The Paddy Water is First Drained
Oct 3–7, Amherst, MA USA
Seasonal Memoir Entry #30
One of the things I love about my father-in-law is his Yankee aesthetic. As the world modernizes (and his Fitbit stays in his desk drawer, unused), Larry channels his inner Henry David Thoreau and simplifies, simplifies. In the last few years, he’s cultivated a former horse paddock on our property into a display of fruit trees (asian pears, apples, peaches, plums), berry patches (black and red raspberries), unruly plots of wildflowers, and interesting geometric mowing patterns (a call sign to outer space, perhaps?). The array of botanical pleasures has provided our Little House a bucolic view.
Larry’s most recent triumph has been the construction of a sugar shack. Ordered as a DIY prefab from a company in Vermont, with a little help, he’s raised up the structure at the back of the property. There is no fancy piping system for the sap, or propane-powered boiling pans. It’s basic, with a hinged roof that will open up when it’s time in March to fire up the wood pit over the metal pan. It’s wonderful to see his enthusiasm over the project, taken on in his 78th year. Though the end-product will surely be sweet (grade A amber maple syrup, to be exact), it’s in the journey back in time and in the simplicity of sugaring where the real treasure can be found.
