Tea for One

Here ye, here ye; henceforth I declare that the reign of coffee has ended! Ascending the throne in its stead is that elegant, oft-forgotten, yet finally-returned queen of beverages -- tea! Here in the Pacific Northwest, where coffee has its clutches most firmly entrenched, the rogue drink lies in wait, calculating the right time to burst forth in the gleaming colors of triumph -- Black, Green, and White. That time must be now. Here in Tea Chai Té, gazing down onto NW 23rd between Hoyt and Irving, the reign has begun. 80+ teas offer themselves up, each with the promise of some comfort for the weary body. Hear the trumpets now, my friends, and get thee onto the bandwagon; there's room enough for everyone.

Anyway, the dearth of posts can be attributed to my family's recent arrival (and more recent departure, unfortunately) to the fair city of Portland. They stayed 10 days or so, all four of us tucked tightly into my studio (the one with heavy on picturesque views and lights on space). Clearly, it was no small miracle that all escaped not only intact but relatively happy! Festivities during their stay included a pair of trips to the most glorious Portland Farmer's Market (where I will be going tomorrow morning for fruits, vegetables, and a fine bowl of organic oatmeal w/ golden raisins and cranberries), a journey northward to Astoria and back down through Canon Beach, a trek through the Columbia River Gorge and Hood River, not to mention many a splendid evening spent grilling atop the 13th story terrace of my current residence. Let me briefly return to Hood River. It's a fine town, a fine one indeed!; but it's true value lies in its close proximity to the "Fruit Loop" -- a 35-mile loop of farms heading southward toward Mt. Hood. At one point we stood between rows of lavender, drenched in sun and scent, glancing out toward snowy Mt. Hood on one side and, across the valleys of northern Oregon and southern Washington, the equally frosted Mt. Adams on the other. It was like a scene from a National Geographic special on the Swiss Alps. That sight is mine now, and has made the summer so far.

But enough of my descriptions; I'll have more words later, you can be sure of that. Now, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.