Happy Birthday to...

another birthday for my dear friend Noriko. is this my 4th year in a row to be able to help celebrate her birthday and the cherry blossoms? at our age, it is hard to remember but i won`t let her forget she is one year older than me or is that "i"? i just returned from some cherry blossom sightseeing. my first stop was the Sakuradori (Cherry Blossom Street). i think it is about 70% in bloom. from there i i went by train into the mountains and back. i stopped by Noriko`s favorite bakery/dessert shop to buy 3 slices of different cakes for her birthday cake. she will get to choose and then her Father and i will get the also-delicious-looking left-over slices. soon we will take her Father to dinner...okonomiyaki...i think we went there last year also.

it rained all day yesterday and luckily i took an umbrella today as i got rained
on a little. the sky was so blue when it was blue today when the sun was shining. i was able to get many beautiful cherry blossoms photos. a highlight was as i just arrived back at Noriko`s front yard...a partial rainbow (niji) and then all of the sudden you could see the whole bow of the rainbow. i stepped inside the genkan (front entrance of the house) and called to Noriko and her Father. her Father came outside and was treated to a beautiful rainbow. Noriko missed it but she did see it and Tony in a photo and video.

time to go for a birthday dinner and then to visit Noriko`s Mother at the hospital.
hopefully she will receive some good news from her third and last endoscopic
procedure.