Rambling Memories of Coffee (photo)

I really like coffee. In fact I am a certified coffee junkie. Not a connisssour. I don't often frequent coffee houses and I don't do Starbucks. I just really enjoy a good cup and have from 2-10 a day (every day).

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Here is my favorite coffee supplier on the strip in Pittsburgh. This is home to our youngest son and a good place to go for a few days and transport coffee back from. If you like it, this place has it.

https://www.fortunescoffee.com/index.php

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We have good friends who have a son who works for the State Dept. For a few years, he was stationed in Jamaca and during tht time I enjoyed an almost unlimited supply of Jamacian Blue Mountain. Incredible coffee at about $40.00 a pound from US roasters, but virtually free from US State Dept. embassy staff. Maybe he will go back some day as Ambassador and I will live out my remaining days sipping Blue Mountain whenever I want it.

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We keep our beans (maybe five varieties) in the freezer and I brew (drip) whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. Some favorites.

Honduran - mild, almost fruity. Nice for a relaxed day. I think I have photos of beans on the bush and coffee drying pads in the mountains of Honduras.

Costa Rican - Always dependable. Good aroma and taste.

Zimbabwe - wonderful beans when you can find them. Lately, I think Mugabe has taken a hands off approach to the coffee growers in Zimbabwe and I hope that continues, because the beans are good and I love the flavor of coffee from there. Zimbabwe is a beautiful country with a poor leader.

Kona - IMO, the best thing about Hawaii

Kenyan - Will go back to Africa some day (maybe soon) and will go here if there is any chance

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I have a good friend (former pirate) an hour and a half over in Alabama (Die Hard Bama fan and not afraid to tell you) who roasts his own. I don't roast, but I enjoy watching him do it and listening to the wisdom of first crack and stuff like that. He is big time serious about it and is always providing me with nice freshly roasted beans. He buys them green by the sack, roasts them medium dark and then gives them to me. Now that's a really good friend.

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Everyone here who reads my comments knows that I have enjoyed coffee from a c-ration can, in the mountains of Central America, and lots of other places.

This memory is on my mind today.



Maramba River Lodge - North of Livingstone, Zamba and maybe 10 miles upriver from Victoria Falls - early in the day, getting ready to go across into Zimbabwe.

The Coffee? Honestly? You really want to know? Taster's Choice Instant, better than the Nescafe you can buy there and so it was smuggled into Africa in my luggage. Really Nice! Hit the spot that day! I'm not sure what we had (if anything) for breakfast, but we had coffee!

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Thanks for looking and listening to my rambling thoughts. By the way, I am the ancient old white haired fart. If you see my photo on the wall at the Post Office, I was framed.