"Sakura, sakura" (Japanese flowering cherries)

[Norm in Fujino]

The cherry blossoms are already starting to fall in Tokyo, but out here in cooler Fujino they're just getting to their peak. Unfortunately, I've got to go into Tokyo to work just about every day remaining in this week, so I probably won't be able to enjoy the height of the blossoms here. I did go out today, though, and got some shots at a shrine and temple near my house.
All these were with the E-300 and 14-54mm, ISO 100, Silkypix.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4045914w1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4045909w1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4045899w1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4045939w2.jpg

I guess this means spring is officially here! Hurray!

[Glenn Kennedy]

That's a lovely set. Spring is finally getting here too. I'm sitting typing away in a darkened room. Sunlight is spilling into the room next door. Time to catch some warm (ish) rays before dark !

[Norm in Fujino]

Thanks, Glenn. Yeah, it's really nice when spring really arrives and green replaces the brown on the hills. Love all the small flowers that spring up everywhere. Get some rays!

[Bullitt]

Very nice photos Norm...

[Norm in Fujino]

Thanks, Bullitt. Too bad it's raining all day today, it's dropping all the blossoms in Tokyo.

[Norm in Fujino]

Yesterday was very odd. We decided to visit the little Sakura Matsuri ("cherry blossom festival") in the neighboring town of Sagamiko (Lake Sagami), but rain was sprinkling and not many people were there. The town itself is a kind of sad place; it could have a much more dynamic life if the leaders had any kind of vision, but they don't, and now it's being swallowed up in the huge wave of municipal mergers that has swept over Japan. (Together with Sagamiko, my town of Fujino is also being merged into the city of Sagamihara next year. We fought it, but lost.)

Anyway, I took these few pictures at the lakeside cherry blossom alley, and just after we left, the sun came out. Then the wind blew with incredible power all afternoon, and when I took my dog for a walk up the mountain, the entire river/lake valley looked like it was filled with fog--I thought it was just cedar pollen, but we heard on the radio that it was a huge cloud of yellow sand that had blown over from China. It's a regular spring occurrence, but I think this was the worst case of it I've ever seen. Another interesting thing is that people are remarking on how long the cherry blossoms have stayed around this year. Even the wind yesterday didn't blow them all away, so I'm going back out this afternoon to redo some of the shrine shots I did the other day.

Anyway, these aren't real great shots, but I thought I'd show a few scenes from the lakeside town; I think the gloom of the day rather reflects the gloomy prospects of the locale; it almost looks like a ghost town.

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4085978w1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4085969w1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4085965w1.jpg

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c197/Peregrinor/P4085956w1.jpg

[Glenn Kennedy]

Some nice shorts there - despite the murky weather. I have a couple of flowering cherry trees in the garden. It's so windy here, the blossom never stands a chance. I can't help feeling its a bit sad that pretty much everywhere you go these days - Coca Cola, KFC, McD, etc, are always getting in on the shot (e.g. No. 1). The spring sandstorm is a bit of a nuisance. Experienced it for 24hr in Beijing just over a week ago. It gets everywhere !

[Norm in Fujino]

It's so windy here, the blossom never stands a chance. I can't help feeling its a bit sad that pretty much everywhere you go these days - Coca Cola, KFC, McD, etc, are always getting in on the shot (e.g. No. 1).

Yeah, and although the boats are "colorful," it's the kitsch that gets in my craw. Very few towns here seem to have leaders with the vision to develop toward anything but the lowest common denominator in terms of tourist-trappism.

The spring sandstorm is a bit of a nuisance. Experienced it for 24hr in Beijing just over a week ago. It gets everywhere !

Wow, that means we probably got the same dust you experienced last week. It's not so much a nuisance here; I walked the dog in it yesterday and found a bit in my ears and tear ducts later, but nothing serious (although I wonder about what contaminants it's carrying, given China's level of pollution these days). It's sort of an annual rite of spring here, although it certainly was harsher yesterday than in normal years.

Thanks for commenting, Glenn.

[Glenn Kennedy]

Yeah, and although the boats are "colorful," it's the kitsch that gets in my craw. Very few towns here seem to have leaders with the vision to develop toward anything but the lowest common denominator in terms of tourist-trappism.

That makes me feel better. I didn't pass any comment about the boats - just in case you thought they were nice... Totally tacky and the same everywhere, too.

[Norm in Fujino]

That makes me feel better. I didn't pass any comment about the boats - just in case you thought they were nice... Totally tacky and the same everywhere, too.

Yep, I think they consider it a touch of Disney--altho I see it as just another indictment of American pop culture and its influence. Put more neutrally, "there's no accounting for taste."

[ReF]

really, you guys think the boats are lame? i think they're kinda cool. i live near the beach in california and all the boats look the same - you all know how original, creative, exciting the regular boats are...