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posted: December 31st, 2013 |
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This page actually begins with November 30th and my 98th climb of Mt. Takao (599 m = 1,965 ft.) for Autumn Color viewing and to see the sunset. Then we jump to December 1st for a Fall Color trip to Nogawa and Musashino Parks. After that, the final date on this page is December 7th and an Autumn Color trip to Jindai Botanical Garden. Click on any thumbnail to begin.
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| Begin November 30th |
On November 30th I went out and climbed Mt. Takao (599 m = 1,965 ft.) for the 98th time. Kazuya had to work, so I went out to see Autumn Colors and watch the sunset - alone. The first photo shows Mt. Fuji from the summit of Mt. Takao at about 1:42 PM. Then I hiked out to Momiji-Dai (Maple Platform) to see if there were any fall colors left. The 2nd shot shows a nice blue sky and some ripe seeds of Susuki Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) and the 3rd shot shows that there were still some Autumn Colors remaining - it was processed from a Digital Negative.
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 Nov30_09_MtTakao _MtFujiRC |
 Nov30_14_MtTakao _FallColorsRC |
 Nov30_20_MtTakao_ FallColorsFromDNGRC |
The first 2 shots in this row show that the fall colors were still pretty good in at least a few trees at Momiji-Dai. The first shot was processed from a Digital Negative. For the 3rd shot I am again back at the summit of Mt. Takao and watching the sun slide down the sky towards Mt. Fuji. The time is now 3:51 PM.
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 Nov30_21_MtTakao_ FallColorsFromDNGRC |
 Nov30_32_MtTakao _FallColorsRC |
 Nov30_46_MtTakao_ MtFujiFromDNGRC |
The "Diamond Fuji" phenomenon will not be until about December 21st so the sun is still setting to the north of Mt. Fuji. All 3 shots here were processed from Digital Negatives. The first one was taken at 4:20 PM, the 2nd shot at 4:22 PM and the 3rd shot at 4:24 PM.
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 Nov30_59_MtTakao_ MtFujiSunsetFromDNGRC |
 Nov30_63_MtTakao_ MtFujiSunsetFromDNGRC |
 Nov30_70_MtTakao_ MtFujiSunsetFromDNGRC |
Here are 3 more shots (actually only 2) showing the sunset. The first one was shot at 4:25 PM and the 2nd one also at 4:25 PM. The 2nd and 3rd shots are the same except for the fact that the 2nd one was saved by the camera as a normal JPEG file, while the 3rd one was saved by the camera as a Digital Negative and then processed using Photoshop. Which one do you like best? With a Digital Negative the adjustments one can make before saving the file are way too many to try and describe.
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 Nov30_71_MtTakao_ MtFujiSunsetFromDNGRC |
 Nov30_73_MtTakao _MtFujiSunsetRC |
 Nov30_73_MtTakao_ MtFujiSunsetFromDNGRC |
The first shot in this row, also processed from a Digital Negative, was taken at 4:26 PM and the sun is gone. The 2nd, and final shot for this series, was taken at 4:28 PM.
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 Nov30_78_MtTakao_ MtFujiSunsetFromDNGRC |
 Nov30_87_MtTakao _MtFujiSunsetRC |
| End November 30th, Begin December 1st |
The next day, December 1st, Kazuya did not have to work, so we rode our bicycles over to Nogawa Park and then continued on to Musashino Park. The first shot shows a Ligularia sp. plant still in bloom. The 2nd shot is some kind of lily, most likely a Cardiocrinum cordatum – (Uba-Yuri in Japanese = Old-Lady Lily) seed head. The 3rd shot is a very pretty Red Maple.
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 Dec01st_12_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorsRC |
 Dec01_06_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorFixRC |
 Dec01st_20_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorsRC |
Here is another Ligularia sp. still in bloom. The 2nd and 3rd shots are very nice Red Maple photos.
