Plum Blossoms at Hofu

 Just a few days after the frigid Kintai tour, the weather was lovely and warm.  Well, warm as in 65 degrees, which was pretty warm after the 45 degrees we'd had.  My friend Hope and I drove about 90 minutes south to the lovely town of Hofu.  There was a shrine there that I'd heard had lovely plum blossoms.

It was gorgeous! We spent a while roaming around enjoying the utter beauty of it all.  It was a delightful trip and totally worth the drive, even if we went the really long way home!

The blossoms were SO pretty!

Look at them, don't you just want to thank Heavenly Father for such beauty?! 

So much pretty! 

This doesn't do it justice. 

They were like weeping willows full of pink blossoms. 

It makes me want to swoon. 

The shrine (temple?) was also very cool. 

This was one of my favorite things there. 

Well, and this! 

Okay, I also very much enjoyed this! 

I love all the stone lanterns. 

There were a bunch of little shrines.  I wish I could read Japanese to know what they all were for. 

They are all so pretty!