Finally! After a decade and a half of coming to Canada I finally made it to a Maple Syrup “Sugar Bush”! I remember reading about maple syrup in a library book as a kid and being both excited and intrigued about the idea of tapping a tree for the sweet sap then boiling it down to make syrup that could freeze in the snow into candy. Well today's experience didn't tick all those boxes but it certainly didn't disappoint!

Whenever I travel to my in-laws in Canada, there are a number of things I like to do. One is go to the local mall. Something about wandering around it periodically over the last 14 and a bit years is comforting. I like to see which shops have changed and which remain the same. Eat in the Food Court (or the Timmies). Wander by myself, or with my wife, or with one (or both) of my parents-in-law. Although I'm evidently not a local, it's the kind of ordinary, grounding activity that somehow signifies I'm not a tourist either.

We're in Canada now, introducing our little one to my wife's side of the family. It's her first time encountering snow and so far she loves it! The highlight being the pure joy in her face as I pulled her and her Mom around in an orange plastic sled in the local park, especially sliding down the gentle slopes.

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