Maple Sugar Days

Our good friend Joe V. has started an operation for producing maple syrup. Anna and Joseph and I went to help out one afternoon. Here's Anna pounding a tap into a maple tree. The sap runs when its freezing at night and above freezing in the day. Joe collects the sap (he has several hundred trees tapped) and boils it down. It takes 50 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup. After we helped tap some trees, we boiled down a little on Joe's camp fire. We took home a pint of syrup. Yum!

The Best Thing About a Beard

The weather this weekend has been very nice. No doubt that Spring is coming. So ... my beard's days are definitely numbered. What I liked best about the beard is that Elydia liked it. She liked to grab onto it and yank my head around. She liked to run her fingers through it.

First Library Card

Amaya got her First Library Card this weekend, from the Hancock County Public Library. She was so excited to have her very own card. She checked out Misty of Chicoteague, and a video. We were checking out right at closing time. Mrs. Hause, our elementary school librarian, happened to be checking out at the same time, and so she added her enthusiasm to Amaya's and ours.

The White Tornado

Auntie Em has inspired me again. Her blog has got me thinking that this is a great way to share our family news and photos.

So for starters, here is our family hero. We have noticed that whenever Saturday chores come around, Joe disappears. Fortunately, the White Tornado is always there to save the day.