Sakura, Sakura. UW yoshino cherry blossoms 2012

by aleks [click on the pics to see them larger]

UW Quad • 3/22/12 - cherry blossoms 

They are about half way through.  Some already fully opened. Others still waiting and lurking in their buds. Yoshino blossoms that is, in the grove of mature cherry trees at UW Quad.

Let me bring up here Keiko's link to Quad Cherry Blossom Watch (posted on Facebook by University of Washington Visitors Center), buried down in the comments under Lynnda's great post about 'Winter work completed';  thank you, Keiko!  People are posting pics of the blossoms as the days go by, so for those of you who can't come, here it is - you can monitor their daily progress, blow by blow:
http://www.facebook.com/uwvic

UW Quad • 3/22/12 - fun with the cherry blossoms

Stopped to look at them yesterday afternoon, and so did half of Seattle, it seems :)... Crowds of people, taking pics and just milling under the blossoms...  Waiting..  Viewing... Contemplating...  or  just being there.  There is no cherry blossom snow yet, but the ornamental plums are lightly snowing now.

UW Quad • 3/24/12 - Sakura, sakura

We shared the elevator back to the UW parking lot with a large, 3-generational family: from a joyfully jumping toddler in her Sunday's best to a set of grandparents; they looked very happy so I asked: are you here to see the cherries? They all nodded, smiling and the the Middle of the family (mother?) answered: 'YES!' Are you coming every day?  'No, but we will be here next weekend'.   That's probably the time to come, Joe in Aberdeen - mankai time :)

UW Quad • 3/24/12 - waiting for mankai

Just looked into my 'Daily Issa' inbox: found this gem, courtesy of David Lanoue:

"Be brave, cherry blossoms 

and fall!" 

the little trout

kokoro shite sakura chire-chire ayu ko ayu

.心して桜ちれちれ鮎小鮎

by Issa, 1810

I assume that these encouraging words are being spoken by a little trout in a stream under the tree(s), hence the quotation marks. [DL]

• • • • • •

And here Yo-Yo  Ma playing beautiful traditional Japanese folk song, 'Sakura, Sakura':