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 Dec01_09_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
 Dec01_14_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
 Dec01_10_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
Why is the first photo upside down? Because it's a reflection in the pond at Nogawa Park. The 2nd shot is a cropped out portion of a Red Maple photo. The 3rd image is a 2-shot panorama of a tree making a reflection on the pond.
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 Dec01_25_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
 Dec01_17_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorCropSIPRC |
 Dec01_29_30_Panorama_Nogawa_ MusashinoPark_FallColorRC |
The first shot shows some interesting orange, yellow and purple maple leaves. The 2nd shot shows me looking up at the beautiful leaves. The 3rd shot - WOW - still a butterfly on a Ligularia sp. flower!
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 Dec01_46_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
 Dec01st_64_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorsRC |
 Dec01_53_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
Now we have continued on to Musashino Park and here are some really beautiful Red Maple shots.
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 Dec01_55_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
 Dec01st_94_Nogawa_ MusashinoPark_FallColorsRC |
 Dec01_60_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
Note that the first shot shows a maple with decidedly more orange leaves than the 2nd shot, in which the leaves are much more red. The 3rd shot shows the Susuki Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) along the Nogawa (= No River). Very nice.
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 Dec01_61_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
 Dec01_70_Nogawa_Musashino Park_FallColorRC |
 Dec01st_96_Nogawa_ MusashinoPark_FallColorsRC |
| End December 1st, Begin December 7th |
The following Saturday, the 7th, we bicycled to Jindai Botanical Garden to check out the Autumn Colors there - they were mostly already gone, but we managed to find a few. The first shot is of a small fruited Citrus tachibana, note all of the fruits. They don't mind people picking these fruits, nobody wants more than 1 or 2 as they are VERY sour. They are about 25 mm in diameter (about an inch) - not very large - and 1 fruit each is enough for Kazuya and I. The 2nd shot is a nice branch of a Red Maple and the 3rd shot shows the Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) in the big lawn - this is a different angle than you usually see on this patch of Pampas Grass.
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 Dec07_01_JindaiBG _FallColorsRC |
 Dec07_07_JindaiBG _FallColorsRC |
 Dec07_09_JindaiBG _FallColorsRC |
Now we have worked our way around to the Maple Garden, so these 3 shots of Maple Trees were all shot in the Maple Garden.
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 Dec7th_28_Jindai BotGardenRC |
 Dec7th_32_Jindai BotGardenRC |
 Dec7th_35_Jindai BotGardenRC |
For this row we are still wandering about in the Maple Garden. The 3rd shot, although it does not look like it, is also a maple tree - an Acer nikoense.
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 Dec07_16_JindaiBG _FallColorsRC |
 Dec7th_40_Jindai BotGardenRC |
 Dec7th_42_Jindai BotGardenRC |
Still wandering about in the Maple Garden. The 3rd shot, processed from a Digital Negative is interesting - yellow leaves, with an abundance of red leaves lying amongst them. The red leaves fell from a tree above this one.
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 Dec07_21_Jindai BG_FallColorsRC |
 Dec07_31_Jindai BG_FallColorsRC |
 Dec07_29_JindaiBG_ FallColors_FromDNGRC |
Here is the final shot in the Maple Garden - another Acer nikoense. The next 2 shots were taken near the small pond and show the brick red colors of the Metasequoia (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), on the right side of the photo, and the Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), on the left side of the photo.
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 Dec07_43_Jindai BG_FallColorsRC |
 Dec07_44_Jindai BG_FallColorsRC |
 Dec7th_53_Jindai BotGardenRC |
Two additional 2 shots taken near the small pond, which show the brick red colors of the Metasequoia (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), on the right side of the photo, and the Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), on the left side of the photo. The 3rd, and final shot from this adventure, show the large pond with a reflection of the conifer trees wearing their snow protectors.
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 Dec7th_54_Jindai BotGardenRC |
 Dec07_54_JindaiBG_ FallColorsSIPRC |
 Dec07_55_Jindai BG_FallColorsATRC |
| End December 7th, End Page 1 |
| Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of this month's adventures. |
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