more maple and snow

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We got to go to a mountain neighbor of Tom and Berkeley's named Doug's house a few days ago. He taps sugar maples around his property as well and he invited us all over to see his little operation. It was bigger scale than we had done and we got to see his make shift evaporator which worked really well. He used an old stainless steel counter top placed upside down over a fired to get the water out of the sap and he creates about a gallon of syrup each time he fires it up.

Yesterday started with me looking out the window and going "uhhh, its raining" and Travis going "i think its snowing". who was right? Well by the looks of the 7+ inches of white cold stuff on the ground and the ability to take Aila out sledding and and build little men...
Watched Aila for the afternoon and after going out to play and coming in with cold feet, it was time for good ol' hot chocolate and peanutbutter-maple-popcorn.

Things read:
UTNE
The week
The Journey Home - ABBEY
The five people you meet in heaven - ALBOM
Dress your family in corduroy and denim - SEDARIS
Illusions - BACH
The kin of atta are waiting for you - BRYANT

Things loved:
"It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little.
- SYDNEY SMITH

here are some of my favorite lines from the book Illusions.
The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a a while and watch your answers change."
"In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. it is not always an easy sacrifice"

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Photos

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Doug's evaporator

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me, doug, and tom watching the steam rise and sap become syrup-y

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Doug

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Doug's girl

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Garden covered in snow

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Morning and Me

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Maggie returned