Autumn magic

Fleeting, glorious beauty of autumn foliage is inspiring with their progressing life

 toward the final burst of flame of life and then their dancing in air 

after getting free to return to soil.

Now that landscape is being muted in colors, I'll recap autumn foliage of this year.

The sunny, warm days and the chilly temperature at night made colored leaves breathtakingly beautiful. 

- Late October -

Leaves of Crape Myrtle were fabulous in the nearest park from my home.

The sun flickered through Sakura (Cherry tree) leaves.

- Early November -

Tall Maple trees with big leaves, of which name I don't know, were glowing 

yellow gold at another park in my neighborhood.

- Mid-November -

 Chinese Tallows were sparsely filled with leaves along Ara-ike Pond, Nara Park.

- Late November -

At Shoryaku-ji Temple, brocade of Momiji, Japanese Maples, took my breath away on a cloudy morning.

Shoryaku-ji located between the mountains in the outskirts of Nara City, 

you see multi-layered brocade of colorful leaves as you climb or descend 

the slopes and steps in the precinct.

The garden view from Kyakuden (Guest Room) of Fukujyu-in is breathtaking

 with not only the trees in the garden but also the ones outside the wall.

Unfortunately photographing is prohibited indoors.

Momiji are in each process of turning to yellow, orange, to final fiery red.

At the Main Hall, Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha) from the Asuka period (592-710)

 is specially open to the public November to early December.

This view is seen from Ruriko-dai Observatory at the back of the Main Hall.

The roof of the Main Hall

Shoryaku-ji is thought to be the birthplace of sake, the most ceremonious bevarage in Japan.

When is the origin of sake is unclear.  

Sake production, fermenting rice into alcohol, was government monopoly 

until temples started brewing their own in the Medieval times.

Just like brewing of beer was progressed in monasteries in Europe, sake was made 

by monks of temples in the Muromachi era (1334-1573).

Another vibrant Momiji at Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Garden on a beautiful, bright day.

Various different autumn leaves at the same botanical garden

- Beginning of December -

Wedding photo session at Sagi-ike Pond

At Daibutsu-ike Pond, critters were merged into the brilliant colors of Momiji 

and Ginkgo bathed in the late afternoon light.

Procession of ducks, dog's catwalk on Ginkgo leaves, lunch under colored tree,

 mixture of colors ..., there are so many to stop to look at in Nara Park.

I made myself busy for viewing and capturing autumnal landscape

as if catching up the speed of the season giving way to winter.

Now I'm content. Hope you, too, in your own autumn or on this blog.

Linked to Mosaic Monday