Serious Tea

Lately I've discovered that tea is about one-thousand times better than I knew before.

I'm going to share with you a few links and advise you to try this. Why?
1. it's delicious
2. it's likely excellent for your health (go to informationisbeautiful and filter on plant/herb)
3. you need another reason?

If you decide to buy some really nice tea (available in links below) you should observe the recommended brewing practices, such as:
1. water quality (spring, filtered or well water)
2. water temperature
3. steep time

And also remember that the fine quality loose-leaf teas can be steeped multiple times, which can really change the price-per-cup equation.

Here are some sites with really nice tea.
Red Blossom...I haven't tried any of their tea yet, but my instincts tell me they have some of the finest tea available in the US.

Red Blossom Oolong:
http://www.redblossomtea.com/tea/oolong.html?limit=all

Red Blossom Green (loads of Dragonwell)
http://www.redblossomtea.com/tea/green.html

Ten Ren's Tea
I have tried the Supreme Ti Kuan Yin and it really is superb.
http://www.tenren.com/chinatikuanyin.html

Tea Zone in Portland, OR
I just tried their Dragonwell last night and it was exquisite. You can dine-in and/or buy loose-leaf from them.
http://www.teazone.com/teas/green-teas/

Sakuma Bros.
I haven't tried this yet either, but tea grown in my home-state has great appeal to me. I'm sure it's inevitable I'll try it:
http://shop.sakumabros.com/tea.aspx

The Generous Spirit of Leonard Cohen

I was at this concert and was moved by the loving respect he paid all his band-members.

His tribute to the drummer is hilarious too.

A Lullaby

The screen will be black...the intent is just to listen to this song.

The Good Stuff, Including Fuzzy "Babels"

I've posted about grumpy herons, monsters, the frustrations of the focus and the elusiveness of the Teal...but that was all just for laughs.

These are a few of the good, unfunny things we saw at the refuge.

Cool looking turtles

Regal-looking tadpole assassins

Swallows playing against character and sitting. It looks like a sit-in, but conditions at the marsh were perfect, so I think blocking the road is how they take their siesta.

And, as promised....the fuzzy babels (and their parents)

We Never Did Get a Good Picture of the Cinnamon Teal

The Cinnamon Teal were abundant at the refuge. And yet somehow they eluded our cameras like skilled celebrities dodging paparazzi.

First they were far off and we struggled with the focus

Then we got close, but they headed behind the grass....and focus is still an issue

Deeper and deeper behind cover...

We moved the car, but they had another means of escape:

The mostly unobstructed, almost unblurry torso of the Cinnamon Teal:

Now We Know the Truth

Finally we know how they have been producing these Loch Ness Monster photos all these years: