17: from framingham to boston

(Neither Framingham nor Boston are in this post, I just couldn't think of a general Massachusetts song... This Thing We're Doing is really highlighting my lack of song-lyric prowess...)

I didn't wind up taking too many photos when we went to Amherst, mostly because we were involved in some group activities that didn't really lend themselves to photography. I know that Angie is right to say you don't have to wait for beautiful photo subjects to come to you, but I don't know, sometimes it takes a change in my usual routine to give me any desire to take out my little point-and-shoot. I frequently see things in my daily life -- the miraculous-seeming snowdrops poking out of the ground on my morning walk to the bus stop, for example -- that occur to me would be good subjects for pictures, but I don't have the camera with me. Maybe I should start carrying it around more.

Anyway, here are a few highlights from the morning after J's talk, when we went to the awesomely named Sugar Shack with a friend from his former department and his wife, both of whom were lovely. I didn't photograph them, but I did capture this guy: Baaaa. I am the biggest fluffiest most contented sheep ever and I rule this sheep-house, suckers. Baaaa.

The Sugar Shack taps trees and makes its own maple syrup. We tagged along with a group of kindergarteners who were on a tour and watched this guy demonstrating at the evaporation trough thing: Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup? It's true!

The steam from the evaporating water obscures the ceiling and makes the building look mysterious:

Then we ate lots of pancakes and syrup and all was right with the world.