Fall in Our Neck of the Woods

Seldom do I take a very good picture.  I need a new camera.  Until I get one, I will have to settle for the random-pretty-good picture I get about every 500 pictures I take.  Luckily, I have a pretty good one for Mama Kat’s Writer’s Workshop this week. 

The perfect fall photo…share a picture that defines fall for you in your neck of the woods.

This picture was taken at Tama-Chichibu-Kai National Park, just a 20 minute train ride from where we live in Japan.  The maple trees were just beautiful along the river.  It was a perfect fall day AND a perfect family day. 

Now for anyone who is interested (Hi mom!!!) I am going to post a few more pictures of Japan and fall in our neck of the woods.  It was an interesting adventure because it was the first time we took the kids on the train.  First off, you have to wait for the train.

Once you are on, you can sit down if there is room or you can hang on!

Unless you are only 7 and then it is too high!

We made it….we think.  What does this say?

We had to stop at a fruit vendor selling Mikons (a Japanese tangerine).

This guy drove by us…..COOL!

Down into a garden/courtyard to eat lunch.  I think my family is getting sick of me taking pictures.  They wouldn't turn around.

We found a table with a nice view. 
The view gets even better.

Noodles and edamame for lunch.

And some sort of dough ball.

Filled with corn and mush……interesting taste but I wouldn't get it again.  Hey, at least we tried.

Ooooh!  Lynnie is getting better with chopsticks!

After lunch we crossed the bridge over the Tama River.

You can see a temple from the bridge.

The girls each get a chance to ring the temple bell.

I barely get the girls to stop for one second to snap a picture on the temple steps.

Inside you ring the bell, light incense, and say a little prayer.

You can now hardly see the altar of the temple because I think we said too many prayers…or possibly lit too much incense....ooops!

Hanging in several places were long chains of origami paper cranes.  Each “bunch” has 1000 cranes and they are made as prayers for the sick.

Back to walk along the river.  There were tons of kayakers on the river. Maybe we will try it.

My three girlies!

There is a guy on a rock in the middle of the river and the girls wanted to climb up there....

But I really didn't want them to fall into the river.  I did let them climb down onto the riverbank though.

Here’s to our beautiful fall day in Japan!