Rainy April

 April started out both rainy and windy. The cherry blossoms took an early beating and the magnolias had some bids nipped in the, well, bud, after a couple of late frosts. Still the District is very pretty in the springtime. The apple trees and dogwoods are showing early promise.

I've been reading a series of cozy mysteries by Elly Griffiths about Juliet, who owns a bakeshop in an Oregon town famous for its Shakespeare festival. Ashland really does have a fantastic summer festival but I doubt it has that many murders. There's lots of baking and coffee and lately it's been more romance than mystery but I still enjoy it. The latest Mocha, She Wrote had a coffee competition. I'm also reading The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney. It's a more nuanced look at Hatshepsut. I've always been a sucker for ancient Egypt and this is well-researched.

My library streaming service has started offering season one of  A Cook's Tour with Anthony Bourdain. Twenty years old but still mind-boggling. He'd eat any dish. Yesterday I watched the episodes set in Scotland and England. Twenty years ago, Gordon Ramsay was a respected highend chef. Now we know him as a shouty TV host. Weird. But the younger Eric Ripert was really something. And I'd still welcome him in my kitchen.

Hope all y'all are having a great week!