Just a hint of fall

After over a week in a small orderly tent in the quiet woods, I returned to the REAL world .... laundry, a sink full of dishes and stuff piled on every horizontal surface to the point of avalanche as one walks past.

Choir Thursday night, Pack meeting preparations for Friday, New Leader Essentials training Saturday morning, collections merit badge Saturday afternoon, and a "Children's sermon" to give in two services Sunday, and early morning rise for rice delivery today.  Though the leadership course at camp was labor intensive, (and It the time I thought it was going on forever) it all seems quite placid and organized compared to real life.

The sauna that was summer is now over. Chilly nights have arrived all to quickly and I have dug out my warm sleeping bag and fleece jackets. While driving to Saturday's activities I passed a number of parks, all still with trees in deep green. Sunday I took my camera with me, looking for just a hint of fall color. See above ... one small branch on the Japanese maple down the street.

There is just a wee touch of brown on the outer branches of the Zelkova lining both sides of Omotesando blvd. (and the trucks are out each night decorating them with strings of LED lights to prepare for Christmas).


Here and there a gingko displays a few yellow leaves. Their time will come a bit later.

   The Dogwoods look a bit ragged, but also have a few colorful leaves and the flower buds are all lined up and ready to go when spring arrives.

One local tree has a good crop of mikans.
(what I called tangerines before coming to Japan)

Orange is a good color and the gardenia plants have a good crop of seed pods among the dark shiny leaves.

Persimmons will look even more striking once the leaves fall and you can see the fruit among the bare branches against the blue winter sky.



Yes, I am waiting for that blue sky because we have had plenty of cloudy days with rain.

It is really early for these camellia. The "Sazanqua" usually open during the winter, followed by the regular Camellia just before spring.

And, though I have not had even a minute to work on any quilting, my stash has practically doubled!

My friend in Maryland has "gifted" me with a generous supply ... sent with the home furnishings of her son who is returning to Japan.

I already have to live to 200 to use up what I have. I think the women in Tohoku are going to have to help me find a use for some of these goodies.

Tomorrow I am going to have to dig out my Christmas fabric and get busy on a gift. Guess I'll have to do that before I put these things away or I won't be able to find it. I usually sort fabrics by color but going through all this is going to take more time and energy than I can muster at this point.

So much for a few weeks off. At least I have to thank Cheryl for her advice on my yahoo mail. The inbox is back to a more sane format. Now, if only my laptop would stop taking days off....
Like Nikko, it must have enjoyed the days off and wanted more.