The purple evening skies of yesterday continued over to today.  The clouds hung low, and the colors were allowed to develop into such rich hues.

I have been wearing a surgical mask when I go into Shin Urayasu for two reasons.  Firstly, my hay fever has been atrocious, a secondly the dust just blows around with no place to go.  I kind of hate when I am wearing the mask, and my glasses fog up, but I guess it is better than being all full of sniffles and sneezes.  However, today the pollen was so strong the mask didn’t make any difference.

I am amazed at some of the pathways and sidewalks in Shin Urayasu.  Because of the liquefaction on some parts they just became piles of bricks, and others, they rhythmically all tilted by 15 degrees.  It was by watching the paths that led me to a Cherry Blossom tree at an entrance to a townhouse like development.  The voluptuous pink blossoms were such a contrast to the dirt filled sidewalk along the main street.  It was so tranquil and seemed so far removed from all the construction going on just meters from this tree.

It again reminded me of the dual nature of the society we are living in.  We are so desperately wanting to return to a stable home life, but the constant aftershocks, the construction, and the Fukusshima nuclear power plant are all there like a fog that wont break up in the morning sun.  Yet, here there was this tree.  It paid no difference to the dust, construction or other worries.  All the tree knew was that it was spring and it was time to bring forth it’s blossoms.

As I continued to make my way home, I caught another flower.  This time it was just a weed.  It was growingly  singularly in some space between a wall and the sidewalk I was on.  The flower just appeared to be shinning.  It was radiating warm light that filled my lens to with warmth.  This images just sandwiched my day.  The tranquil to the mundane.  All full of beauty and full of such promise.

I have been back in Tokyo now for one week.  It has been a bit of a roller coaster since leaving the warm sun drenched suburbs of Miami, for the cold spring of Tokyo.  As the communities in Japan struggle to return to normalcy, I awoke Friday morning in an inexplicable good feeling.  It was as if some worries of mine had been plucked out from my heart.

As rode the darkened Tozai Line I started thinking that we all are in this together.  We all must do what ever we can to help Japan.  For some us that just means, taking care of our families and continuing to work.

I have decided that the best way for me to acclimate to my odd surroundings is to continue to do what I do best.  Use my camera as means of expression.  Trying to show my community and the world the side of Japan that I see.

These cherry blossoms that are starting to unravel their petals are a sign of good things to come.  This not to say that there are not going to be difficulties, but humans are crafty and together we can overcome.

The sun shone so high on Saturday.  It was lovely to be out and about with a cool dry wind blowing though the neighborhood.  The unusually hot summer I suspect has disrupted the natural rhythm of blooming and fruiting of nature.

The wall was just dotted with these beautiful deep hued blue flowers.  Melded into a sky blue sky and the tarred asphalt.  All just a glorious day to be out in my own backyard.