While I'm still working on the post of my trip to Japan; doing my best to describe everything, here is a little update of the flora of a fall Michigan yard. It's cold, rainy and incredible. This is one of my favorite times of the year, I know that sounds a bit morbid but it's true. I honestly have trouble understanding people when they complain about the amazing season of fall and winter.
Though, the scenery can get a bit monochromatic, especially when the brightly colored leaves of September and October have fallen from the tree limbs, there are still many, many things to love about the cooler, colder months: the clean, crisp air carrying the sweet scent of the fallen leaves, no mosquitoes (a personal favorite), later sunrises, hiking through the damp woods in the warming sunlight, watching the green leaves change to bright red and vivid yellow, hot coffee warming you, sitting next to a fire while listening to the quite night and crackling sound of the flames…… I could go on forever but I'll leave it here for now.

The cranberry's fall foliage and, below, the only berries it produced this year. 

My mother's Mum's, which bloom much later than I thought.

Yesterday afternoon I was about to run my hand through the out reaching lavender flowers when just in time I noticed this spider and it's web hanging between the plant's stems; a close one!

The red bushes are called "Burning Bushes" for this very reason. For most of the year, the leaves are a gentle green and then as soon as fall comes around they turn bright red, as if on fire.

The last of the mint's flowers, until next year that is.

Our maple tree has decided to join with the rest of the deciduous plants.

And the remnants of a nest that was constructed in the white pine tree, now abandoned, at least until next spring!

じゃね！