leaves, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

My friends tell me that the leaves in Kyoto are the best for 100 years, and furthermore that some may still be stuck to the trees next week. Perhaps then, at the upcoming PMIP workshop, those studying the climate of the Last Millennium (tree lovers one and all) should better spend their time in gardens than lecture theatres...

These leaves in merely Kamakura.

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Seeing Red

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Very large Japanese hornet, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Help help help help help. WTF is this beast doing munching on camellias in late November? Heard incredibly low buzzing noise. Dismissed it as not possibly a hornet at this time of year - and anyway the noise was too low. Then appeared possibly the largest Vespa mandarinia japonica ever. BBbbuuuUUUUuuuzZZZZZZzzzz...

That's a proper sized camellia not a puny daisy....

Help!

[Taken with 300mm telephoto from far faaaar away]

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Rare delicacy

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Engakuji Kamakura, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

uh - oh. The leaves are turning in Engakuji (Kamakura), which means they are probably out Kyoto too, a fact confirmed by the national leaf nowcast. So they'll all be fallen off the trees by the PMIP workshop which starts in 11 days... So, just in case any PMIP people do look at this blog - here are some consolation leaves.

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leaves! on kumotoriyama, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

The leaf season seems to be different every year. This year all the trees seem to be turning together and the non-momiji are very good. Usually trees like the cherry turn brown and the leaves fall quickly to the ground a few weeks before the gingko and momiji turn brilliant yellow and orange. Here at work the main concern is whether there will be anything left on the trees in Kyoto for the PMIP3 workshop in early December,

This photo was taken around 1000m altitude on a walk in the mountains last weekend with Joel, our super-human friend from Oz. James was kind enough to carry my camera and spare lens most of the time, giving me the chance to not getting too far behind but still take some photos.

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Oxo, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

To counteract the chaos of yesterday's pic, a more ordered urban environment [Oxfooooord, England].

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messy tangle, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

The area near work is presently even more attractive than usual, as there are some works underway. Round these parts they drill deeply before erecting a structure of any size, because the ground, reclaimed from the ocean, is so soft. On the other hand the houses appear to have no foundations at all, which is not so encouraging come the earthquake...

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Cityscapes - Autumn in Yokohama, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Stoat is feeling blue, because it is so grey outside in his country. So here is some blue to help him feel less blue.

This was a morning of dentists, but I did not photograph them. Instead I photographed the dazzling sights along my journey. Starting in Yokohama at 9am, I then got transferred to the big dental hospital in Tsurumi. Got back to work by 2:30pm. The speed with which these things happen here never ceases to amaze. (I have complicated teeth due to having tried to eat a Harley Davidson motorcycle in 1997.)

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Dragonaphobes look away now!

Dragons are almost as common as spiders in Kamakura. They come in a wide range of sizes, tend to be more serpentine than dinosaury, but are mostly tame and friendly.

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Dog and owner, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

After all the scary buddhas and terrifying spiders, I'd better show something fluffy. Blonde fluffy child and blonde fluffy dog, at a village dog show in middle england, and curiously not in the dog-handler lookalike round, although, of course there was one...

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Arachnaphobes look away now!

As I have remarked before, despite being the size of your hand, the nephila clavata, tends to build her webs above head height, presumably so that she doesn't have to keep rebuilding it all the time. Thus, taking a good macro shot is usually impossible. Off the beaten track in deepest dankest Kamakura, however, the webs are strung about the low bows of the trees. Eeeek!

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How to make mochi

Mochi is rice pounded until it forms a glutinous mass. Very nice dried and toasted with sweet beans, at New Year it is eaten in soup, from where it suffocates a handful of old people each year. The idea is to pound the rice like you were trying to kill it, while missing the fingers of your partner who turns the rice over in between each stroke.

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Wednesday was Culture Day

Although some believe the best way to gain enlightenment is to eat just one grain of rice a day, all the living monks at Kenchoji, that we visited for Culture Day, were pleasantly plump. Do you think the two statues are of the same man?

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Hachimangu Heron, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

The lotus have been cleared from the large pond at Hachimangu, but curiously they remain on the smaller one, giving this heron one last chance for a discreet bit of fishing.

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