Spring has sprung, the grass is riz, I wonder where the flowers is?

Well its been some time since my last post. One reason being that I was remiss in checking the exact date of the cherry blossom festival. It was, in fact, just this past weekend. So up we trotted to Nago, the city at the north of the island above which there is little other than beaches and farms. But apparently even this last weekend of January was not late enough to coax out one very important guest to the festival, the cherry blossoms!

When the blossoms are out in full bloom, they run up along a set of stone steps in a puffy pink cloud leading up to what was Nago Castle and what is now a small shrine...good for wish making.
The number of flowers actually out in full force numbered only in the dozens. I caught a couple on camera. So while the trek up to the shrine was a little less like floating up on puffy cotton candy and more like a calf workin' session on the stair master the view was well worth it.

Also fun to see was all the pomp and circumstance of the festival opening; men in suits and school groups and the cherry blossom queens. I think their get ups were a little 1960s stewardess but the kids were certainly enthralled. It certainly seemed above and beyond the call of your average member of cherry blossom royalty however to march up and down those stone steps in 3 inch high heels with a 4 year old on each hand. Adrian is seen in one pic here trying to get ahead of that little parade.

Despite the cold that delayed the blossoms, tangerine picking season is in full swing! We bought some delicious juicy ones from a street vendor for the drive home.

Also, a note to all my friends and readers (or really, all friends are readers right?). I would like to recommend an author to you, Zadie Smith. Not since Isabelle Allende have I been so enamoured of an author. I've read On Beauty, which is great, and am in the middle of White Teeth, also great. Read her, I know you'll love her. Her style is really unique and up front.