"I'm sure you know," said Eloise, "that we make cider from the apples in the orchards here each fall. As a young cat, I was inseparable from Marie, and followed her everywhere while she worked. Autumn was my favorite season. I loved all the activity at the cider press, where the ripe apples were transformed into delicious cider. Autumn was also when Jacques made cheese with milk from my friend Chevy, the goat.
"One year, both cider and cheese had to be made in the large barn on the hill; a fire had levelled the smaller barn where the cider press was usually housed. Of course, I loved being able to watch everything at once, and dashed back and forth between the two operations.