Kites and Cherry Blossoms

Today, the Ponderer and I loafed.  We really did need a tiny little break from all the earthmoving going on in the veg garden.  So we met a friend and her cute West Highland terrier at the Mizumoto Stroll Garden to do some お花見 (ohanami), and do some kite watching, too.

お花見　(Ohanami)

I had read that a tea is made from the blossoms of cherry trees and I was sorely tempted to take a few to try.  I did taste some of these fresh flowers, but I really could not discern any flavor at all.  So I didn't take any blossoms home to infuse.

Water fall area

Moon bridge

Wisteria closeup

There are so many nice little nooks and views within the stroll garden to savor.  I really enjoy stopping to reflect while slowly ambling along.  Although that was difficult to do today, with so many people out and about.  There are quite a few water features interspersed in the landscape, which is quite welcome on warm days.  March ended this year as the warmest March on record.  It's hard to imagine strolling about in shorts before May.

We first came to the garden last fall for the Japanese Fall Festival.  I was sooo dissapointed as the rains pelted us and other festival goers.  They packed up most of the displays, cancelled the taiko drummers, and sumo wrestlers.  Why no, I'm not bitter, why do you ask?  So yay, no rain today!

It was also nice to bump into the founder of the garden as we enjoyed taking in the views.  She remarked that a lot of work had been done over the winter, pruning, and replacing some of the wooden features.

Tea House view

I have yet to take a tea ceremony, but the tea house here seems quite lovely.  And a good place to contemplate by the water.  
I was pleased to find the wisteria blooming along with the cherry blossoms, dogwoods, and redbud trees.  There are quite a few beautiful specimens of pine and spruce trees along with Japanese maples.
(Well, it IS a Japanese stroll garden, ですね?)

Unfortunately, the heat had taken a toll on my battery life, and couldn't take as many pictures as I'd liked.  

Anpan+Ramune+Calligraphy

Like most festivals, there were some food vendors.  I got to sample some Japanese soda.  Oishii desu!


I've really become hooked on the anpan that we get from the local farmer's market, Farmer's Market of the Ozarks.  It is sooo good.  The Ponderer had pooh-pooh-ed it, doubting that bread+sweetenbeans would be a good combo.  He has now been brought over to the dark side (insert creepy Darth Vader breathing, here. LOL).

Go fly a kite?  Maybe not.

There were also students from a local highschool practicing their calligraphy skills, as well as a chance to try your hand at origami.  Of course my name has an "L" in it, which doesn't exist  in Japanese.


The winds were too light to really fly any kites, but we enjoyed watching the children, or rather their dads, runningaround, trying to get their kites airborne.  For a nominal fee,                you could make a simple kite , and now it makes sense why I couldn't find any kite string last night. I went to 3 different stores looking for some, and not one roll could be found.  

Don and a sleepy friend

A bonus: Don got to spend quality time with a sweet pooch!