{"id":778,"date":"2008-03-29T01:21:11","date_gmt":"2008-03-28T16:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2008-03-29\/778"},"modified":"2008-03-29T01:21:11","modified_gmt":"2008-03-28T16:21:11","slug":"pink-sakura-green-fuzzies-some-brass-and-a-motorcycle-cop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2008-03-29\/778","title":{"rendered":"Pink Sakura, Green Fuzzies, some Brass, and a Motorcycle Cop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>180 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nDelicate (but Thoroughly) Pink<\/span>\nCherry Blossoms · Kyoto, Japan\n<\/div>\n\n

I'm not sure what variety these blossoms are, but they're quite\ndifferent from the standard\nwhite<\/a> blossoms that are just getting going in Kyoto, the late-blooming fluffy pink<\/a>\nvariety, and (of course) the deeply rich plum-blossom\npinks<\/a>. The colors<\/span> are much like the shidare zakura<\/i>\n(“crimson willow cherry”) that fill the nearby Heian-Shrine,\nbut the tree doesn't seem all that willowy, so I don't<\/span> know.<\/p>\n\n

I've been busy on Lightroom projects, and trying to get ready for a\nshort<\/span> trip to the Amami\nIslands<\/a> that we're starting tomorrow morning, but I knew<\/span> this tree was\nat full bloom, so I made<\/span> the five-minute walk over to see it today.<\/p>\n\n

On the way, I was struck<\/span> by a green<\/span> willowy tree among the\njust-getting-started normal cherry blossoms, along the canal...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 82 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nSorta' Pretty<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

Pictures taken from this same vantage point have appeared in my blog many times:\n\n  · Kyoto Cherry-Blossom Preview<\/a>\n  · Night Long-Exposure Cherry Blossoms<\/a>\n  · Cooling Off with Pastel Cherry-Blossom Desktop Backgrounds<\/a>\n\nThe bridge in the background is the on featured in last month's Snowy Bridge in Kyoto<\/a> post.<\/p>\n\n

Anyway, I like the<\/span> flowing green tree. I didn't<\/span> realize it until I got<\/span> back and inspected my photos that\nthe tree either has really fuzzy leaf\/seed\/whatevers, or is totally infested with fuzzy green caterpillars. Here's a closer<\/span> view\nfrom a different<\/span> angle...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nFuzzy Willowy Green Stuff<\/span>\n(click for a larer version showing more detail)\n<\/div>\n\n

However, my destination was another minute away....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>3200 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nHmmm, These Look Sorta' Willowy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nNot so Willowy<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

They're all from the same tree, a huge<\/span> tree on an empty lot with a tall<\/span>\nugly fence in front (made to look like an ivy-covered brick wall) and\nsurrounded by ugly utility poles and wires. Ugh.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 70 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nLooks Better Up Close<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

As nice as the tree is (or would be in better surroundings), it's\nmuch<\/i> more spectacular in the fall, with colors so intense that you\ncan sear a retina<\/span> just glancing at it. I couldn't<\/span> find any photos of it in\nmy image library, likely because of its unphotogenic surroundings. Such is\nthe challenge of living in an urban area in Japan.<\/p>\n\n

While in the area, I noticed<\/span> this motorcycle officer waiting to catch\npeople running a stop<\/span> sign....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 155 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>3000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nThou Shalt Not Run The Stop Sign<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

I waved when I took the shot, but he didn't so much as blink. Perhaps he\nwas looking past me to the cherry tree behind me.<\/p>\n\n

The last time I saw him there was in the fall when I'd walked out to get\npictures of some of the foliage along the canal. He was there<\/span> with two\nother officers, just shooting fish in a barrel.<\/span> Today he was alone, and\napparently not in the mood to write tickets because I saw<\/span> people totally\nblast through the stop (while pedestrians were in the crosswalk!) and he\ndidn't do anything. Sigh.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 200 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nWalking By<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

On the way home, some young girls (perhaps in middle school) were sounding pretty darn good with their brass...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D200 + Nikkor 70-200mm f\/2.8 @ 98 mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span><\/span>\nJam Session<\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n

You may remember that budding tree on the left – at a much<\/span>\nchillier time – from the final image on my Amazing Snow at the Heian\nShrine<\/a> post last month.<\/p>\n\n

I probably won't post while we're in Amami, so this'll likely be my last\npost until the middle of next week....<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I'm not sure what variety these blossoms are, but they're quite different from the standard white blossoms that are just getting going in Kyoto, the late-blooming fluffy pink variety, and (of course) the deeply rich plum-blossom pinks. The colors are much like the shidare zakura (\"crimson willow cherry\") that fill the nearby Heian-Shrine, but the tree doesn't seem all that willowy, so I don't know.<\/p>

I've been busy on Lightroom projects, and trying to get ready for a short trip to the Amami Islands that we're starting tomorrow morning, but I knew this tree was at full bloom, so I [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,2,6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=778"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/778\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}