Filed under: April 2015 | Tags: draft horses, maple sap, maple season, maple syrup, mud, Thanks
Its Syrup!
April 7, 2015
Today, I boiled the last of this season’s maple syrup. We had a rough last few days as I worked my off farm job and pushed to get the last of this years sap collected and boiled. I will now catch up on sleep and start the big job of clean up. The trees must be “untapped”. The spiles, and bags must be taken down. The spiles get cleaned and dried, then put away. The plastic bags get collected and taken to the recycle. The sugarhouse and all equipment gets cleaned and stored away until next year.
We had a good season. We made and canned some nice syrup. The greedy trees kept a lot of their sugar, so our yield is down, but I will still have enough for our farm’s customers. I will even sell a barrel of bulk syrup wholesale. All and all, the effort was worth it on every count. The best thing is, that I made memories and so did quite a few visitors to the sugarhouse.
The woodshed is showing the effects of all my boiling. The job of woodcutting is now at hand. I will get started on the giant oak tree again very soon. The maple season may be over, but farm work continues to keep me busy. Logs to skid will keep the horses in shape, as we wait to begin plowing. My clean up jobs, chores and woodcutting may be the order of the day for now, but spring planting season looms…..oh yea…and all that lawn mowing too 😮
Farewell…until next year.
Thanks to my sister Charlie for laughs and help, my family for help, understanding and goodies. Special thanks to Charlie McCormick for conversation and help. Thanks to my sap gatherers, Sheldon, Marcus, Tony, Lyric, Josh, Becky, Ken and Mae. Hats off to Knight and Hoss for pulling their hearts out and for showing my sister what large feet do to a big mud puddle 😮
3 Comments so far
Leave a comment
RicelandMeadows 
Snicker’n….yes, big ol horse feet and a big brother provided the best facial in years! (At least I didn’t ride upside down to the barn like another) ❤ xoxoxo
Comment by Charlie April 7, 2015 @ 10:41 pmThey do fling water and mud!
Comment by ricelandmeadows April 9, 2015 @ 4:49 pm………….I really should’ve seen it coming! (I guess I resemble the “dummy” now eh? – LOL)
Comment by Charlie April 7, 2015 @ 11:01 pm