Mountain SereniTEA

Every spring we eagerly anticipate the time the snow melt and the roads are passable to reach our cabin. Last week the drifts in the shady part of the mountain road were too deep and mushy for us to get through. But this week, warmer weather facilitated snow melt and we were finally able to get to the top of the mountain. Although there are yet some patches of snow in shady areas, it is mostly gone. The meadow and woods are quite bare, and show signs of being buried in snow for the winter months. It won't take long now, though, since the sunshine is out, for the woodlands to respond with new growth and more wild flowers.

We spent time taking things out of storage and setting them up again. The picnic table, chairs, and benches were taken from the shelter of the wood shed and placed on the deck or around the campfire. Plumbing was de-winterized and the power station set up. By now everything is done according to an established system and it gave us time to hike and relax. Lunch was tea-style. We had a three-ingredient fruit salad (orange, banana, and grape), apple-cinnamon muffins with chia seeds spread with almond butter, and three kinds of tea sandwiches. They were an eggless egg salad; almond parsley spread; and tomato, avocado and dill.  Everything was gluten-free and quite tasty. The tea was one that was in the cupboard; bagged Newman's Own Royal Tea. It was very good and made better by the high altitude and the crisp air! 

Gracious hospitality is making tea a part of daily life, one sip at a time. Lunch was nothing fancy, but the pleasure of the tea experience was appreciated just the same.

Today I am linking to Bernideen's Tea Time Blog.