“Then the wind blows and you’re surrounded by cherry blossom petals like a snow storm!”
Right, well we’re not experiencing THAT yet. We had real snow this week. So Naval Air Facility Atsugi’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival today is a bit under-bloomed and quite cold! Taking group photos in our pilots’ bomber jackets and flight suits this morning it may have warmed up into the 40s. Brr! 
Friday’s Yokohama Bay Cruise with the American and Japanese spouses’ club was really fun—the boat had tatami mats and we ate fresh tempura and sushi. I had pickled radishes, boiled shellfish, salmon caviar, tempura mushrooms and pumpkin (my favorite of course!!), assorted sushi rolls, etc. Yum! We floated around the bay, then up and down a river lined with cherry trees (or Honmaru). It’s been so cold that most of them haven’t quite bloomed even though this week could have been their peak. Maybe next year. The traditional Japanese songs being karaoked in the background pretty much made up for any lack of blossoms!
Pounce wanted Hannah to know he’s over the cold weather too, but can’t come to her wedding because even though he’d be happy to snuggle on my lap the whole plane ride, his name was not on any part of the (scritch scritch scritch) invitation. That table runner is an obi I got at a shrine sale, of course.
No Swine Flu Here
What Does a Bear Do in the Woods?
A Little Bit of Little India
See the Jungle When It’s Wet With Rain
Oh man, I’m sorry Chris is deployed for longer and on a less communicative deployment! That stinks!
It looks like you are having a good time, though, and keeping yourself busy enjoying Japan. Hope that’s the case!
Those darn cherry blossoms never seem to bloom when they’re supposed to. They always seem to catch you by surprise, which I think is part of the magic. I’ve only seen them once, and it was, indeed, like pink snowfall!
I’m so glad to know Pounce is doing fine. I’m also glad to hear that you got your invitation to your (scritch scritch scritch) my wedding so quickly! It was mailed maybe a week ago!
Don’t worry…a real one is coming, too!
So does a shrine sale roughly equate to an awesome flea market? I’m so excited!