Suddenly Autumn

Autumn has snuck up on me this year. It has been getting cooler for a while now, and it's been more than a month since I have switched from shorts and flip-flops to jeans and shoes. But the weather has been beautifully warm and pleasant and has fooled me into thinking that it's still late summer. However, the last few days have presented unmistakable evidence autumn has arrived.


While the leaves have barely started to turn yet, the anticipatory fall-colours tourist throngs have begun to infest Kyoto to a standstill, and the little Eizan train outside my home is each morning packed full of hopefuls heading to Kurama or Hieizan in search of a prematurely blushing maple. However, the most telling herald of the changing seasons is the fact that the vending machines have switched their milku-tea offering from cold to hot:

Before...
... and now

It is certainly a good time to reflect on the transitory nature of the seasons, and this is exactly what I did today morning as I watched a bird fishing and drummers practicing in "Triangle Park".

Suddenly Autumn

Autumn has snuck up on me this year. It has been getting cooler for a while now, and it's been more than a month since I have switched from shorts and flip-flops to jeans and shoes. But the weather has been beautifully warm and pleasant and has fooled me into thinking that it's still late summer. However, the last few days have presented unmistakable evidence autumn has arrived.


While the leaves have barely started to turn yet, the anticipatory fall-colours tourist throngs have begun to infest Kyoto to a standstill, and the little Eizan train outside my home is each morning packed full of hopefuls heading to Kurama or Hieizan in search of a prematurely blushing maple. However, the most telling herald of the changing seasons is the fact that the vending machines have switched their milku-tea offering from cold to hot:

Before...
... and now

It is certainly a good time to reflect on the transitory nature of the seasons, and this is exactly what I did today morning as I watched a bird fishing and drummers practicing in "Triangle Park".