unusually warm april.

(dress from forever21, vintage goldtone belt from etsy, glasses from warby parker)

So today our thermostats hit 87°F. It is early April. Why does it feel like July outside!?!?

Along with the really unusual temperature, I am super excited that we are being forecast for "strong storms" tonight. My favorite part about summertime is cracking open the windows and listening to the rumble of thunder in the distance, and occasionally running from windows when the thunder is exceptionally close and LOUD. I've missed the sound of heavy rainfall as well. I think we broke the record for the hottest temperature on this date!! I would very much like the April weather to resume, though, as I have yet to wear cardigans and still like holding a hot drink in my hand without feeling as if I were going to melt.

I've been drinking a lot of Numi's "Aged Earl Grey" lately and I have to admit ... it is super tasty. I don't normally take a gander at teas I can find in grocery aisles, but I think my pretentiousness has been making me miss out on a real gem. Both the tea bags and loose tea brew a really nice dark amber cup, and the bergamot is just right. I don't get a stomachache as I usually do with some Earl Greys (the creme varieties especially) and it was robust enough to wake me up at 6:30am, and mild enough to sip at while I edited photos this afternoon.

You should definitely give it a try if you've been feeling a bit "meh" about Earl Grey! No artificial flavorings too!

first warm day of spring.

Today Ryan and I decided to ride our bikes at Peace Valley, which is a lovely local park situated around a calm lake. We packed picnic equipment, strapped a crate filled with food to the back of my bike, and pedaled off to find an ideal spot to dine by the water. We had checked the weather but never noticed any notifications about wind -- at one point I had to hop off my bike or I would have been blown off! Despite the blustery conditions we made it to a nice sunny spot where some trees and brush shielded us from the wind.

We packed egg salad, corn tortillas (no good way to heat up gluten free bread outdoors!), berries, pineapple chunks, and coconut water. I was immensely grateful that the bees had not yet started springing up, as I'm sure the fruit and coconut water would have made us prime targets for their little swarms.

Hopefully we can have another picnic on a less windy day, or just ride our bikes when the paths aren't so crowded. Our area has had a long and grey icky winter, and it seems like 60 degree day drew everyone out of their homes and onto the little roads that circle the lake. At least all the people out and about meant many people brought their dogs as well! We saw a number of cute canine companions, including a pomeranian with with a stark white face and all-black afro hairdo, an old old old dachsund being pushed around in a stroller with a blanket, and a clumsy German shepherd pup who had yet to grow into it's feet.

winter's last hurrah.

I was very surprised this morning to see heavy snowflakes falling as the sun rose this morning. Nothing had stuck to the grass or roads yet, but I got to watch the snow accumulate through my little window at work. All day people complained about the weather, but I'll admit that I found it pretty and peaceful. We got very little snow this winter so I was glad to see it despite the first day of spring having passed us by.

I took dayshift hours at work and have found myself struggling with the fact that I cannot have tea after 5pm if I want to get to sleep at a reasonable hour. I figured it didn't affect me so much ... until I was laying restless in bed at midnight. Having to get up at 6am daily is a rough transition, and because of that I've had little energy to take photos or write much. I think that period of rough transition is coming to pass, and I'm so relieved.

I'm finally getting around to getting my instax mini shots uploaded to my flickr account. I'll shamefully admit that I was too lazy to take a photo of a physical photograph. Having no scanner makes getting a nice import of my instant shots a bit of a pain. I hope to post many more in the future. :D

I forgot how fun instant cameras were ... but then I also forgot how expensive each exposure is. I wasted quite a few shots trying to figure out how to manipulate the settings. Picked up an extra shift at work, and that will help justify buying another set of film packs (maybe.)

laoshan black - summer 2012.

Yesterday I decided to brew up some of Verdant Tea's Laoshan Black in my beloved little yixing set. It was a particularly sunny and mild day outside, and the warmth coming in from the windows reminded me of the first summery day I brewed tea in this set. I've mentioned this tea before, but I figure I should talk more about it since I really do love it so! It is so interesting and has a very unique flavor profile.

It is a small harvest tea from an ocean-facing slope of Laoshan Mountain in Laoshan Village. The leaves are very curly, dark, and glossy. When I open the bag I am hit with the distinctive scent of dark chocolate. Smooth, sweet, and strong. The scent is not overly cloying, but it really does make me think of a chunk of chocolate!

The flavor is mild and smooth at first, and leads way into a nutty caramel note from which I get an aftertaste of cocoa. It brews a lovely golden red cup, and carries an impressive amount of flavor despite the color appearing so light. I've never really had a tea that accurately tastes like chocolate without flavoring added! When I oversteeped accidentally, I got a toffee note instead of bitterness. This tea is very forgiving if you are a little bit absentminded after you pour hot water over the leaves! (Thank goodness...)

Verdant Tea instructs the leaves to be brewed for 2-3 seconds at a time, and increasing the time by 3 seconds per each infusion after the third steeping. It seems like a meticulous process, but once you sip at the tea you'll realize it was well worth the attentiveness. I lost track of how many times I infused this last session, but the flavor remained strong and refreshing until my large tetsubin ran out of hot water. 

Verdant Tea recently offered a free trial of the Tea of the Month club, and I signed up! I can't wait to see what they send out to members -- I'm super excited to try teas I might not normally buy!!

This entry is also in memory of my little bamboo tea table. It decided it couldn't bear to live a moment longer and developed a monstrous crack at the bottom. I went away for a moment amidst the brewing and returned to find a pool of tea-water underneath of it, dripping down onto the floor. I've already ordered a cha chuan, but it has yet to ship, and my gongfu time has been put on hold until it arrives! :(