Peep, Peep, Peep

I wonder where this knight traveled - notice the monkey crouched at his feet. There aren't many monkeys in Germany.

Spring has had such a stop and start mentality this year. Just a small example - last night, for the first time, I heard the peepers calling for a mate - today it is snowing. If you don't know, peepers are tiny brown or green frogs that raise a racket competing for mates by calling for them. They are one of the true signs of early Spring

We went to get maple syrup from our friends, the Bakers. This is a good year for sap, as already they have 1,600 gallons done and the season is not over yet. Last year they only had 800 altogether.

Supercat Ernie very nearly caught one of the marauding squirrels, missing him by about 6 inches. If he had been a little more decisive, chomp - one less squirrel.


This is a great month, as the early teas are beginning to arrive. You might want to check with your preferred tea merchants to see what is coming in with them. Some of the Pre Qing Ming (before the Spring rains) are due the end of this week. Even some of the lovely Yunnan buds are due the middle of the month. Prices should be fairly decent, as China has had good weather in its tea-growing areas.

I have some tea I just got from the Tea Trekker that is last year's Yunnan Golden Tips, Dian Hong. Now remember last year, a lot of Yunnan had weather problems, so it is different from this years. The dry leaves were a surprise, as they were smaller and greener than I am used to seeing in Yunnans. However, they did have a characteristic smell. The aroma of the brewing tea was very soft and smelled of old wood, with a touch of spice. The brewed cup was quite different from the Yunnans that I have had, in that it almost tasted like those plain English biscuits. There was the barest hint of any spice, but a bit of nuttiness. Altogether it was a very gentle, soothing cup. I am really eager to see what this years will taste like.