Glowing Mountains

       Japan.  A land of many hills, many houses, and many people.  Japan.  A beautiful land, a place full of temples and shrines, castles and kimonos, traditions, customs, and intricate etiquette.

        Autumn in Japan is one of my favorite seasons!  The trees are turning colors, displaying their full beauty, before shedding their leaves for the winter.  The mountains are brimming with the brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds of the trees.  The weather cools down from the humid sticky summer, to bring a refreshing break before the winter wind blows in from Siberia.
    Fall is the perfect time to take hiking expeditions and explore new paths in the numerous tree-covered hills.  Recently I went on a hike on an old train route no longer in use.  The air was delightful, the scenery was gorgeous, the route led us through tunnels, over bridges, and winds along a beautiful river.  The Japanese maple trees were just beginning to change colors.  I enjoyed the sound of the river as we hiked.  At times there was a roar as the water fell over rocks and made tiny waterfalls.

    Walking through the tunnels I was amazed at how narrow they were!  I would have thought that for a train the tunnels would need to be as wide as the ones for cars.  But I suppose with trains being fixed to a track, train tunnels need not have nearly as much room as ones for cars.  I so enjoyed the hike in God's creation, and a chance to hangout with friends.

 

    Truly autumn is one of my favorite times of year.  I'm kind of sad as the weather is beginning to turn cold. But winter has many fun things about it too! So as one season slips into the next I have mixed feelings.