Trekking Along

Oh yes, Autumn is definitely here.  I went out for the mail and there it was, that first whiff of dying vegetation, ripe acorns and wild asters!  Summer simply smells differntly.  Our days may be hot, but the nights are cool and getting cooler - perfect for good sleeping.  Today, however, is quite cool, perfect for tea, for long walks, for garden clean-up.

My tea is from the tea trekker, Jingdong Wuliang Golden Threads from Yunnan Province, China.  It is a fluffy tea, with long thin twisted leaves and an ample amount of golden bud.  It has a fine aroma of hay, silage and a whiff of citrus.  I brewed it about 200 degrees for nearly 5 minutes.  As it was brewing, the scent shifted somewhat into leather and chestnut, with touches of the other.  This is a very dark amber tea, shading towards old gold at the edges.  It seems to evoke a definitrly autumnal mood

The taste is on the autumnal side as well, with some chestnut and hay, but there is some acorn and oak wine barrel there as well.  A tiny bit of cream serves to round it out, if you are so inclined, but I am very happy with it straight.

I have brought all my plants in except one.  Most are not happy with temperatures in the 30's and I don't feel like doing the old move them in, move them out dance as temperatures and sunlight fluctuate.  The hibiscus are in bud, with some red, apricot and deep red flowers already blooming.  They are such rewarding plants - feed them, water them and your flowers are bountiful and beautiful.

I bought myself the Kindle that was on sale quite cheaply and have discovered a huge list of books on tea, many of them very inexpensive.  Oh dear, time to crank up the old will or perhaps I should say, won't power.