ajisai, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

To top it all off, the amorphous hydrangea have an incredibly long season. Still flourishing in places, it is more than a month since they were mankai (full bloom) at Megetsuin. Their death knell was, however, tolled this week when it was officially announced that rainy season has ended and summer has started. The Japanese seasons are quite confusing - our summer doesn't start until the evenings are already drawing in. This year the start of summer has been abrupt. From overcast, warm and ridiculously humid, we have now switched to blue skies, hot (today's range forecast to be 25C-31C) and slightly less humid.

[photo taken near our house in Kamakura]