds, you can see . . .

yes, Mr.Rainier!

pines and basils make . . .

2010-04-20T01:01:00.000-07:00

pine

basil

did you get it?

pine

basil

did you get now?

oh, parmesan cheese...

and

olive oil!

We had shrimp pesto pasta tonight:)

Which turtle are you?

2010-04-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Mountains High, Valley Low

2010-04-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Driving East (Cascade Range)

Wow! it's pretty steep!

Driving West (Olympic Mountains)

...but it's just a hill, not a mountain:)

All roads lead to Ajuga

2010-04-12T01:05:00.000-07:00

Any road will take you there.

Today's visitor

2010-04-05T23:21:00.000-07:00

The voice of Steller's Jay is so distinguished; you can tell the bird is somewhere around when you hear the voice. So I look around outside here, but a problem is that they never stay in one place for a long enough for me to photograph.

Maybe they are afraid of cats. I remember one of our outside cats brought me a Steller's Jay corpse . I scolded THEM -since I didn't know what the cat meant for that - "Don't bring dead birds for me. I don't want you to do it. Don't ever do that!"

Today this Steller's Jay landed a lower branch of the plum tree and ... stayed there a few second. Yeah, only a few second so I could only click one.

Getting ready for this year's juried shows

2010-03-30T00:08:00.000-07:00

Shamrocks 2

2010-03-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

Oxalis regnellii

Oxalis triangularis, maybe

?

Family: Oxalidaceae カタバミ科
Genus: Oxali　カタバミ属

My shamrock

2010-03-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to capture this shamrock I recently bought with what I see from here - the cherry blossom tree and dynamic light.

9:09 AM FL-17, Did not fire

But too bad I didn't have the right lens on, so I couldn't include clouds; thus it failed to capture what I expected, but shows a dirty window glass and reflection of myself, gosh.

10:31 AM FL-13, Fired

11:51 AM FL-13, Fired

12:09 A.M. Do not fire

I noticed that flowers go to sleep before leaves: the flowers are already resting at sunset and leaves start to sleep around the time.

When I get up in the morning, both of them are already up.

family: Oxalidaceae カタバミ科
genus: Oxalis　カタバミ属
species: regnellii

Momo's eyes

2010-03-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

One day in December we thought that Momo's pupils were wide open all day. At least every time we looked at her, they stayed open big as if we get eye drops for eye pressure check up.

I worried so googled and found: it could be glaucoma. Glaucoma could lead to blind; I got more worried. It was such a long weekend.

But then on Monday Momo's eyes were normal.

When we took her to the vet in November, he said that Momo had cataract. This year her age jumps above my age. Oh NO!

Too many people here

2010-03-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

I came here last year too, but just passed through this court yard since I don't like hitogomi, meaning crowd or crowd of people.

What did I come here for?

The plum trees and little birds

2010-03-03T00:23:00.000-08:00

The mossy branches of plum tree is by my room - closer than the crabapple tree.

January 3, 2010 Junco ユキヒメドリ

It's usually wet and dark during winter in Seattle. And we can hardly see the sunshine. But this winter is not bad. There are breaks from rain and clouds drift; and so we can see the sun for days!

I don't know if this is good or bad, but this winter is very warm,

Febuary 24, 2010　I don't know the name of this bird.

so the flower began blooming about 3 -4 weeks earlier than last four? years. See the picture below, the tree had still buds in mid-March two years ago -- probably last year too.

March 12, 2008 Mountain Chickadee マミジロコガラ

This cherry tree with an American Robin is in front of my room.

The flowers just started blooming when I shot on Feb. 24th this year. The picture below was shot on snowy March 15th last year from my room.

*They were all shot from my room.

Yesterday's sunset

2010-02-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

I didn't see the sun from my place when I left here. But I decided to drive west.

All the sudden everything was soooo bright.

5:36P.M.
I had to get out from the car and shoot.

5:37 P.M.

5:40 P.M.

Above three images were shot at N. 85th and what? It's so different from last week's sunset images.

I kept driving west and

6:03 P.M.

I arrived at Shilshole Bay.

6:04 P.M.

I think this is the same mountain as I shot at the 85th Street.

Today's sunset

2010-02-21T22:09:00.001-08:00

Mt.Rainier

Olympic Mountain Range

They all were shot at UW campus today.

Mozart loved European Starling

2010-02-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

Mozart had a European Starling (ホシムクドリ) as pet and taught the bird to sing♪

Read more about it. And here's the third movement of Piano Concerto #17 in G.

January 2007　A shot through a glass window where I'm sitting now.

