Tapping began early this year. Let's see, about February 6-9 the first half of the taps were set. The second half were set between February 22-25. Mirah is out for the main part of this season for her new CD release so she and Dylan worked in January to set up the old lines and plot out some new, clean and set up evaporator and generally get everything ready and underway. They got to make the first batch of syrup before she headed back West and the weather cooperated to let Dylan travel back to VT in time for Sol's birthday. Dylan, Meghan and kids got back to the farm in time for the second round of sugaring weather with BK from Burlington along to be major help person. More trees tapped, cold nights, sap runs, boiling boiling, syrup. Visit from Bull and Karin. Wood moved and split. Meghan and kids leave again. Cold snap, more syrup. Cassy and Jenny show up in time for some bucket collecting (we still have about 250 buckets out there) and sap tank pumping and ...boiling. A day of canning, after much coffee drinking procrastination, tied the sap run days together. Today is March 11th, just over a month into the season and we have made 290 gallons of really good tasting syrup. Susie's chickens re also starting to lay more eggs and Margie is picking up a Jacob's ram to join the flock, on Thursday.
One hat knit from the skeins of beautiful sportweight wool in brown grey and white. Wool spun by Loch's farm in Springville PA. This will be sold at farmers market or christmas time.
Last night was an all records broken night. Sap collected, syrup made. And the weather just keeps on 20s/40s. It isn't supposed to go above 40 until after April starts.
On Monday we put a hole in our big plastic collection tank. While it was 300 gallons full. We didn't notice that the board keeping it away from the wheel had broken and so it rode for a while rubbing up against the tire. Yesterday Margie welded it together with another piece of the same plastic and today we will try out the fix. It was our one big disaster of the season so far and we made it through!
A huge Thank you to all the visitors and bucket pullers who made this season extra fun, enjoyable and easy.
When we first spotted the moon tonight it looked as if the hill was actually on fire. I had to look twice. night everyone and happy spring. Speaking of spring, supposedly it is arriving 8 hours early every year as tracked by sat images since 1982. You can add your spring observation for the phrenologists: http://www.sws-wis.com/lifecycles/dbase.html#submit
The snow is falling like its not sure this is where it is supposed to be. Slow motion like.
The past couple of days have been cold, but yesterday when we tapped the big tree by the pond the sap was running on both the shady and sunny side. Now Mirah is "hoping not to get the dreaded thing." Today looks like a runner. Sol and Dyl had a discussion about probabilities. Dylan notices that when we are completely under prepared, no wood, the sap runs like crazy. Likewise when all hands are sick or missing from the farm the sap runneth like mad. Sol says there is no relation between things we can prepare for, like wood, and sap run, but there Could be a relation between sickness and sap run. Dylan took last night to write up the sap log. total sap collected this year 8680 gallons.
Sol and I left for a week.
We came back just as Mirah was arriving.
Dyl and Marg had made 200 gallons of syrup.
That's half the season or so.
we hope
The kids are sliding down the hill
down the hill
down the hill
the kids are slidding down the hill
look how fast the're going...
John Henry is visiting the flock. Around about July there may be lambs. Syl and I go to visit John Henry.
Well, actually it began a while ago when Dylan came down in early February to start stringing lines and get wood ordered. We have been getting loads of logs delivered from a nearby family lumber business. The wood they delivered this year however will have to wait and dry thoroughly till next year to get enough btu out of it.
If you want to know, the work done so far includes all lines strung, most of the trees actually tapped (although it is tooo coooold to run) 1 large new tank bought to replace the two that were STOLEN last year...(yes stolen for scrap metal from way up on top of the hill After they had been cleaned meticulously and put away for the winter.) Collection tanks set in place, evaporator peeked at and fiddling begun, blower set up, pots moved from storage shed, and probably much much more. All this has been done with a Sick Dylan in the lead but aided by farm family and very appreciatively by new Philly friends. Yeah Philly connections! I think without Billy and Cassie Dylan would have been a much unhappier unhealthy sugaring work horse. On Tuesday Syl, Sol and I joined the crew, but we have been playing city people afraid to go out in the cold. Today Sylvan and I did wander out and get some nice shots which I will pull together in a short video. Dylan is better, the first run to Manning's has taken place (Chocolate and Vanilla) and the tank at Grist Mill actually had 200 gallons of sap in it! Grist Mill is a South facing hillside and is always the first run of the season. Saturday we lay out buckets and Sunday we expect a good thaw.
http://www1.snapfish.com/shareereg/p=329251185362211007/l=289725339/g=35241057/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB/pns/share/p=329251185362211007/l=289725339/g=35241057/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB
You will need to create a free account to view these.
Hi,
The rest of the roofing pictures have been added to the album. The link is the
same.. Enjoy.
You don't need to logon,
Just click on View Slideshow to get started.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=a8252py.2e8w4ydy&x=0&y=-l97yvg
Marti
www.flickr.com
|
