Floral Flamboyance Makes For Exquisite Visit

I’m in a mad rush today because my customary morning riverside bike ride continued for almost twice as long as usual despite being roughly the same length as I was mesmerized by the spectucular blooming of spring flowers, which mostly means cherry blossoms.

I was waylaid by the sights on a number of occasions.

One beauty trap lured me along a river I rarely traverse.

I was rewarded by a whole series of breath-taking views.

The upshot was that I was late getting home.

And didn’t shower until half an hour or more than my usual time.

Which meant I missed the start of a meeting.

And that prevented me from readying for a busy day ahead.

Last week’s awful weather suggested an end to the cherry blossom viewing season.

But we may just well get a little bit longer than expected, and it will not fail to delight me, as has been the case for almost the past four decades.

Cycling is coming to my rescue yet again.

Like many non-Americunts, I am furious at the tariffs the U.S. has imposed on both Japan and Australia, which have been among the loyalest of American allies in the past eight decades.

But cool heads are needed now to avoid the situation worsening, and I should play my part in that, too, even if only on a micro level.

I hope that things will cool down now that the markets have lost trillions of dollars of value.

History suggests that’s probably not going to be the case. But for Japan and Australia, as well as the rest of the world, here’s hoping that will be precisely what happens.