Seasonal change: an opportunity to contemplate the little joys

I have mused before on seasonal change, especially as an opportunity to contemplate nature, beauty and life (see for example, The influence of seasons on culture and More about seasonal change). The Japanese are very good at this. Each season is marked by a traditional festival - in spring for instance, there is hanami (cherry blossom viewing), and in autumn there is momiji.

In our newly-established garden in the country this spring, we do not have anything quite as spectacular as avenues of blossoming cherry trees (nor the crowds of sake-guzzling festival-goers, thankfully). But we did have a lovely crop of violet and yellow irises, which brought a little bit of joy and satisfaction each time I walked passed them to my little studio.