cedar fever season, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Allergy season in Tokyo starts around this time. In these parts people do not suffer from Hayfever, but Cedarfever from the pollen of the Japanese cedar tree (Sugi in Japanese). I suppose that, like in the UK, it is really the mixture of pollen and manmade pollution that causes the problem, so that the suffering may be worse in the towns than in the forested areas. So far James and I have been mercifully Cederfever free, but many people do get quite seriously affected.

As James mentioned earlier, it was forecast that this year should be a worse Cedarfever season than usual - about twice as bad. While visiting Sugimotodera, a particularly aptly named temple, James decided to shake a tree to see what it was all about. We were both rather surprised by the massive plume of pollen that fell from the tree.

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The god of happiness! Hotei, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Uncomplaining portait #3: Hotei, god of happiness, was as happy as Hotei, to model for me.

[Jochiji, Kamakura]

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Tengu, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Uncomplaining portrait #2: We came across a tengu in the woods. He was happy to pose for me.

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James, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Gavin thought that the reason there were no people on my blog was that I did not like to photograph them. Then I found out why I was reluctant to post my photos of people - flowers, bugs and buildings don't complain. Gavin did.

Here is number 1 of the uncomplaining portraits.
Husband: doesn't mind looking weird. Hopefully.

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Robai @ Jochiji, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

At first you think it is all cherry blossom. Then you learn that the ones without flower stalks that are flowering in February are "plum" blossom, not cherry. Then you discover that boke is a flower, not a just feature of a lens. This is good as it means we can all take photos with "great boke" even without investing in that 85mm f1.4 lump of glass.Then your eyes are opened and you realise almost every tree in the temple grounds is a differently specially special species,

This is robai, with a weeping ume behind. At Jochiji, Kamakura. Clever photo by James, using wide-angular macro feature of his little camera, and managing to include blue sky, despite its scarcity this weekend.

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Zuisenji, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Zuisenji - our local.

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More ice

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Icy plants, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

The weather is playing tricks again. Just when James thought it was spring, the coldest snap of the winter got going. Luckily we have some new clothes.

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CP+

Wild excitement today, as CP+, the biggest camera show in Asia, is in town.

From the bizarre - handy magnetic tripod

To the ridiculous - camera bondage

Entertainment for pervs on every corner

Stereotype reinforcement lectures for women

Fondling of vapourware for the geeks

[Yes that's me squeezing a non-existant Fujifilm X100!!! I reckon I earned lots of geek points by crashing the firmware twice in my 3 minute test drive.]

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Oranges and daffodils, originally uploaded by julesberry2001.

Oranges and daffodils.
A special post for James' readers,
who will send corrections.

It isn't even a proper Haiku!

[Engakuji, Kamakura]

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Environmentally friendly Pielke!!!

I'd thought he was just one of those US physics professors who didn't know about conservation of momentum, but it turns out that he's not so stupid after all. At one of the International Workshops in Tsukuba Epochal (a soulless building in the most soulless town in Japan) that are held around this time of year in order to use up the budget on meaningless and harmful travel, there appeared one Pielke senior - on the big screen! Japanese internets being blazingly fast, interaction suffered no delay. At the end there was a little time for platitudes, during which much regret was voiced for all the things "missed" for not being there in person. But what did he really miss?

The Tsukuba Epochal's many automatic stop-start escalators?
James already looks bored...

A warm friendly handshake from James?
Note how much bigger (bigger=better?) than James is Pielke.

Sunset in Tsukuba Epochal. Yes, there's still no one around. 

There is never anyone there... apart from the people who polish it.

This is more like it - real Japan?

Oh no - the workshop dinner is at a Yuba (soya milk curd) speciality restaurant!

At least our beer is no worse than that in Colorado (whence liveth the Pielke)

Now we're talking! The first place I ever ate pizza - in the 1970s - was Shakey's Pizza Parlour in Boulder, Colorado. That restaurant is long gone  - but curiously they can be found here and there in Japan. One such establishment occupies prime real estate in downtown Tsukuba. Yes, that's a slice of chocolate and banana pizza! Surely Pielke would have felt right at home here after all. What a shame he couldn't be here in person....

(...wise, wise man...)

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