September 2008

I wish my cat could sing♫:)

Happy Sweetie Day

2010-02-14T23:05:00.000-08:00

Witch Hezel マンサク

2010-02-12T23:07:00.000-08:00

Below is hehamamelis vernalis which has fragrance of cinnamon.

I rarely see this kind of witch hezel - flowers with leaves.

Lately I get pimples, so I thought about witch hazel and guess what.

15 Wonderful Uses For Witch Hazel says:
Shrink Bags Under The Eyes.

I should try!

Family: Hamamelidaceae　
マンサク科
Genus: Hamamelis　
マンサク属

A rainy winter day

2010-02-02T21:12:00.000-08:00

Daffodil

Family: Amaryllidaceae ヒガンバナ科
Genus: Narcissus

Snowflake

Family: Amaryllidaceae ヒガンバナ科
Genus: Leucojum

Cyclamen

Family:Myrsinaceae ヤブコウジ科 or Primulaceae サクラソウ科
Genus:Cyclamen　シクラメン属

Mozart's birthday

2010-01-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

Created 1/27/10, Pencil drawing of Mozart 9/15/96

Created 2004 Pastel drawing of Mozart July ?

Created 2004 The same pastel drawing

Space Needle Bofore & After

2010-01-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

One leg?

2010-01-16T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Canadian goose was standing on one leg for a LONG TIME .

Even though I am also good at the pose, I don't know if I can do for that long, and look at his body - a little too wide to balance with one thin leg? So I began to worry that maybe he didn't have his other leg.

Then

he opened one of his wings for me:he stayed with this pose till I clicked my camera shutter. He didn't lose balancing when he opened his wing!!

Then

I was relieved to see his other leg! and how impressive he didn't lose balance the whole time!

Birds are not afraid of people. They don't often fly away. I hope they know whether human are shooting them with camera or gun.

Crows

2010-01-10T21:23:00.000-08:00

A crow was a dark side of Kafka, the main character of Haruki Kurakami's "Kafka on the Shore" while a crow was hope in Kobo Abe's "Woman in the Dunes."

Well, actually I don't remember if Abe wrote a word of crow in the novel, but a crow was hope in the film Teshigahara directed.

Visitors on December 27, 09

2010-01-02T23:48:00.000-08:00

American Robin

Junco

European Starling

Steller's Jay

Northern Flicker

Since around Christmas Day I don't see those three squirrels any more. I wanted to see one of the squirrels eat the last crabapple!

Count Down

2009-12-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

"Christmas List of Excuses"

2009-12-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

I took two photos and designed this cover.

It's already holiday season!

2009-11-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

A new Christmas single, "Christmas List of Excuses"
Written by Romi Dames, Lenna Bauerly, & Eric Palmquist

It just started to download at iTunes Store today.

Balance and feet

2009-11-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

Looks like this squirrel could fall backward.

This leans too much forward and

looks as if a swimmer is ready to jump into water.

I can relax with this one below:)

Even if they loose balance, they have hands like feet to grab on branches:)

Now I can relax and watch them.

Here and There

2009-11-16T13:38:00.000-08:00

What's there in the side of poplar trees?

I can see there over the bush,

but I can't see through the camera finder.

So

I raised my arms and pressed the shutter.

It's so close but

can't go there easily until the time comes :)

I was watching this from here yesterday.

2009-11-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

She or he KNOWS which ones are tasty.

She seemed to be satisfied with just ONE piece and went away.

The red fruit this squirrel eating is crab apple.

(April 9, 2006)

Family:Rosaceae
Genus:Malus

A blue eye squirrel, but no pupil

2009-10-18T22:10:00.000-07:00

(2009 Oct. 17)

What happened to this squirrel?
He or she must be blind . . .
since he was born?
Why? How?

Tricyrtis

2009-10-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

I found Tricyrtis (Toad Lily) in Seattle!

(August 29, 2009)

Below are Tricyrtis I shot in Japan last year.

(Tokyo Oct. 2008)

I had seen images on websites but never saw a real Tricyris before. Though it was rainy in the morning, and cloudy while I was at the garden, it began to shine at the end when I found this flower. And! the light came through trees.

At the moss garden in Hakone, Oct. 2008

I went to watch birds, but

2009-09-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

. . . I enjoyed my sunny autumn morning walking.

Lycoris

2009-09-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

I call them "autumn lily" but this Lycoris squamigera is called "naked lady". And it's Amaryllidaceae, not Liliaceae.

These pink "naked ladies" --because of no leaves? -- were at my friend's garden in Shoreline.

