In the summer heat, there’s nothing better than a cold drink to help cool you down. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth like me, that cold drink has a tendency to actually be ice cream!

I can’t only eat ice cream in the summer, though. I need more variety in my life. So, one summer treat that I occasionally indulge in instead is shaved ice. Usually, I pick up some shaved ice during festivals, but since they’ve been cancelled this year, I was hurting for some fruity ice. Luckily, I was introduced to a little shop by Ogaki Castle that sells it all season long. After a long, hot day, I was so excited to stop by and enjoy some melon shaved ice. It was lime green, icy cold, and super delicious. In the shade of the trees in Ogaki Castle’s courtyard, I found the perfect venue for enjoying my melon-flavored ice shavings. It was a nice afternoon. However, I knew I had a long, hot walk ahead of me, so what else was I to do but brace for the heat with yet more shaved ice? I had to make up for the lack of shaved ice earlier in the summer, after all. So I got some lemon shaved ice, as well, to enjoy before the long, sunny, humid, skin-melting walk home.

Stay cool, everybody!

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