Inner Mongolian new High Speed Train

Aug 3, 2017: First high-speed train running through Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

China's new bullet sleeper train

4th. JULY …. TdF Stage 4

Stage 4:  206.5 km of business as usual .. Last 1km large field crash .. final 150 meters: CARNAGE !!!! Sagan disqualified.

It’s TEA time with the Tour de France !!!

Saturday July 1st. 2017 …. 06:30am Southern Californian time.

Thé du jour: Pu-erh accompanied by “homemade” Spinach and Walnut muffins:

Chapeau à Mark returning to this year’s TdF. (post race update: Mark was off the pace today, 1:45 behind the winning time)Chapeau à  Team SKY .. Four riders in the top Ten

 Have Tools Will Travel

Two Teas Please

Two extremely similar cakes .. one commissioned by a Local Huang Jiang tea impresario: Empereur Tea Co. Ltd. (on the left) .. 2012 Meng Cha Hang Hao and a 2003 from the same location but sister factory. Information on back of cake As can be seen a remarkable visual similarity Both present similar fragrance, taste and after taste and I have a number of both cakes on hand. , … I therefore  have broken both cakes and combined/mixed them together.

Taking a Time-Out

“Papa it’s all in Chinese … I’ll just  look at the pictures.”     “I like this one, what is it called?”

Jean gets a Pu-Erh tool

A new “Ornamental” sword for opening Tea Cakes:

Jean is in the house

After Very Heavy winds yesterday (Friday) and through the small hours of Saturday morning, we awoke to; some broken tree limbs and piles of leaves. So after Jean and I finished yard duty we had a Tea & Domino party.

Pictures in the Park(s)

Time to open some Shu Pu .. two cakes

With all of our extended family visiting we are consuming Pu-Er at a prodigious rate. Jean self promoted to “Tea Boss” took auntie under tutelage. First lesson: “Best not to use Pa Pa’s teabowl.

Both cakes from Menghai in Xishuanghanna, Yunnan province, China. The cake on the left was produced in 2002. The right 2008, we are starting to see changes in food safety markings and holographic security tags to secure outer wrappers.

Some files uploaded to YouTube

Jean is in the Park

Sequoia National Forest

A family adventure with the Sequoias: 

Sean and Jean on the trail ….

On the road .. Jean, Heather, Jake, Sean .. Andrew and Robin up front.

Jean brews Flower Tea

Watching as the Blossoming Flower Tea Wrap opens