Delicious dining at the Maple Syrup Festival

Ah, the weather was grand.  A slight chill in the air and the bare trees dropping a blanket of leaves to protect from the mud.  We went to the Lutheran Memorial Camp's annual Maple Syrup festival again.  I have fond memories, as I've said in the past.  This was our school camp when I was growing up. Not only did every 6th grade class go during the first week of November, but different grades came here through the years for different reasons.  My first trip, I believe, was in the second grade, where we went to see the old maple syrup shack to see how it's done.

Today, they import most of the sap.  Much of the syrup is from local producers, though not from the camp.  Over the years, staffing has diminished, and funds of course being what they are.  But in the day, they got the sap, processed it, made the syrup, and sold it no doubt to some pretty happy costumers   The local brands are still great, and we forked out a little extra this year, owing to the job I have.  Sure, we're still just getting by if everything goes just right and there are no unforeseen disastrous expenses.  But since we're finally at least at sea level, we thought we'd squeak in a splurge.  And ooooooh, it's worth it.  Even locally grown, that's good eating.  The pancake breakfast was particularly tasty, and we had the chance to share it with an elderly couple who came here when they were in college.  That beats my memories.

The rest of the day was just the fun that comes with hanging out with some awesome kids, a great family, a fun wife, and just the good feeling of being outdoors and seeing what God put together, rather than seeing it through the latest digital images.  The best that humans can create is still a drop in the bucket next to the simplest leaf in the great outdoors of God's canvas.

They keep me going.

What my ever patient wife must contend with.

It wasn't that tough of a journey, really.

 

No, he didn't throw the sack of syrup at me. 

We have so few pictures of our understated one.

And even fewer clear pictures of our always active youngest

Though when we get them, he always seems more serious than he is.

Talk about a kid magnet - a bridge, some leaves, a bubbling stream.

Up to the sugar shack to see how it's done.

Yep, that's real sap he's checking out; the weather was perfect this year for the output.