The Thundercloud plum trees in our yard finally blossomed, starting with the pink one:
…. followed by the white one next:
These pictures aren’t great, as I took them on top of a ladder with my arm stretched as high as I could while holding a mobile phone. But, I am happy with the results.
As readers may recall, plum trees are among my favorite, and once again I am reminded of this old poem by the famous scholar Sugawara no Michizane (菅原 道真 845 – 903) when he was in exile:
| Japanese | Romanization | Translation |
| 東風吹かば | Kochi fukaba | When the east wind blows, |
| にほひをこせよ | Nioi okose yo | let it send your fragrance, |
| 梅の花 | Ume no hana | oh plum blossoms. |
| 主なしとて | Aruji nashi tote | Although your master is gone, |
| 春を忘るな | Haru o wasuru na | do not forget the spring. |
Enjoy!
Gleanings in Buddha-Fields 