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While visiting Vancouver this summer, we visited Van Dusen Gardens for the first time. Oh, what a delight! To my surprise, there were still hydrangea in bloom. The hydrangea season in Japan is long gone so this was a real treat! And not only were there hydrangea, but there were several varieties I wasn't familiar with at all. The colouring on several where quite unusual too, including this one below. Such a rich and intense purple! Ah, so beautiful! I will be back! 
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Yikes! It has been a month since my last post! That was not the plan. However, a trip to Canada (basically off-grid) and a very painful tooth upon my return have kept me busy and away from my computer. Thankfully, I'm now receiving dental treatment and am feeling much better. I had a fantastic time in Canada but most of my favourite photos are of family or friends and so cannot be posted here. Instead, here is a shot of Crimson Lake in Alberta, Canada. I spent many summers here as a child and have memories of many wet, rainy days. It rained not long after this photo was taken and we laughed. Felt like old times!  I just finished putting together a photo book for my family. As usual there were challenges along the way but, thank goodness, it is finally finished. (And just in time. Whew!) The book is a collection of photos of a family reunion of sorts but there were a few shots missing so my second sister kindly let me use some of her photos as well. This was one of them and I love it! It captures the neighbour's field, the smokey evening light (there were terrible wildfires in the next province at the time), and me in my farm clothes with my camera doing what I do. Ah, such wonderful memories of an evening stroll with family... Thanks, second sister! (^.^)/  The heat is relentless. My garden is in a sorry state and flowers are few and far between. My main gardening goal this time of year is just to get my plants through the summer. Will they survive? We shall see. Thoughts turn to cooler summers spent in Canada and of my mother's garden. She had several kinds of poppies but I especially loved these. One section of the yard was full of them and they were a glorious sight waving in the breeze...  A combination of rain, humidity, and a heavy work load has meant that I haven't had much of a chance to be out and about. However, there are always photos waiting to be edited and so I've been going through my photos when I have time. Let's see... This one is from a local Shinto shrine dedicated to Inari, a Shinto god or spirit. In ancient times foxes ("kitsune" in Japanese) and humans lived in close contact with each other and this gave rise to various legends, many of which originated in China.The fox was thought to be very intelligent and to possess supernatural abilities including shapeshifting into human form. In Japan, they are closely associated with Inari and serve as the spirit's messengers. As a result, if you visit an Shinto shrine that is dedicated to Inari (apparently more than 1/3 of all the Shinto shrines in Japan), you will inevitably see statues and images of foxes and the more you look, the more you will find. Some people even offer sacrifices to the "kitsune" messengers as deity because of their potential power and influence. Me? I just love the varying shapes, sizes and designs that can be found when comparing various "kitsune" and the colour contrasts with the reddish-orange of Shinto shrines. "Kitsune" can range from very small to very large and from very detailed to almost abstract. This particular arrangement was a first as I had never seen so many all lined up in a row - and each was different from the other. There must have been more than 10 lined up on each side. Next time I'll count!  |
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I'm a photographer based in Osaka, Japan. I love to take photographs. I like to share.
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