Sakura starting to bloom in my town

So, finally, after the sakura have come and gone in most other parts of Japan, the ones in my town are finally beginning to bloom. We had a record amount of snowfall this winter (like 3-4 METRES high), which resulted in the snow taking a longer time than normal to melt, which in turn means that the temperature stays lower for a longer period of time hence the delayed blooming of the sakura. On the plus side, it also means that we get to enjoy sakura against the backdrop of snowy mountains. On normal years, the snow would have all melted away by the time the sakura bloomed.

Well, these are pretty much just buds...but still a nice sign of spring

Decided to take a drive into the mountains before the snow is all gone. It was actually warm enough today (15 deg) for me to have my windows open. Haven't opened them since last Dec!

View from my apartment