Jacaranda

The gorgeous jacaranda trees are out in flower. This one is around the corner, but there are many dotted around the neighbourhood. I just love their mauve colour.

A Tree

This tree was in the garden of Marty's Shrine. It is interesting how even in Taipai they are using Japanese influences with the shaping of their trees.

Transport And Trees

While waiting for the bus to take us back to our cruise ship, I found this tree being used to park bicycles behind. The tree is, I think, a fig tree, going by all the air roots coming down. I found the textures that they created quite interesting, and also the lines. More inspiration for my needlework.

The bicycles are something else. obviously transport for the locals. The owners are very trusting as I could not find any chain or lock. Maybe the crime rate in Okinawa is much lower than at home.

A Tree

This was tree that I noticed out of the coach window on our way to the Shurijo Castle Park. I am not sure what type of tree is is, probably a fig of some kind by the look of those roots. It had also been severely pruned. I just thought the lines created by those roots would make an interesting base design for some stitching.

Supported Trees

Still in the grounds of the tea house, I found these trees nearly toppled into the lake. Of any of the lakes & waterways in Australia that  have see, these trees would definitely been no more. But here in Japan I have seen a lot of trees supported with bamboo. There are tree quite large supports here, helping to hold the trees in place. I wonder how many little children want to climb out on them and swing there legs out over the water?

The path in the garden continued around the lake to the left, and if we look closely we can just see another bridge in the center of the photo.

Red Autumn Leaves

Postcard 3. Glorious colour in these red autumn leaves of the Japanese maple tree. The leaves were just beginning to turn when we were there. A guide had told us we would see colour like this in about a month from when were there.

A Gnarly Tree

I just loved the shape of this pine tree, a little twisted with lots of gnarly bits. This tree was also in the grounds of the Daisen-In Temple. It looks like some of the branches may have been pruned off, and then to recover, the tree has tried to heal itself so that some parts have become thicker than others. As it has healed, a new branch has taken off in a totally different direction. Reminds me a bit of my rose bushes. But I think there are some great lines here, that would be great as a basis of some stitching.

The Colours of Autumn

This tree was in the grounds of the Daisen-in Temple. We were in Kyoto in the beginnings of Autumn, and in this pic we can see the colours beginning to change. I would have loved to see this tree in a few weeks time. I think it would have been a glorious red.

More Tree Supports

How interesting is this? The use of bamboo poles to support the branches of this pine tree. This time they are horizontal, aiding in keeping the branches straight and not drooping on the ground. If we look closely we can see bamboo supports on every branch.

An Old Tree

This old tree was in the grounds of the Daisen-in Temple. It is hundreds of years old. Note once again the bamboo supports, both horizontal as well as vertical. I loved the texture in the trunk of this ancient tree, it certainly could be inspirational in my stitching somewhere.

A Pine Tree

Just a pine tree, an older pine tree, that I found interesting. This one was in the grounds of the Tenryu-ji Temple. Pine trees are few and far between in my neighbourhood, and never look quite like this. We have gum trees, bottlebrush trees, and other Australian natives. I really liked the lines in the branches, and you never know, they may appear in my stitching somewhere, somehow, sometime in the future.

Tenryu-ji Temple Grounds Pt 3

Just another view of the beautiful grounds of the Tenryu-ji Temple, a little further around the lake. Such glorious colour to be seen.

Tenryu-ji Temple Grounds Pt 2

 Just another view of the grounds of the Tenryu-ji Temple. More Autumn colour, and that beautiful old pine tree that has nearly toppled into the water. If you look closely, you can just see the moss & ferns on the waters edge under the trees. More on the moss a little further into our story.

Tenryu-ji Temple Gardens

A view of  the grounds of the Tenryu-ji Temple. The lake contained fish and the trees on the other side were stunning. In a few weeks time the colour would have been amazing.

Another Tree

Another tree I spotted on our walk back to the Nijo Caste Gates. I am not sure what this one is, but I found the weeping nature of it and the shape of the leaves very interesting. The other interesting part is the bamboo poles supporting it. I found bamboo used everywhere, but more on that later.

More Autumn Colour

On our way back to the Nijo Castle entrance, Kyoto, Japan, I spotted this Japanese maple tree just starting to change colour. In a few weeks time this tree would have been a beautiful red. It was very warm on this day, temperatures in the 30's, a little too warm for Autumn in my books. The tree, however, was beautiful.

A Bonsai Tree

How it this for a bonsai tree? I always thought that bonsai trees were little trees in pots, carefully manicured, trimmed and trained into shape. Even in all my reading that is what a bonsai tree is. But look at this one! It has bonsai written all over it! Carefully trimmed and trained into shape, just not in a pot, it is in the ground!

This tree was in the grounds of Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Japan. The garden there was stunning, as were the buildings. More pics to come.

Exploring Sydney - Circular Quay to Woolloomooloo

Walking from Circular Quay to Wooloomooloo is not only good exercise, but great inspiration as well. Magnificent fig trees edge the pathway around Farm Cove on the edges of The Royal Botanic Gardens.

Spiders make fabulous webs in amongst the trees if we care to look.

On the eastern side of Farm Cove is Mrs Macquaries Point and Mrs Macquaries Chair, where if we take the time to stop & look west, we will see postcard views like these.

The city.

The Sydney Opera House sitting on the end of Bennalong Point, backdropped by The Sydney Harbour Bridge. Who would think that there is a bustling Circular Quay between the two, full of ferries, busckers, locals & tourists from around the world.

After The Rain

The gum trees in my neighbour's yard have come out in flower. I am not sure whether this is a time thing (should take more notice) or wheter it is because of all the rain we have had. Anyway, the bees are having a field day, as are the Rainbow Lorikeets. They arrive before sunrise to feed on the flowers, maybe a flock of about 60 of them. The screech & play in the trees for a while, fly away & give my ears a rest for a while, them come back again. They do this quite a few times during the day. They are pretty to see, but hard to catch on the camera as the zoom lens is not quite big enough & the trees are the height of a five story building.

A Room With A View

Being an ex country girl, I do love the bush, and can appreciate people who want live in it. There are, however, risks, and we have seen these come to the forefront of the news over the last week. As a child, I was always taught to live in a house on a hill. One reason was the view, another was to keep out of reach of flood waters. I was also taught to keep areas around a house clean & clear of rubbish & debri in case of fire.

Our country is still in recovery mode after the fires that ravaged Victoria last weekend. Current statistics are at 181 lives (still expected to rise), and over 1,000 properties, countless native animals, and thousands of people displaced. Perhaps these statistics may not have been so high if simple advice of our elders & forefathers was followed.

I wonder how the house in the pic above would survive in a bushfire?