Why hello, Spring! Your timing is impeccable. I was starting to get a little tired of all the snow and cold. I look forward to the warmth, sunshine, and flowers that will soon be sweeping across my yard.
For the first time ever, I decided to tap the sugar maples in my yard for sap. Robert is a go-getter so he's been the instigator and muscle behind this adventure...thank goodness, because carrying gallons and gallons of sap around the yard isn't really my thing.
As soon as the first warm day (that's above freezing folks) knocked on our door we put the spiles (the metal thingy featured in the first picture) in to our trees. We used the largest drill bit I have to drill a ~3 inch deep hole into the tree about 3 feet above the ground. We knew we were in the right place because when we pulled the drill bit out the sap began to flow...super exciting!! All of our spiles are located on the east side of the tree. We learned the sap flows on the east side of the tree first because the sun warms it up fastest in the morning.
After drilling the hole, we hammered the spile into place. Since we are rednecks at heart (and cheap!), we decided to attach water jugs to the spiles to collect the sap. We secured the jug to the tree with some very tough string (used for fish nets). Amazingly, our redneck sap collecting equipment fared really well through the previous two days of 30+ mph wind gusts and a sustained 15 mph wind.
So how much sap have we collected so far? At least three gallons worth! And that's only been over two days of decent sap flow. A cold spell fell across New England recently slowing down the sap flow. Next week looks like a good sap week though. It will be above freezing during the day and freezing at night! Perfect for collecting sap.
To turn the sap into syrup requires a lot of boiling. I've read that the sap to syrup ratio is about 30:1...oh boy. Good thing we won't be using any extra energy to reduce our syrup. Since I primarily heat the house with the wood stove our syrup will be added to the stove top so the excess water can be boiled off.
Other than sap collecting, farming activities this winter have primarily consisted of taking care of the chickens and ducks. After culling quite a few birds from the flock, my chickens decided to start laying eggs again which was a pleasant surprise. my coop is quite large (24 ft x 8 ft) so I'm a little perplexed my birds were feeling cramped. I guess it's for the better that the flock is smaller these days though. I enjoyed selling eggs to friends and coworkers, but it was a bit more work than I can handle while trying to keep up with my graduate research. Farming is fun, but my primary job is school these days.
In celebration of the equinox, I'll be sure to continue to look forward with an open heart and enjoy every moment of the spring's brilliance over the next few months.
I've posted some pictures from the previous few months with captions. Life is good! I'm blessed to have some amazing people in my life.
XC skiing in Utah with my family.
Mom's first XC skiing foray. She's a natural!
Dad went downhill skiing. A brave man! And he truly conquered the mountain.
My wonderful family. I wouldn't be who I am without you all.
Snowy owl sighting in New Hampshire. I'm pointing to the owl in the rocks (look for the white speck that isn't snow). Thanks, Robert, for seeking out this awesome opportunity.
Dartmouth snow castle. This is Robert's birthday pose :) Happy 33rd, Bert!
This one's for Jude. Ito and I found a flamingo in the snow.
XC skiing in NH
On our way to the local winery. This is my good friend, Lori,
The slightly tipsy XC ski gang. We indulged in wine, moonshine, and apple brandy.
On our way home.
While in Utah mom took me to see the original Where the Wild Things Are drawings. Amazing!!
Best pizza of the year! Regina Pizzeria, Little Italy, Boston, MA
Bruins hockey on Saint Patty's Day. The Bruins lost, but we saw our first hockey shoot out. Pretty cool!
Be sure to make today a good one!