Images below are another Lycoris, but I never saw this kind in Seattle yet.

While this Lycoris radiata is called spider lily in English, Japanese call this higanbana because this blooms around higan, (autumn) equinox. So higanbana 彼岸花 literally means the equinox flower blossom. They also call this manjyushage 曼珠沙華 -- white flowers in heaven which associates with the Buddhist scriptures.

Hummingbirds

2009-09-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a sitting hummingbird???

"New Age"

2009-08-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Kenmore Art Show:
August 22 – 30, 2009
Northlake Lutheran Churchi
6620 NE 185th St.
Kenmore, WA 98028
map

I created this around the solar eclipse of 22 July this year. So . . . I thought I was creating bright side of "New Age" but it turned out mysterious and dark.

I received Honorable Mention for "New Age". This is my third year to enter my work and the first time to receive award at this juried show.

Romi

2009-08-07T15:52:00.000-07:00

This is my daughter. I took this photo last year when she came back to Seattle.

As I remember, she always has a long hair. I took her only once to get her hair short when she was about 8; and she didn't like it, though I thought she looked younger and cute.

Here's the INSPIRE page of her interview with the photos I took.

We look alike

2009-07-26T03:52:00.000-07:00

"Do you know who you look like?"

"Who?"

"Me!"

3'11" this morning

2009-07-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

Momo came to my room this morning again!

"Momo, can you look this way?"

"A little more."

"Don't come so close to the lens. I can't click the shutter."

"Hold! I have to change to manual focus."

"Now look this way, Momo."

"And look . . .UP!"

"Momo, one more time,

PLEASE!"

Momo said,

"Did you get it?"

and turned around to look out.

I wasn't sure one above focused since I had to hold my camera with just one hand ;)

Feel like barking

2009-07-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Momo comes into my computer room and sits by the window on sunny mornings.

This is the only time I can take pictures of her since she is camera shy.

But she only

looks out

or down.

*The first image of Momo is not barking -- she is just yawning:)

viola

2009-07-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

This is the viola that I know.

Is this viola too? Its leaves are different from the one above.

But both of them are Viola (Violaceae).
スミレ科スミレ属

We can swim

2009-06-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

"Who can swim faster than mom?"

"I was able to swim as soon I was born and . . .

I am a fast swimmer."

"Is that so?"

" We'll be flying soon. Look! Like this."

"We'll be flying across the shores like him"

"I will look really small then."

"There are many good points being small.

And your voice is very unique; we can find you from anywhere. So just call us when you need us. See ya."

la la la~ ♪

2009-06-23T09:09:00.001-07:00

flying

2009-06-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

"I can fly too."

Red winged blackbird and . . .

2009-05-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm cute.

I have a good voice and . . .

I'm a good singer, too.

But . . .

I don't want to be seen so much during my performance.

and I sometimes look a little bit fierce . . .

Who said "I'm cute. I can sing too!" ?

An Image created after seeing "Departures"

2009-05-28T17:18:00.000-07:00

"Departures" reminded me Juzo Itami's films.

I didn't know there is such an occupation . . . a great movie!

But unbelievable that the wife doesn't ask what job her husband got -- not realistic.

Which type are you?

2009-05-27T14:55:00.000-07:00

1. Don't listen to others' opinion and can only see what you want.

May crash, huh? Below is the bee enlarged to 100%.

2. Observe carefully before you land.

3. Don't get disturbed by others easily. Can concentrate on what you are doing and keep your own pace.

4. Like to be curl up and take a nap even on sunny day like a cat, rather than working hard.

See how cozy the bee is!

All these bee images are from May 25th 2009.

Cool~!

2009-05-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

The Original image is magnolia at the 2nd from the bottom.

Red-winged Blackbird

2009-05-11T23:22:00.000-07:00

♂ They sing a lot loud. I should have brought a recorder.

I think this is ♀ red-winged blackbird.
She was in glass and didn't move. Hope she is OK.

I thought a dead bird on stick!

Prunes and birds

2009-04-23T11:41:00.001-07:00

There is a prune tree in our backyard which doesn't belong to anyone.

The prune tree covered our entire bedroom window once.

Now we can see the other trees on back of the tree.

And now we have to compete with these cute birds for the fruits!

Flowering Currant

2009-04-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

The leaves made me think this is a kind of berry like blackberry or raspberry (Rosaceae バラ科).

But it is:

Family: Grossulariaceae　スグリ科
Genus: Ribes　スグリ属
Species: sanguineum

Flowering currant or Red-flowering Currant