Japanese Peaches

Japanese fruit is delicious!  Their peaches are white inside but so wonderful sweet.  Two was just the beginning today.

Miyajima

 

Miyajima is an island near Hiroshima, known for the floating o-torii gate in front of the Itsukushima Shrine.   Our guide told us that the whole island is so sacred that the shrine itself was built on piles, so that the building won't touch the island.   At low tide, you can walk out to the gate in front of the shrine.

The Japanese consider deer to be messengers to the gods.  The deer wander the island, amazing docile.  Until they see you holding food.  Then they come up and expect to share.  Even the squirrels in Washington D.C. were not this bold and insistent.

 I don't want to perpetuate stereotypes but I marveled as I watched the Japanese deer interacting or ignoring the tourists who at times were inches away.   Just the week before a girl was gored by a bison, when she stepped to close to take a photo in Yellowstone National Park.  It seems that even their animals are more polite than ours, or more tolerant of tourists. 

One final shot, as the tide came in.

New Hair Cut

Moving across the world is sometimes not a big enough change.  Time to make this personal.

 These two pictures are when the stylist did my hair and when I did it.  I love the color and the sass.  I'm ready for summer.

Peaceful Day in the Park

 I spent time at the Shinjuku National Garden.  It was serene and peaceful.

 The cherry blossoms have passed but the Japanese have many blooming trees.

Amazing to realize that there was this oasis in the middle of the city...

And even harder to take so many pictures without including my new 10,000 best friends who were also enjoying the perfect weather.

This is the same park, seen from above.  Right in the heart of Tokyo.

Japan is teaching me about perspective.  Where you start and end the story changes it from a comedy to a tragedy.  How you frame your picture, changes it from a peaceful garden to a busy city shot.   I am overwhelmed or adventurous... with only a tiny shift in perspective. 

 Spring has come and today was a blizzard of flower petals.  The wind blew, it gusted and the blossoms danced their way off the trees.  So many of life's joys are fleeting.  A moment of pleasure before the winds of time.

After trying and deleting a lot of pictures, I'll just show you the parking lot covered in petals.