花より団子 ....

.... hana yori dango - dumplings rather than flowers.

I heard on the lunchtime news today that areas under flowering cherry trees in Japan have been fenced off to stop people gathering under them and getting drunk, which would be risky behaviour in a pandemic. It is the first time I've heard of this aspect of Hanami or flower-viewing. The teasing proverb of my title hints at the real priorities for most cherry blossom viewers, meaning that people are more interested in the food and drinks accompanying a hanami party than actually viewing the flowers themselves.

The white flowers on the rootstock of a pink cherry tree in our garden are going over. The first blackthorn blossom has opened today. I photographed the moon through cherry blossom on the bank of the lake.