Come rain and come shine

 It wasn't supposed to rain. All the weather reports said it would be a nice day. I was excited because there was a special lily blooming in Yokohama and I wanted to take pictures of them.

So far so good. These lilies are amazing.

Then the unexpected started to happen. It started raining. I had just entered Yamashita park so I ran to the Indian Pavilion to take cover. So did about 10 other people. These were people like me... people without an umbrella.

About 50 yards from the pavilion there was a couple having bridal pictures taken by a professional. They huddled under a tree for protection from the rain but soon enough that wasn't working so they moved to the park's public restrooms. They also didn't have umbrellas.

The rain poured down hard for over a half of an hour and then it started to taper off. This lady was trying to move to better cover but her dogs weren't in to it. 

Then the rain stopped! Well, it almost stopped. From the protection of the pavilion I saw the bride and groom moving back to the photo shoot location. Somebody had managed to get some umbrellas for them. 

This bride will not be denied! The photo shoot will go on!

Out of curiosity I left the pavilion to have a closer look at this extraordinary woman.  The backdrop of her shoot was this patch of sunflowers. One can see the groom waiting obediently in the distance. Well trained already.

The photographer's assistant was getting her positioned for the pictures. When I walked by her I was amazed at how beautiful she was. Beauty and determination, what a combination.

And, as if the rain had never happened, the photo shoot continued. By-the-way, the green domed structure in the background is the pavilion where I weathered the storm. 

So soon after the rain, the sidewalks are still empty of people.

Along the side of the road I spotted another lily.

It didn't take long for the streets to fill up with people.

A couple of china dolls basking in the fresh sunshine.

Now people are using their umbrellas to protect them from the sun instead of the rain.

Life goes on.

Thanks for stopping by!

Mike

For family and friends - if you're wondering how Emi and I are doing, we're doing fine.

Bonus shots!