Same crew as always, recreating the cherry-blossom route from two years ago.
Shukugawara, we are back
Out of the Station, Into the Crowd
Apparently everyone had the same idea.
With all the nonstop rain lately, finally getting one sunny weekend makes it feel perfectly reasonable to go outside and breathe a little.
The last time we came to see the blossoms two years ago, it did not rain, but the cloud cover was so thick there was no blue sky at all.
This time the weather was even better, which is excellent news.
And Off We Go
We just followed the canal, walking and taking photos as we pleased.
The mandatory textbook cherry-blossom photo.
I wanted a backlit shot of some kind. I do not think I pulled it off.
No idea what bird this is, but of course I took the photo anyway.
Maybe it was eating pollen or nectar?
Cherry blossoms, the canal, light reflecting off the water. This might be my favorite photo from the whole outing.
There is a landscape version too. It could work as a desktop wallpaper.
Nice sign, though.
Nice lighting, though.
The Parrot Snowstorm Returns
Yes, parrot as in the bird 🦜
As we walked and snapped photos, I noticed a whole cherry blossom had fallen here. That is pretty rare, so I took a picture.
But after taking it, I stopped and thought, wait, that is not right. Why would a full blossom fall off intact? Under natural conditions it should be the petals falling, not the whole flower, right?
The last time I saw whole cherry blossoms on the ground was last year, during another hanami walk somewhere else. A flock of parrots was up in the tree biting off blossoms for fun, and the ground was covered in full flowers.
I was amazed for quite a while back then. First, because I never expected wild parrots. Second, because those parrots were way too mean, destroying flowers with ruthless little beaks.
So I looked up.
Sure enough:
A parrot was hiding in the tree, going absolutely all out.
Too evil. This had to be documented.
The suspect has fully confessed
The evidence is overwhelming.
🦜: I am doing it again next time.
Kawasaki Green Center
We wandered all the way to the green center and took a lap inside.
Lovecraftian Succulents
There are several greenhouse areas, and one of them is dedicated to succulents.
Apparently succulents are very cute when they are young, but if you keep growing them they can turn… unfortunate.
But this one looks to me like it started out unfortunate. It has a very Cthulhu-adjacent aesthetic.
This one too. It looks like some arthropod that reproduced way past a safe limit.
Terrifying. Better go look at some normal plants.
I Bought a Giant Pine Cone
The management building inside the center sells potted plants, and there was also a big basket full of pine cones.
I had no idea what I was supposed to do with one, but those pine cones were enormous, and I could not resist buying one on impulse. A mere 500 yen.
I forgot to photograph it at the center, so I took a picture after getting home. It is about palm-sized.
The cat is very into it. It immediately tried to bite it
Pick the Flower While It Is Still in Bloom
People always say cherry blossoms bloom for such a short time, but in reality you can still catch them for two or three weeks, and different varieties peak at different times. If you go to a few different places, you can extend the season quite a bit.
But real life gets in the way. Office workers have to work during the week, weekends can get rained out, and even friends you already made plans with might have to cancel at the last minute.
By the time you add it all up, you probably only get one or two dedicated cherry-blossom outings a year.
Lately I saw the founder of OnlyFans pass away from cancer, Zhang Xuefeng suddenly die young, possibly from overwork combined with intense exercise, and someone around me had to undergo surgery out of nowhere.
It made me feel all over again that just staying healthy is already pretty good. There is no point in wrecking your body for work.
And really, while you still have the energy, you should go out more.
Otherwise one day you will find yourself no longer able to bounce around like this, and realize you never went anywhere at all. That would be too miserable.
Maybe in the best-case version you have money but no energy to enjoy it. Or worse, you end up with neither money nor health. Hopefully not that ending.
Anyway, pick the flower while it is still in bloom. Do not wait until the flowers are gone, the branch is bare, and even the strength to reach out and break off a twig is gone too before you remember you wanted to travel.
Based on the above reasoning, the grand “Izu Peninsula road trip” project is now officially under consideration.
Stay tuned.
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