An appreciation of plum blossoms was one of the things Japan taught me, since there they bloom a good six weeks before the cherries. Here of course it's all simultaneous- heady but confusing.

An odd fact is that I gain weight in the summer, since it's easier to get to cafes and restaurants and their calorific lattes and baked goods. It will require will power (and possibly the rainy windy weather we're now having) to maintain.