Oh nothing really just wanted to share

Don't over do it with the shoveling. Take it easy.

This is how I do it now. Hour on then a break. Another hour another beer. I mean break. Funny thing, beer taste better in the Winter after a few hours outside than it does most any other time???

 

26" of snow is too much no mattter where you live! I feel your pain. Looks nice when you don't have to get out in it though.

 

I think this was our Librarian and Latin teacher in high school.

 

The Gulf States have their Shrimp & Crawfish, the New England States have their Lobster, we have something just as good;

48 quart cooler full of Maple sap reduced to 6 bottles of homemade Maple Syrup.


48 quart cooler

 

Poppy, That picture didn't really tell the whole story. We filled the cooler twice (my mistake) so starting with nearly 20 gallons of sap which we collected ourselves from five trees. Once the sap started running it only took two days to fill a three gallon container. First boil day we got 3 1/2 one cup bottles (about 12 hours) and the second time around boiled down just over 11 gallons to get 3 bottles ( closer to 13 hours). We just wanted to try making some and are learning as we go. Next year we'll have a better setup and I figure I can get it down to 8 to 9 hours per 48 quarts of sap. Depending on the sugar content percentage it takes anywhere from 40 to 50 gallons of sap per 1 gallon syrup.
Friends of ours have over 900 trees tapped and last week they had over 700 GALLONS of sap to boil down. It was going to be a very long night for them. They have a regular industrial strength operation going. We're sticking with a half dozen trees and boil about once a week. They sell the finished syrup for $17.50 a quart.

But you're right : it is pure Nirvana. Even more so when it was one of those WeMadeThis moments.

 

Near as I've been able to find out the tapping doesn't affect the tree at all. As for Bears ; the major operation with almost 7 miles of tubing hasn't had any problems. Couple of years ago he had a Moose walking through the acres of trees and nary a broken line ???
Another up side is the cabin smells really good

 

Close your eyes and poke!



Just kiddin', Drill a 1/2 to 7/16 hole (depending on the size of the spiel) on the South facing side.

 

File this one under "Close Enough For Government Work"

Last Thursday the Minnesota DNR proceeded with a prescribed burn of 78 acres of Forest area near Ely. After nearly two weeks of previous warnings from State officials and northern Minnesota weather forecasters cautioning everyone that all fires (larger than small camp-fires) were banned and extreme care should be taken due to high winds and drought conditions.
The prescribed burn has now consumed 1008 acres and at last report was 'almost' 30 percent contained. As per any government sanctioned operations the cause will be fully investigated to determine what might have been done differently. On a local television station Saturday an official stated that the wind was calm early Thursday morning and the decision was to go ahead with the clearing fire as planned. The increase in winds and dramatic drop in the Relative Humidity is being seen as a leading cause of the fire rapidly spreading. The fact that this very phenomenon occurs every morning here in the Northern section of the United States should not be seen as an omission or dereliction of common sense. No homes are currently in danger of igniting due to the lack of same in the remote area of concern. Deer licenses may have to be reduced for the Boundary Waters this Fall however. Other Wildlife such as Beaver, Mink, Otter, Bobcat, Bear, Waterfowl, boiled Fish, and Moose (which have decreased from 8,000 to less than 3,000 over the preceding 4 or 5 years) ,should rebound to normal levels in 5 to 10 years. Except the Moose.

 

I have viral bronchitis.

Just wanted to share.

:cough:

 

I'm not a Doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last Summer. Twice.

Try smoking a $10.00 cigar while sipping a good Bourbon.
It won't cure ya but if you die at least you'll go with a smile on your face. Granted it might be more of a grimace but hey.