Careful What You Ask For

Maple sugarmaking can be a lot like life. You have to be careful what you ask for. Last Fall if you asked me what would be the best season ever, I would've said, "Full buckets; twice a day." A full bucket holds close to 3 gallons, times 14, and twice that. That's 84 gallons of sap being collected into bins that hold 66 max. Yesterday, during the boil, I visited "the line" repeatedly, trying to stay on top of the sap production. In the end, I have three quarters of a gallon of syrup, and 15 gallons of sap still yet to be boiled.

Like a gerbil on a wheel, I was trying very hard to get somewhere, but going no where. There was just too much pre-gold goodness flowing. My heart rate rising, I was having visions of falling asleep next to the pan. Realizing the state I was getting into, I took a few deep breathes and reminded myself that this is fun; work, but fun just the same.

Still, compounding the issue was the fact I was running out of lp and had to hit my reserve tank on the grill. In the end, I did run out, and had to finish on the stove. It took a little longer, (I did a little spinning and reading at the kitchen table while I watched the pot boil.) but it all worked out; another life lesson from the shack.

As far as the sap flow, the long range forecast calls for good sugarmaking weather for as long as the computers will predict. I just might have to purchase another bin... or two...