Sagi-ike Pond reflections with sakura

Sakura (Cherry blossoms) season has come.  Time flies: it’s just like the other day when I said to sakura “See you next year!” in my last year's post Passing Sakura.  Since there are so many cherry trees here and there throughout the Japan, the blossoms' fleeting progress day by day is explicit before our eyes, though cherry blossom are not only the flowers with so fleeting life. When I see the changing blossoms from the train window, I wonder if life would be felt the blink of an eye at my end.  Being in the train back and forth and watching the changing sakura blossoms at a certain place takes me into an interesting world of physics.  Sakura are beautiful in any stage of their fleeting life from buds to falling or fallen petals.  Blooms of sakura make us feel assured the new beginnings or re-birth after the onslaught of the winter more intensely than other spring flowers.  They indicate full arrival of spring.

The view from the east of the pond

Sagi(heron)-ike Pond is one of my favorite places in Nara Park.  The hexagonal bridge-connected Ukimi-do Pavilion was built in 1916 and was renovated 1991-1994.  It is like a gazebo on the water and is a nice place to have a rest.  The bridge was renovated last year.  Let's walk around the pond.
 

From the south side of the pond

This bridge connects south and north side via Ukimi-do Pavilion.

Close-up of the partial reflection in the photo above

The view from the upper ground behind the Ukimi-do

Along the north side of the pond

From the west side of the pond

Around the pond, some blossoms have already started drifting from the branches. 

Soft pink petals are softly fluttering under the blue sky and floating in the blue sky.

The pond restores stillness at night.