after the emerald rush

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these days, i’m enjoying reading your latest post reporting on shifts in season one after another. Everyone appears to bid the summer lingering farewell. i wish that this summery day, like today, will last longer than it normally does. we ultra season-sensitive japanese don’t say it “summer” once september begins, but, another long summer has been actually forecasted in japan so far … yes, due to the global warming.

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in the height of summer, the whole area of my local park, from meadows and marshes to woodlands, turned emerald green. and now, after the peak of summer, i can see many hues and shades of green and brown, or even red and yellow in there. whenever i have a late-afternoon walk in the park amid a balmy late-summer breeze, every little discovery of the new season makes me feel just great.

pic 1, 4, 5
nelumbo nucifera, 蓮 hasu: it’s lotus as you know. this ancient plant is pretty common in japan. and, believe it or not, we eat lotus roots (rhizomes) !
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pic 2, 3
typha latifolia. 蒲 gama in japanese. how do you say it in your language? the first time i ever saw this plant was in my picture book “bambi.” many decades later, i could find a myriad of real typha in the park nearby very happily.
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pic 6
japanese maple. 紅葉 momiji: the most famous colour for leaf peeping, which the japanese can’t enjoy autumn without. but, i took this pic in late august. i guess something wrong has happened to its environment in the park, since it’s too early for the foliage to develop such a bold autumn colour. usually, we go and see displays of crimson-red momiji leaves in urban areas as early as mid november. incidentally, i’ve also found a 紅葉スモモ beniha-sumomo, red-leafed plum tree, blossoming in the park orchard for the second time this year.
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pic 7
bitter melon. ゴーヤ goya. what amazing colours! do you remember the green ones in my past post? it’s turned egg-yolk yellow and produced red beans inside. i’d had no idea that bitter melons would mellow so colourfully until i found this in the park.
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it seems like another perfect sunday for a glass of white wine (chilean, this time) even after making a bad start with a croissant burnt. have a relaxing sunday and a great week!
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