Autumn in a bottle

Hey Gifters -

Since I last wrote, there's been a distinct change in the air.  Here in Missoula, the cold nights arrived, clearing out the remnants of lingering smoke from the season's massive fires.  Rainshowers (after 40 days with none) soon followed, and now the view from my window is a sea of fluttering yellow leaves, ready to fall.  In other words, it's high time for appling!

With the help of a motley crew of several intrepid friends, I've been able to glean 750 pounds of apples from trees I've located and added to the Mapple project.  That's produced about 30 gallons of cider, which is currently bubbling away in my living room, following five different recipes.  We're halfway to our 50-gallon goal! 

Other exciting news from this month: Five Valley Appleworks' website and facebook page are live!  Take a look and let me know what you think. 

I'm also on the verge of sending in my LLC paperwork, which will turn FVA into an official entity in the eyes of the state of Montana - the first (and smallest) step in the certification process.

In short, it's been a busy time, laying the foundation for everything we have planned for 2013.  The hardest part is staying out of the samples until they're ready, but I'm managing to keep my willpower steady (for the time being).

And to end on a question: what's your favorite fall pastime?