MARCH 30, 2019 I took the above three photos in Shinhama Park, a well-known park here in Fukushima City. It’s a very short walk from my home. The boys were so friendly. They attend a local junior high in Fukushima  City. The boy with the mask is likely wearing it due to allergies–Japan has a high ragweed content in the air (due to its abundance of cedar forests.) People who have hayfever frequently wear masks here in the spring to keep the pollen from their nose and mouth.

MARCH 31, 2019 We had a spell of unusually cold weather this day–you can see that it snowed that morning.

APRIL 3, 2019 In the above three photos, you can see the cherry blossom have not kicked into full bloom yet.

APRIL 6, 2019 Full bloom! I took the above three photos early this morning. (Thus, the sun is directly behind the tree!) Cherry blossom are famous in Japan, but it feels a little hectic to me because they bloom for such a short time. I know, I know. Such is the life of the samurai.