In a year where so much has changed, it was such a relief to have my favorite fall tradition preserved, even in it was in a smaller scale. In a typical year, usually on the second or third weekend in October, Andy's extended family will gather for to pick apples and press cider on Vashon Island. This year, it was just Andy and me along with his dad and stepmom, so we had lots to do. The upside was with only four of us there to make cider, Andy and I went home with more cider than we have in years. Yet another thing to add to our stash of treats in the freezer! Speaking of freezers, with overnight temps for the weekend dropping below freezing, our Saturday night spent sleeping in the pink palace was a frosty one! We really put our sleeping bags to the test, but thankfully with the hood fully cinched on my - 15° rated mummy bag I stayed mostly comfortable. Sunday morning, it took us quite a while to work our way out of bed to restart a fire in the woodstove so we could heat water for breakfast. When we finally ventured outside, we were greeted with a bright but windy day. Along with the main event of cider, Andy and I had hoped to find some chanterelles since we'd found some last fall. Sadly even with the help of some friends who’d joined us for a day of foraging, as a group we only managed to find two chanterelles. The lack of fungi (at least the edible sort) combined with the biting cold put a bit of a damper on our day, but still the loveliness of a sunny fall day among the towering old growth maples surrounding us made it hard to leave. Eventually, as the shadows began to lenthten, it was time to head for home.