Spring has arrived here in Nipissing Village Ontario. The maple sap is flowing and trees are tapped. This year we tried putting the sap buckets higher in the maple trees to keep them away from the goats who love to slurp it up. ...but the buckets weren't high enough, check out the video below. Then we tried filling some buckets with vinegar-water and tying them low and easy to reach -- to get the goats to think that maybe all of these delicious silver buckets are filled with sour juice and not sweet sap. We learned of course that goats love vinegar, maybe even more than maple sap...

The Powassan Maple Syrup Festival will soon be here, we'll be there tending the Nipissing Museum booth - before heading home to get ready for our Revival Dear concert and the vegetarian dinner we are hosting that night.

Our Canada magazine featured Piebird as their 'Dream Home' in a full page spread in the latest issue. In the article Sherry talks about moving to Ontario, starting the Bed & Breakfast and the vegetarian homegrown food.

Download the pdf here.

March 18, 2009 - The crows arrived 3 days ago! Where I come from in Vancouver, the crows used to mark the sunrise and sunset of each day with their sky-blackening migration. Now here at Piebird, where home and heart solidify me, the crows migration is a stark seasonal one.

The crows re-appearance is as definite as the magical drops of sap from the maple trees making their rhythmic journey into our buckets; as expected as Yan's herd of earth-filled pots appearing all over our kitchen that hold the promise of this years garden. Calling gleefully from the tops of the big pines out front, the crows are as sure a sign of Spring as the bare patch of ground where the wood pile used to be.

As Yan and I wander the yard surefooted on patches of solid ground with our daydreams of fresh greens, the crows joyfulness accompanies us. With a certain understanding-- I know that they are as happy to be here as I am.