The Fox and the Fur Persons

All of the gold and white designs on this altar in Southern Italy are
exquisite inlaid marble.


Greetings friends. We had company over the weekend, so although I tasted a new tea, I didn't have time to write about it. My friend Dar brought her dog - consternation, upset, fluffed tails, oh my! The fur persons were not happy - after all, "Dogs drool, cats rule". They were all whispering this from under our bed. The dog in question is a beautiful, perfect specimen of Italian Vulpino. Think white and much prettier Pomeranian, with a true foxy face.

As I have driven around, it has been very interesting to observe the progress of spring as it creeps from riverside to hilltop. By the river - which is thankfully down about 3 feet - the trees have baby leaves and the maples and red buds and magnolias are adding red and pink to the scene. Up on the hills, there is either still gray or a faint haze of reddish pink. However, in the spinney across the road, the wild dogwood is lending a delicate white tracery to the gray trunks of the oaks.


I did manage to try a new tea from Teas Etc. It is their Assam Reserve. The leaves are a pretty mix of gold, brown and black and smell wonderful, like the best tobacco. It brews up very daark after 3.5 minutes in boiling water and gives off a wonderful earthy, wet barn wood, spicey aroma. Oh boy, says I, this will be a treat. Well, it was and it wasn't. The cup is pleasant and a bit astringent, which suited me just fine. However, the flavor was so mild and bland, I really have nothing to say about it. Guess I'll blend it with some other more flavorful Assams.


I just heard of a tea company in Europe that has been producing and selling tea since 1883. It is called Gorreana and is located on Sao Paulo Island off the coast of Portugal, http://www.gorreanatea.com/ I am going to order some of their tea and try it. I never heard of it before, but I saw it advertised on the World Tea News Home page.