From Sap Buckets to Dock Lines, with RV Miles Along the Way
- Wine & Whiskey
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Wrapping up another year brings the same realization. Life settles into a rhythm. There is a lot of rinse and repeat, but each year still manages to deliver a few new adventures and surprises along the way.
January shifts from the festive holiday spirit to the reality of a long New England winter. Once the decorations are stored away, the focus turns to making the season worthwhile. Maple syrup season gives it meaning. Trees are tapped at the end of January, and as daytime temperatures rise, the sap begins to flow. We gather the sap and let it boil for hours on the wood cookstove, the old-fashioned way. It’s work, it’s sticky, and it’s wonderfully simple.
By April, New Hampshire does what it always does. Cold, gray, damp, and unpleasant. At this point we have had enough of winter, so we leave. We spend most of the month away, largely at Hilton Head Motorcoach Resort. The goal is straightforward. Soak up sunshine, catch up on vitamin D, and get some color back in our skin before heading north again.
Somewhere in the middle of all that, 60 happened. Instead of one big party, we spread the celebrations out and spent time with friends near and far. That felt like the right way to mark the milestone. One of the highlights was having high school friends travel hours to our home for a long weekend. There were activities, plenty of conversation, and time together without a schedule.
The garden was a constant exercise in flexibility. Spring started soggy and wet, then flipped quickly into drought. Plans changed, then changed again. By fall, we wrapped things up with new fir trees and rhododendrons. Julie had not fully factored in that the deer would see the rhododendrons as an open buffet. That lesson is already shaping the plan for 2026. The garden will move toward being more self-sufficient, more drought tolerant, and more realistic about deer control.
Summer brought some of the best moments of the year with group boat rides alongside fellow wooden boaters. It was simple fun with good company and time on the water. The season was shorter than usual due to drought and low lake levels. Getting in and out of the boat at the dock became a challenge, and scraping bottom on the way from the marina to the main lake was not uncommon. Even so, the time on the water was worth it.
Fall included a trip to Virginia for a conference that we turned into a two-week journey. We built in stops at Mount Vernon, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and several Harvest Hosts along the way. It was the last stretch of warm weather travel before settling back in at home.
November brought an ambitious work trip of roughly fifteen hundred miles. The route took us through far northern Maine, northern Vermont, and then south to Dutchess County, New York. It was a long ride with several nights away from home. It was also productive and enjoyable, and it marked the last major trip of the year.
The holidays stayed close to home and comfortably within our bubble. Parades, lights, decorations, and plenty of baking made the season feel festive without becoming hectic. We wrapped things up celebrating Christmas at our friends’ horse farm, parked in our mobile condo, exactly where we wanted to be.
As we close the chapter on 2025, it’s clear that a year doesn’t have to be perfect to be full of good memories. Between moments at home, miles on the road, time on the water, and hours spent with family and friends, it’s been a year well lived. Here’s to carrying forward the lessons, the laughter, and the simple pleasures into 2026. Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and adventurous year ahead.
Happy New Year!
~Julie & Tom
AKA Wine & Whiskey
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