A view of the moon...

 ...variations on a theme

Another month is coming to an end, these four week divisions of time are going more quickly every day. In face, I'm sure it was just a couple of days ago I caught that moonface in the shadows...but no, that was more than a week ago, 21 October. 

So last night, a full moon, a couple of shots with the bigger cam, and some with the mid-sized cam, which caught the clouds as well. Just variations on a theme really. 

Two months left of this year, just two years before the end of the first quarter of the 21st century...I'll leave those thoughts for another time.

Moon close-ups on the Canon EOS 90D, 300mm lens plus cropping.

Cloudy moon on the Lumix G99D, 140mm.

Sunday in a park...

...an occasional series

Hello there, it has been a while. But I will be picking up a bit more soon as I find more time to write. Which is why I am here. But not today...well, sort of. 

A fair bit has happened since that last look at the moon (previous post) but I am now well into my final semester of teaching. And I have just a few walks left in my marathon effort of the 21 walks of Musashino, but more on that soon.

Today, the first real day where it felt like autumn has finally arrived. It has been a long, very long, hot, very hot summer, so we are grateful for the cooler days.

I had a few things to choose from today and I opted for the occasional series of parks in and around Tokyo. There are many and many of them can be a true green oasis of sorts. Many of them have long histories, involving daimyo and shogun, emperors and others. On this lovely afternoon, I opted to head to Korakuen, better known these days for Tokyo Dome, a huge baseball and concert stadium. It is surrounded by an amusement park and, tucked in behind, a park. That was my objective today. Again, a place I have passed by so many times on the train, but today I got off and here is what I saw...

Probably the pic of the day

Moonrise, on the way to the station

So yes, busier than I expected but not crowded. Lots to see and in the different seasons, it would be quite stunning I imagine, although today was perfectly fine. I think I'll be back.

Today's cam, traveling light, Lumix G99D, 14-140mm.

Halfway there...

 ...to the moon and back

With a summer breeze on the balcony. 

Still quite hot in Tokyo but there is a pleasant breeze on the balcony this evening so that is something. There was a cicada on the balcony earlier this evening, so summer is everywhere. 

Time enough though to get the big cam out for tonight's moon though, a clear sky and a 400mm angle.

I know we all like the full moon shots, but the moon in its many phases is just as intriguing. 

Hope you like them.

Canon EOS 90D, 100-400mm.

In search of...(again)

 ...water lilies or lotus flowers

...whereupon the winner was...a brilliant red dragonfly. I spotted it at the lotus pond at the Tokyo Daibutsu, our local temple. I went in search of lotus flowers in full bloom, but it looks like I was a few days late. The lotus is significant for this particular Buddha, with a lotus sculpture in front of the statue.

So, while I was late for the flowers (there was one) they had also reached that rather lovely stage (I think) where the petals had fallen and the centres are more prominent. 

But the unexpected catch was the 'scarlet dragonfly', (ショウジョウ（猩猩）蜻蛉）which just happened to appear before me. Gorgeous. Not to be mistaken with the more famous 'akatonbo', which is a little less red, and more a sign of autumn.

At the local botanical gardens, I happened to be chatting to one of the volunteers there, and that's how I found out the name of this particular species. I didn't realise, that in the traditional Japanese myths and legends, Japan was once known as the land of the dragonfly. After the last couple of weeks, I'm not surprised. 

My fave little inspiration 

Just thinking, thinking

All angles

A real catch

Look, is it even a photo trip if there isn't a duck?

...or two

The Daibutsu, and his lotus

Just the one

Moving on to the next stage

Also, cicada season 

Anyway, another lovely walk around my local area, it is still a bit to resume the Musashino no Michi walks, but I will, soon. 

Today's cam, the Lumix G-99D, 14-140mm lens.