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This is Page 1 of 3 - the best of April 2009!
posted: April 30th, 2009
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This page begins with April 4th - Cherry Blossoms and other flowers on the ICU campus - and takes you through April 11th at 10:41 AM on the Takamizu 3 Mountains trail. Click on any thumbnail to begin.

Begin April 4th - 8th
  The first shot here is the Viola variegata var. variegata on our porch on April 4th. The next 2 shots, on April 5th, are Cherry Blossoms along the main road into the ICU (International Christian University) campus. ICU is only a 5 minute walk from our house.
Apr04_Porch_Viola_variegata_var_variegata05aRC.jpg
Apr04_Porch_Viola_
variegata_var_variegata05aRC
Apr05_ICU_19_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
Apr05_ICU_19_
CherryBlossomsRC
Apr05_ICU_25_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
Apr05_ICU_25_
CherryBlossomsRC

  In 1st and 3rd position are shots of Gentiana zollingeri on the ICU campus. I gave Kazuya a new camera on April 3rd for an early Birthday present. It's a Canon SX110-IS. The 2nd photo is Kazuya using his new camera.
Apr05_ICU_36_Gentiana_zollingeriRC.jpg
Apr05_ICU_36_Gentiana
_zollingeriRC
Apr05_ICU_31_CherryBlossoms_KazuyaRC.jpg
Apr05_ICU_31_Cherry
Blossoms_KazuyaRC
Apr05_ICU_44_Gentiana_zollingeri_BESTRC.jpg
Apr05_ICU_44_
Gentiana_zollingeri_BESTRC

  On the ICU campus we found a patch of Viola grypoceras var. variegata. This Viola grypoceras is a pretty common violet around here, but the variegated form (the red veins in the leaves) is not so common and it's always hard to get a decent shot of the red veins. This shot (2nd photo) came out very nice. The 3rd shot is a Viola keiskei.
Apr05_ICU_72_Viola_grypoceras_var_variegataRC.jpg
Apr05_ICU_72_Viola_
grypoceras_var_variegataRC
April5th_ICU71_Viola_grypoceras_var_variegataRC.jpg
April5th_ICU71_Viola_
grypoceras_var_variegataRC
Apr05_ICU_83_Viola_keiskeiRC.jpg
Apr05_ICU_83_
Viola_keiskeiRC

  The first photo here is a Viola betonicifolia var. albescens at Nogawa Park. The next 2 shots show you where we stopped for lunch in Musashino Park on this fine Cherry Blossom day. Of course we had some very high grade Japanese Sake with us to drink on this special occasion.
April5th_Nogawa_MusashinoPark03_Viola_mandshuricaRC.jpg
April5th_Nogawa_Musashino
Park03_Viola_mandshuricaRC
April5th_Nogawa_MusashinoPark15_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
April5th_Nogawa_Musashino
Park15_CherryBlossomsRC
April5th_Nogawa_MusashinoPark31_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
April5th_Nogawa_Musashino
Park31_CherryBlossomsRC

  Here are 2 shots of different types of Flowering Peach in Musashino Park and then a night shot of Cherry Blossoms with the April 8th nearly full moon.
April5th_Nogawa_MusashinoPark37_FloweringPeachRC.jpg
April5th_Nogawa_Musashino
Park37_FloweringPeachRC
Apr05_MusashinoPk13_Flowering_PeachRC.jpg
Apr05_MusashinoPk13_
Flowering_PeachRC
April8th_MitakaNightCherry04RC.jpg
April8th_Mitaka
NightCherry04RC
End April 4th - 8th, Begin April 10th
  On April 10th we went out to the Tama Forest Science Garden to see the beautiful Cherry Blossoms at that place. The first shot is a shot of young Maple leaves. The next 2 shots are beautiful cherry blossoms.
April10th_TamaForestScienceGarden003_MapleRC.jpg
April10th_TamaForest
ScienceGarden003_MapleRC
April10th_TamaForestScienceGarden040_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
April10th_TamaForestScience
Garden040_CherryBlossomsRC
Apr10_TakaoSciGar14_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar14_
CherryBlossomsRC

