It was a beautiful day for a maple syrup boil. Rufus and I headed down to the sugar bush with our 2 trusty dogs, Gizmo and Balio, who are adjusting well to each other thanks to their chill personalities. Balio is great at following the group and kept up like a champ on our many walks around the property today. Rufus and I collected syrup, started a fire, and soon the sweet smell of boiling sap and billows of white steam fill the crisp spring air. Rufus worked on building up the boiling area with some stone landscaping as I read from James Herriot’s All Creatures Great and Small. In the evening we are joined by Papa Rich and Charna. We tell stories, laugh, and watch Balio explore his new world and nap in the shade.

~Joy