Tony's family goes to El Puerto every autumn to visit Tony's mother's father and her many brothers. They also go to help his mother’s family gather the harvest. Afterward, when they return home, they take a portion of the harvest which they have helped to collect back to their own home to enjoy.

Tony looks forward to these trips to El Puerto for many reasons. He knows his mother desperately misses her childhood home, and he loves to see the look of happiness on her face as she mingles with her family and engages in the life she lived before she moved away from El Puerto to be with his father.

Tony also loves the experiences he has in El Puerto. The village is small, and the people there are cheerful and supportive of each other. Tony enjoys learning the ways of farming from his uncles and helping his mother's family collect the sweet corn, beautiful chiles, and delicious apples that are grown there. He also loves eating the jellies, jams, and baked apples that they make from the harvest they have gathered.

There is always a delicious aroma of food in the air, and Tony relishes the wonderful times they spend around the campfire at night. They sing songs and he listens to stories from the past. The peace and harmony of the village provide tranquility that is restorative for both Tony and his mother.