Loved It: Cherry Blossoms

First of all I'd like to apologize for my month long hiatus.  It was a crazy few weeks and if you're still checking in to see if I've updated my blog- thank you for not giving up on me!

It's always right about this time of year that I'm about ready to go insane from the weather.  And then something incredible happens.  No- the sun does not come out.  The cherry blossoms begin to bloom!  They're like a ray of hope that winter will not last forever.  Beautiful puffs of pink everywhere you turn.  Like cotton candy on the trees.  Portland has beautiful cherry blossoms but I think Japan will always win in the who-has-the-best-cherry-blossoms contest.  Throughout the country starting in late March and ending in early May cherry blossom festivals will be held.  The festivals are called Hanami and literally mean "flower viewing".  Wouldn't it be fabulous to visit Japan in the spring and go to the festivals?

here are some pretty pics of cherry blossoms...

and now for some pretty pics taken at the Japanese festivals...

 um, can I PLEASE eat sushi here?