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Syrup Making: Part 2
– The crisp air and the bright sunlight harmonize during syrup season. The forest, though still barren, is alive within, running with sweet sap. The river of sugary sap flows through our taps into the buckets. Every day, we tromp through the soft, wet snow and gather the sap. Production varies from year to year, but this year we collected enough sap to produce over 40 gallons of syrup. With the estimated ratio of 32 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of syrup, that is over 1,280 gallons of unreduced sap. The hours and days invested into syrup making is comprised of more than gathering and taping. Once the sap…
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Maple Syrup Making: Part 1
Yesterday I walked out the door and it was spring. The sun was shining, and I could feel the thick warmth from its rays. Spring means maple syrup season has come and gone. We (mostly Dad) make maple syrup from the broad leaf maple trees that dot the valley floor. Unlike the typical sugar maple, these trees give sap that makes a thinner syrup, though it still has the distinctive, natural maple taste. When the weather yields cold frosty nights and warm days, Dad starts gathering taps, hoses, buckets, and a sled to begin tapping trees. The fog hung low, clinging to the bare fingers of trees. The slushy scraping…
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A Space of My Own
The air is warm and heavy with the smell of sweet, scented candles. There is a rough, thick rug under your feet, and you can hear the gentle drip of rain on the roof. Soft, classical music is playing. Beyond the music, very faint, is the crackle of a lively fire. The only other sound is the purr of a contented cat, nearly asleep on the bed. As you gaze around the room, you see warm, bright colors on the floral bedspread. Orange, yellow, pink and blue dominate the room. The two windowsills, the wood nightstand, and the dresser are dotted with knickknacks and small plants. In the hands of…
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The Grocery List Effect
3pm. It is an interesting time of day; I quite like it. 3pm is usually when I finish school. But, on this particular day, 3pm struck, and I kept working. I was trying to focus, but an unfinished list was swimming in my head. ‘I hope I don’t forget anything this time’. The thought pounded along with the list of what tomorrow morning had in store. When the sun rose the next day, our house had been busy for some time. The preparations for the trip to come had been ongoing and were no getting into full swing. There were last minute bits and bobs to pack, snacks to gather,…
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What Do You Do in the Winter?
One of the most common questions people ask when they find out about my remote lifestyle is… What do you do in the winter? This lifestyle does lend itself to a seasonal cycle of busy, action packed summers, and slower, dark winters. But we don’t hibernate. We still do normal things like everyone else. We still have to take care of our homes and family. Even more so with carrying wood to keep us warm and shoveling snow. Like everyone else we do our laundry, make things to eat, maintain relationships, and do all the things necessary to live. In this serene and peaceful valley, time does seem to move…
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Welcome
Welcome everyone, My name is Sarah, and this is my blog. After much prompting from friends and family, I decided to start a blog to share my unique home and experiences. I live in a remote mountain valley nestled beautifully in the Pacific Northwest. Our valley is filled with stately evergreens and gurgling creeks. There are deer, bear, squirrels, skunks, elk, bobcats, cougars, coyotes, weasels, martens, wolverines, chipmunks, hundreds of birds and bugs, bunnies, and very occasionally badgers. What makes my home so unique is the isolation and the community. The valley is not accessible through traditional means of transportation and the people who brave this wilderness are connected in…
