10 Nov Winter preparations picking up speed.

It is still very much autumn here with no snow to report, but we are moving from the balmy, blue sky autumn into the cloudy, cold autumn which is a sure sign of winter on the way. Everywhere you look there are the signs of people digging in for the months of deep snow ahead.

If you don’t want to find your trees or statues crushed, knocked over or broken when they finally reappear again in spring after the snow melts, the wise move is to cover them or support them.

Enpuki-ji in Koide

Enpuku-ji temple in Koide

Lifts are going back onto lift lines as well.

Working in the rain at Nunoba gelende, Yuzawa Kogen

The other sure sign of impending winter is the reappearance of snow-blowers outside houses. These machines have been dusted off and brought out from the back of garages to be in easy reach when the snow arrives. The other option is to grab a shovel and do it by hand.

Little old men all over Snow Country keep fit by shovelling snow all winter long

Kagura opens in 11 days for the first turns of Winter 2015/16.