All set and ready to go (March 23, 2025)

March 23,2025

Greetings my fellow sap lovers! 

We are just past the ides of March and the trees here have finally woken up!  This past Wednesday at about 4:45 pm, I was out in the bush trying to correct some inefficiencies in the tubing and adding a few more trees/taps drilled into the main line and hit a gusher.  You can believe I was pretty quick to get a manifold in place, and get the lateral line attached.  The daytime temperature was reaching for the double digits, so I had to work quick.
We haven’t collected enough sap to fire up the evaporator yet, but with the freezing nights and some sunshine during the day boiling is imminent.

Mrs. Maple was out to help tap several of the areas and Mrs. Maple mama came out to help clean and organize the sugar house.  Both have been a huge help this year.  The dogs of course want to be part of every aspect of the operation and have excelled at removing unwanted deer from the back 40.  Both are a little slower this weekend as little dude had surgery and is currently sporting the dreaded cone of shame, and Farley is keeping a slower pace for his benefit (and mine quite frankly as little dude needs to be on a leash.

While working line maintenance this week I heard a twig break nearby, looking around I discovered one of our neighbors (the two legged kind) checking out the pipeline and giving me his order for the year.  Talk about a loyal customer!

The weather over the next week is looking on the colder side with a few inches of snow expected here and there.  But rest assured, syrup is on the way!

How Sweet it is!
Michael