• Journal

    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…

  • Journal

    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,…

  • Journal

    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…