Category: Out & About

Yanagitani Kannon (Yokokuji Temple)

6/22/2019

Today we got up early and drove to Yanagitani Kannon (Yokokuji Temple) up in the hills in western Kyoto. They have a big hydrangea festival tomorrow which we wanted to avoid (it will be a zoo of people!) and so today was the day. Neither of us had been there before and weren't sure what to expect but it was lovely! There were more varieties of hydrangeas than the garden we visited last week, including several that I've never seen before. Also, throughout the garden, were mossy stone basins filled with water, flowers and petals. They proved to be very popular! (Yes, instagram is a big thing here.)

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View from Yoshimine Temple, Kyoto

6/21/2019

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It's a wonderful time of year if you enjoy flowers.The lilies are just coming to an end and hydrangea are everywhere! We've been visiting the local parks and enjoying all that the season has to offer and have more outings planned for this weekend as well. The downside is that I'm drowning in photographs and don't have enough time to sort and edit them properly. Ah, there's never enough time, is there!

Unfortunately, my natural tendency is to throw up my hands and procrastinate. If I don't have the time to do it right, then just save it for another day! I should know better, of course, but age doesn't always bring wisdom! (^.~) So, in an effort to make this more manageable, I'm going to try to post short, simple posts more regularly.

So, my photo today is a shot from our trip to the hydrangea gardens at Yoshimine Temple in the western mountains of Kyoto. The sign is directing visitors to the next stop on the walk through the temple grounds. And yes, that's Kyoto in the distance. Ah, such a stunning garden and such amazing views!

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It has arrived! \(^.^)/

4/16/2019

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The new computer has arrived and it's a joy to behold! Setting up is proceeding smoothly but it will take a little more time, I'm afraid.

So, until I'm up and running as usual, here is a photo from several years ago. It was taken one beautiful April evening while cherry blossom viewing along the river in Osaka.

Ah, April is such a lovely month here. I never get enough of cherry blossom viewing. Who does?

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Awaji Shima Bliss

12/30/2018

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Our Christmas present to ourselves was a few days visiting Awaji Shima, a small island not too far away. Ah, bliss! Several days of Japanese hot springs and delicious food was such a treat! We've both been exceptionally busy these past few months so the chance to relax and unwind was most welcome. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't all that cooperative - mostly cold winds and overcast skies - but still there's something about the open expanse of sky and sea that is good for one's soul. And, well, hot springs certainly help too...

Despite several days of heavy clouds and light rain I did manage to take a few photographs. Here are some from our very last day.

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A Walk in the Park...

11/29/2018

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How to brighten up an extra work day:

Leave home 30 minutes later than usual - 8:00 am vs 7:30 am.
Buy the largest Starbucks coffee you've ever had thanks to a gift card from a kind neighbor. (Thank you, neighbour! (^.^)/ )
Get off the bus one stop early and take a short walk around the pond in the park.
Discover pink flowers in a sea of broken branches and piles of debris left over from the record-breaking typhoon in the fall.
Take turns photographing said flowers with a friendly senior citizen who lives nearby. Chat and learn more about the efforts being made to clean up the park. May take decades for it to recover, he says.
Greet the men who are taking a break from tackling the damage with chainsaws, and commiserate over the size of the job. Wish them all the best.
Enjoy the colours and smells of fall, and marvel at the resilience of mother nature. Regardless of the destruction and damage of the typhoon, life goes on as it should.
Head off to the office thankful that my schedule sometimes allows me such flexibility.

(If you know what these pink flowers are, please leave a comment. As usual, I have no idea...)

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Yanagitani Kannon (Yokokuji Temple)

View from Yoshimine Temple, Kyoto

It has arrived! \(^.^)/

Awaji Shima Bliss

A Walk in the Park...

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