Going to Sendai Airport

 Here is another picture of one of the men working on the roof of the Izumi Chuo subway station.

 On the levee next to my apartment complex there are some cherry trees. On this day it was rainy.

 Here are the same trees the next day when it was sunny. On this day my wife, daughter, grandson and I took a trip to the Sendai airport. We were just starting out when I took this picture.

 This is my grandson Tsubasa.

 While I was taking the picture of Tsubasa, the sun came out and the colors on the cherry trees got brighter, so I took another picture.

We took the subway to Sendai Station and then got on the train to the airport. I had to sit across the car from the others so I used the space to take their picture. I am sure you can figure out who is who.

Still walking

 The cherry blossoms were not quite out yet, but the world was definitely starting to turn pink.

 This hedge had been cut and now looked white at the tops. It did not appear that the bushes had started to grow yet, probably to cold for that.

 These cherry trees form a tunnel when they are in full bloom. There is much more traffic on this road at this time of year because people want to go through the tunnel.

 This is the Jodo Sect Buddhist temple near my apartment. The roof at the left is the bell tower where they ring the bell at 6:30 every morning.l

 In the parking spot in front of a beauty parlor, I found this old jeep. It was a bit rusty in spots but otherwise seemed to be in good condition.

This is the station building in Izumi Chuo. The culture center where I took art lessons before the earthquakes was in the curved portion at the very top. The center has been closed since the tremors because the ceiling collapse and the fire sprinklers flooded the place. On this day there were two men working on the roof. Maybe they will open again soon. I have not been able to find anyone who knows what their plans are.

Toshogu and then heading home

 This is the back of the main shrine. I took the picture through the wire fence.

 I have no idea what the purpose of the little buildings in the above two pictures might be. There is a window so I suspect that there is some sort of statue or something inside, but I was unable to find an angle where I could see through the opening.

 This is the administrative building for the shrine. The store where you buy the offerings and amulets is at the far end. After taking this picture I turned around and took a path out the back of the grounds and started for home. I was taking a route that was a bit to the west of the one I arrived on.

 This building houses some sort of architectural company according to the sign. I thought the glassed in entrance was very interesting.

 A little farther along I found a graveyard, hidden behind a concrete wall.

I stepped through a gate in the wall and found this statue just inside.

Out for a walk

 I walked along the river bank and enter the Nanakita park, where I found some men flying model airplanes. They were gliders, made from balsa wood and launched with elastic.

 At another place in the park, I found a group of women planting flowers and an old man sitting on a bench watching them.

 This is the front of an animal hospital. Altogether there are nearly 15 of these little statues.

 I took a path through the park in Shogen and found that the pond, that last week had been empty, was now filling up again.

 The path went up and down between the tops of the low hills and the water level. At one of the high spots, there were trees that were planted with mounds around them.I have absolutely no idea why.

In between some of the mounds, I found this mysterious object. It was very carefully made with rectangular openings in the base and at about a hand's width up from the bottom. The x-shaped hole at the top was filled with dirt and grass.