SPIDER LILIES ON THE SHORE

Every year in early Autumn red spider lilies bloom everywhere in Japan - on the edges of rice fields, along riverbanks, and under trees beside Lake Biwa.

I'm told that because of the extremely long, hot Summer we endured this year the lilies were late, and much less plentiful than usual, but I was still able to see lots on my trip around Lake Biwa in October.

In my New Zealand hometown, Christchurch, the countryside is often brown and dry in Autumn. The trees turn the landscape gold, but there aren't many flowers, so I was thrilled by the vibrant red splashes of color so generously spread throughout the countryside.