  Here is a beautiful cherry tree with a blue sky background. The 2nd shot is a fine specimen of a type of Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema sp.), followed by a shot from one of the trails in the garden.
Apr10_TakaoSciGar36_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar36
_CherryBlossomsRC
Apr10_TakaoSciGar52_Arisaema_spRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar52_
Arisaema_spRC
Apr10_TakaoSciGar49_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar49
_CherryBlossomsRC

  The first shot here is a very young leaf of a type of edible fern. The 2nd shot is a beautiful patch of Viola grypoceras. The 3rd photo is another cherry tree.
Apr10_TakaoSciGar53_YoungFernRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar53
_YoungFernRC
Apr10_TakaoSciGar67_Viola_grypocerasRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar67
_Viola_grypocerasRC
April10th_TamaForestScienceGarden114_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
April10th_TamaForestScience
Garden114_CherryBlossomsRC

  The first 2 shots in this row are fine examples of Viola tokubuchiana var. takedana f. variegata. Note the white variegations in the leaves. The 3rd shot is one more beautiful cherry tree.
Apr10_TakaoSciGar90_Viola_tokubuchiana_var_takedana_f_variegataRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar90_Viola_
tokubuchiana_var_takedana_f_variegataRC
Apr10_TakaoSciGar91_Viola_tokubuchiana_var_takedana_f_variegataRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar91_Viola_
tokubuchiana_var_takedana_f_variegataRC
April10th_TamaForestScienceGarden175_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
April10th_TamaForestScience
Garden175_CherryBlossomsRC

  Here are the final 2 shots at the Tama Forest Science Center - a shot of the 2 of us with big smiles and enjoying the fine weather day with the Cherry Blossoms.
April10th_TamaForestScienceGarden190_CherryBlossomsRC.jpg
April10th_TamaForestScience
Garden190_CherryBlossomsRC
Apr10_TakaoSciGar107_CherryBlossoms_KazuyaRC.jpg
Apr10_TakaoSciGar107_
CherryBlossoms_KazuyaRC
End April 10th, Begin April 11th
  On April 11th Kazuya and I hiked the Takamizu 3 Mountains trail. We crossed the summits of Mt. Sougaku (756 m = 2,480 ft), Mt. Iwatakeishi (793 m = 2,602 ft) and Mt. Takamizu (759 m = 2,490 ft). This is a wonderful trail for several kinds of violets. The first 2 shots are Viola sieboldi and the 3rd shot is a Viola sieboldi f. variegata - with white variegations in the leaves.
Apr11_Takamizu001_Viola_sieboldiRC.jpg
Apr11_Takamizu001_
Viola_sieboldiRC
Apr11_Takamizu002_Viola_sieboldiRC.jpg
Apr11_Takamizu002_
Viola_sieboldiRC
Apr11_Takamizu012_Viola_sieboldi_f_variegataRC.jpg
Apr11_Takamizu012_Viola
_sieboldi_f_variegataRC

  Here is one more shot of a Viola sieboldi f. variegata - with white variegations in the leaves - and then a normal Viola sieboldi with Kazuya's hand for a scale reference. The final shot is a new violet for us, a Viola grypoceras f. purpurellocalcarata. This shot was taken at 10:41 AM, the trail still has much to show us.
Apr11_Takamizu013_Viola_sieboldi_f_variegataRC.jpg
Apr11_Takamizu013_Viola
_sieboldi_f_variegataRC
April11th_Takamizu3Mts019_Viola_sieboldiRC.jpg
April11th_Takamizu3Mts019
_Viola_sieboldiRC
April11th_Takamizu3Mts036_Viola_grypoceras_f_purpurellocalcarataRC.jpg
April11th_Takamizu3Mts036_Viola
_grypoceras_f_purpurellocalcarataRC
End Page 1, but April 11th continues on Page 2
Thanks so much for taking the time to look at this page. Now, please go on to Page 2 for the continuation of today's adventures, picking up at 11:48 AM. Go To Page:


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