Page 63 of Love's Harvest
They passed through the dining area into the kitchen.That’s when Sarah noticed the covered wooden deck outside the kitchen.“Oh, you have an outdoor kitchen.That’s another bonus.”
“Yes.I think we put in everything people might want.There’s an attached three-car garage and a small barn out back for the tractor and other garden items.In the summer, there are plenty of wildflowers growing.David Graham did some landscaping for me, but I want it to be as natural as possible.
“Well, anyone would be thrilled to live here if you ever decide to sell it,” said Sarah.“Aren’t you going to build a house in The Meadows?”
“I have the land, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” said Aaron, peeking into one of the grocery bags and lifting out a bag of cookies.“Chocolate chip.Great choice.”
She laughed.“Go ahead and have one.I brought the fixings for sandwiches for later.”
They put away the food and the bottles of wine she’d brought to celebrate with.
“Thanks for doing all this,” said Aaron.“I have some food to share with you, too.But now that you’ve seen the house, I want to take you on a walk through my land.Ready to go?”
Sarah looked down at her sneakers.“Should I put on my hiking boots?”
“Yes, he said.“You’ll be more comfortable.And you’ll need gloves and a hat in addition to your jacket.It’s pretty cold out there.”
“Okay, hold on.I’ll get ready.”Sarah hurried into the master bedroom and over to the smaller closet where she’d hung a few things and grabbed the hiking boots she’d brought with her.She put on a pair of wool socks and pulled on the boots glad she’d thought of them.
Aaron was standing by the back door.“The dogs are waiting for us outside.”
The moment Sarah stepped outdoors, the cool air captured her breath.She laughed when Luke dashed over to her, his tongue hanging from his mouth stretched into what only could be called a doggy smile.
She patted him on the head and watched as he ran away.
“Knight, Coal, come!”ordered Aaron, and the two dogs hurried to him.“I want them to know that you’re with me.Go ahead and pet them.”
As they sat at attention, Sarah rubbed their ears and quietly talked to them.They were beautiful dogs and very obedient.
Aaron clapped his hands.“Okay, go!”
They galloped away.
Aaron led her to the wooden barn-like structure.“This is where I keep my utility tractor.It’s supposed to snow heavily tonight.I’ll attach a small plow to it and keep the area around the house cleared of snow.Maybe make a few paths so we can walk in the snow.”
“That sounds very … romantic,” said Sarah noticing the smile that was creeping across Aaron’s face.
He took hold of her hand.“I want to show you my Maple grove.It’s very special.Come spring, I’ll tap the trees for sap to be boiled down into maple syrup.The process is something that reminds me of my mother and how she loved to tell stories about the beauty of the trees allowing us to use them for something sweet.”He chuckled.“She did that to keep me helping her with the sugaring.”
“You’ve had such an interesting childhood,” said Sarah.“I love how you’re keeping some of the traditions relevant today.”
They continued to work through the woods until they came to a spot that looked as if the trees had been planted in a grove.
“In the fall, the colors here are special.Now the bare trees look as if they’re waiting for the sap to run again.”
“Winters in New Hampshire can seem long,” said Sarah.“I love having something to do when it’s not quite winter or spring but somewhere in between.”She pointed.“What’s that building?It looks like some sort of shed.”
“It’s my sugar house, where I boil the sap.You’ll notice the building is louvered at the top to vent the steam from the boiling sap.”
“Tell me more.I’m interested, and I think the girls would be, too,” said Sarah.
“The sap is gathered in buckets and brought here to be cooked down.The sap must be boiled the same day it’s gathered, so a hot and steady fire is kept going at all times during the processing.You must boil the sap to between 180 and 200 degrees before canning it in jars or bottles.Then it’s stored for up to two years on a shelf.”
“How long have you been doing this?”asked Sarah, impressed by what he’d told her.
“I started after you left for college.I needed something to help keep me busy,” Aaron said quietly.
“I know you have your syrup in some places nearby,” asked Sarah.“We could put some in the giftware section of my store.”
