Today was a beautiful one, with a high of 20 degrees Celsius. Walking along the street, I saw a parent and child coming up the opposite way. The child was blowing big, fat bubbles into the air, and the wind kept sweeping them back the way the child had come. Unfortunate for the child, but I got to enjoy the fruit of their labors–walking surrounded by bubbles that caught the afternoon light, reflecting the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

Yes, this seems to be the weekend for hanami (花見), or cherry blossom viewing. I took a peek down one of the major streets in Kyoto today and went, “No thanks,” before retreating to a side street for my shopping. Would I have done that pre-Covid conditions? Yes, but with the worry about social distancing, my feelings are all the stronger that it is time to avoid people.

Too bad other folks don’t seem to have the same mindset. I’ve seen multiple buses rolling into town filled with schoolkids led by tired teachers holding little flags in the past couple of weeks. Spring vacation is happening, whether we want it to or not, and some folks are doggedly determined to make spring vacay as normal as possible.

Cool motive, still not safe right now.

But enough of the negative talk. Quick, let me distract you with some pretty pictures of hanami!

So, how are you handling the spring (or autumn, if you’re tuning in from the southern hemisphere)? Are you finding places to head out and enjoy the weather without running into mobs of people, or are you sticking it out at home?

Things are plugging along on the creative side of things. Kyoto Cryptids now has a website (it’s up, though there isn’t a lot there quite yet) and hopefully will have a Twitter or Insta at some point in the near future. But more importantly, the magazine is just about ready to showcase! I’m very excited about tossing it into the void that is the universe and seeing if anyone outside our small group of friends resonates with it. Stay tuned here or at the website to see when and how it will be available, either as a physical or digital copy. 😀

On top of that, I’ve figured out a few things re: my own schedule. I let a lot of things fall by the wayside in 2020, and ended up letting basically everybody else’s wants and needs take precedence over my own. One of my goals from April is to set more boundaries so I can focus on not only this blog, but my other creative and health-driven endeavors, too. We’ve got (realistically speaking) at least another year of this pandemic to muddle through here in Japan, and I cannot handle the thought of sitting myself in limbo for that long.

So I hope to be in communication again with you very soon, and very regularly! Until then, enjoy the spring for as long as it lasts. Because we all know what’s coming next. Gio- I mean, summer. Summer is definitely coming.

*Gion Matsuri flutes intensify in the distance*