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

Autumn colors of Crape Myrtles

 

Crape Myrtle is one of my favorite trees in all seasons.

I showed how and why I love it in this post Japanese Crape Myrtle,

though only about flowers and barks.

After blooming almost all summer long, it's flamboyant autumn show arrives.

The tree has one of the most colorful autumn leaves.

Leaves in yellow, orangey crimson, and scarlet replace the summer blooms.

This tree can live from 50 to 150 years in general.

I once introduced about 300-year-old aged tree here, 

Summer Explosion of the 300-year-old Crape Myrtle.

The bark of the Crape Myrtle is shiny, silky smooth and thin.

With early summer foliage.

With snow in "The first snowfall of the season".

I took these pictures of autumn foliage under the too bright sun of noon

knowing noon is not an ideal time for photography.

As some of my Friends might have noticed, I've tried capturing 

the sun with starburst effect in recent posts.

It's quite challenging but somehow it's fun.

This place is the nearest park, about five minutes walk, from my home.

There are three Crape Myrtles, five Chinese Tallows, one Liriodendron tulipifera,

some Cherry trees, and others - collection of my favorite trees!

From the left, Liriodendron tulipifera, Crape Myrtle, Chinese Tallow

The right side branches is Cherry Tree

When all my Grands get together, I'm glad to hear their cheerful shouts.

We love this park!

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Flowers of May

May 8, 2016

"Botan", or Peony, is one of popular flowers of May.

I walked around the garden of Sekkoji Temple which dates back to the 7th century.

It is also called the "Peony Temple".

Peonies are popular flower at temples since ancient times

with the roots being used to make medicine.

The temple is famous for the legend of the Princess Chujyo.

 In the mosaic below, Princess Chujyo is standing by the Somenoi well,

which was used by her to dye the lotus fiber threads.

The threads were used to weave the famous Taima Mandala.

The explosive blooms of 300-year-old Crape Myrtle tree is summer charm of this temple.

Please have a look at it from the link below the photo.

Summer explosion of the 300-year-old Crape Myrtle, 2012

The Flower Moon sailed across the night sky May 7,

watching over the world struggling with the Pandemic.

I imagined magically moon-lit flowers I'd like to return to see

like Azaleas and Kakitsubara Irises at the Chogaku-ji Temple.

Memories of Grandmother and kakitsubata iris, 2012

And, "Kurin-so", or Japanese primrose, at the Mt. Rokko, too

Floral Galaxy of Japanese primrose, 2012

I feel joy in the richness of the simple life,
imagining the things to do and remembering past pleasure
while caring and thanking for what I have now.

There are things I miss so much but my sacrifice is no problem compared to

what others are going through.

Some of the flowers from my garden

As a number of  prefectures have started to ease restrictions, 
we need to continue "new social behavior" to prevent a resurgence of the virus.
We can do it!

Linked to Mosaic Monday

Late summer in Nara Park

Kasugano-enchi Park, Sansha Pond, Mt. Wakakusa and Mt. Kasuga

As is said in Japanese saying, “Neither heat nor cold lasts beyond the equinox.”, September of Japan is still summer with gradual cooling. This year, however, our usual hottest and sunniest summer ended as a wet season with lower temperature and since late August I’ve sometimes felt autumn-like air.  When I walked in Nara Park from late afternoon to night on 8th of September, cool and crisp air was comfortable under the high blue sky with autumn clouds.  

Japanese crape myrtle bloom over a long period from mid-summer to early-autumn.  Since this year’s summer heat was not so intense, the flowers were still fresh and brilliant.

Leaves and grasses were still summer green.

Japanese maple leaves with Japanese crape myrtle flowers in the back

Green leaves and moss on wooden trellis

Green colors on the crumbling earthen walls with age

At Ara-ike Park, the colors of some foliage were turning yellowish and some were tinted with gold in the evening sun.

At Sagi-ike Pond, ducks were swimming in the vermilion-gold water, the reflection of the Ukimi-do Pavilion aglow in the evening sun.

8th of September was the harvest moon night (Chushu-no-meigetsu in Japanese), the fifteenth night of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Still more, the moon of the next day 9th was Super Moon, 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter, as it came closer than usual to the Earth. 

A hazy moon thinly veiled by the rosy sunset clouds

The moon is appearing from the clouds.

 The extraordinary big and bright moon rose high above and shone over the world.

Ukimi-do Pavilion at Sagi-ike Pond

On the way to the train station,  two dragon-headed boats were going around Sarusawa-ike Pond as a part of Uneme-matsuri Full-moon Festival .

This post is linked to Friday My Town Shoot Out
Thank you, Mersad, for hosting.