View of cherry blossoms at Camp Zama golf course
Seiko and the girls
Say "cheese!"
Take a close look at this tree---it has both pink and white cherry blossoms!
Our completed ring holders. My oshie teacher, Yumiko, is seated next to me.
Close up of the ring holder
After our craft class and lunch, we went outside to see some cherry blossoms.
Shrine near Yumiko's house
Cleansing hands before entering the shrine
Here's a poster that shows you what you're suppose to do before entering the shrine.
Hello! The cherry blossoms are in full swing here, and just like last year, they are gorgeous! Everyone is out and about enjoying them while they last, which isn't very long. Some of the blossoms are already starting to fall, and it creates a beautiful snowstorm-like effect.
We had a very busy weekend. On Saturday, I helped Zach and the First Class Association that he belongs to serve hot dogs and hamburgers at the Kamiseya Cherry Blossom Festival. (Kamiseya is another local base.) I spoke with one of the festival organizers, and she expected close to 30,000 people to attend. I think they did, because we sold out of food at least three hours before the festival was scheduled to end! On Sunday, we took our friend Seiko, her daughter Neiro, and Neiro's friend to Camp Zama Army Base for the brunch buffet. Afterward, we went for a walk on the golf course, which was open to everyone for a few hours to view the cherry blossoms. The weather was so great, and I got some nice photos.
Yesterday, I spent a lovely day with my oshie teacher, Yumiko, and three of her friends at her house near the town of Shonandai. Yumiko helped us make ring holders out of kimono fabric. And then she fed us a wonderful lunch. She lives near a beautiful shrine and a large number of cherry trees, so after lunch we headed outside for a walk and some more photo opportunities. I thought I'd share a few of them on this post, so enjoy!
