Flowers and Pizza (and a bonus treat! Woo hoo!)

Spring seems to have arrived in Shichinohe. Hoooraaaaaay! I'm sure it will go by quickly, so I figured I should take advantage of the fact that it wasn't raining and see how the flowers were doing. I had tried to get out a couple times last week, and I got rained on each time. Once it was a freaking thunderstorm!

Camera and phone fully charged and at the ready, I set off in search of pretty flowers! I was not disappointed. While it seems that the cherry blossoms weren't all that spectacular in town, there were certainly a lot of other ones that were more than making up for it. Up the hills and down, all around the town I went, snapping photos like a tourist.

I stopped by the 'Pizza Carnival', but only saw the line ride happening (and what a ride...), and due to the fact that I'd waited until the afternoon to head out, I think I missed the "competition/zah judging" and most of the excitement anyway. So I opted to keep exploring. Hopefully I'll be more on the ball next year and will get in on some freshly made 'zah.

Let the flowery onslaught BEGIN!

There are so many 'secret' gardens, and vegetable gardens all around town that when I frame the picture correctly, it looks like I've driven out into the country...

 

Up around one of the temples/shrines that live atop the big hills...

'downtown'

I wandered into a shop, and was given a free treat... and happened to come across the same flower (I think :p).

And, naturally, there were some strange sights, as well...

I don't know that I will ever fully appreciate Japan's fascination with tomato flavored treats.