Its almost time to tap and boil. Almost time to retreat back to the sugar house for days on end. Almost time to taste that sweet, fresh sugar once again.
Every year there are lines that come down during the course of the seasons, needing repairs and replacements. There are daily trips to the local hardware store to get supplies. There is that yearly trip to Bascoms to sell the last of the previous year's syrup wholesale and pick up a few special tools or taps along the way.
There are walks along the lines to check for leaks (or should i say four wheeler rides if your my husband and love nothing more than a good engine!)
And always, there is expansion. This year's expansion is huge. When the town reconstructed Bean Hill Road this past summer, Hubs and his sugar partner, John, had the town place a pipe under the road to run our tubing through, thus allowing us to put another 200 taps on vacuum. That will bring us up to just under 2000 taps. Not the biggest production, but just right for us. Hubs spent days in the woods surveying the new piece of land, getting the elevations marked and ready to hang up the new blue main line.
This is exciting stuff, i tell you. This year i may try my hand at making maple cream or maple candies. I just haven't had the urge to dive into them in years past. I've read my recipes over and over. I've heard that the temperature and humidity needs to be just right to make maple cream. I know that to make the candies, it needs to boil to a specific temperature, if you go over, they flop.
Ok- I'm not sure how much i know, other than i need to put the old wives tales behind me and give it a go.
Such is life. I learn from experience. I thrive on a challenge.
And i do so love the preparations for the season ahead.