Wednesday March 3, 2021

Hump day. Lots of sap for a weeknight. Brad checked buckets early (since he is a night shifter this week) and Bob sent out a text stating that there was both a lot of mud and lot of sap. Both were true! We noted the Boyer family camp to be running tonight as well!

Phillip, Kiley, Courtney, Michael, Nancy, Brad, Dean, Bryan H. and Adam gathered with Dale driving. Bob and Katie got the firebox going and cleaned up the Blackstone for dinner. Gerri joined in time to start the north path. 

Walle was dumped three times tonight so that adds to the gathering time as well. Brad put the lid on the tank so the sap would not slosh out on the way back to the camp before we made a full loop. This required Phillip to move some full buckets by hand to another path. Bob called Evan and Kelsey to come up from the barn to help finish as there was quite a nice run tonight. The lights were needed at the tail end despite our best efforts. 

This was a really nice feeling day with warm sun and little wind. There is still some snow on the north side of the woods, but that can be seen to be fading daily. 

Dale and Karen got cheese for us for dinner so we made grilled cheese sandwiches. We also had grilled broccoli which we decided was a "do again", (sorry if you missed that in the first wave). The short order cooks were tired and unorganized. There was a unanimous conversation that we all love the blackstone griddle. We discussed what we might cook on it next. Gerri forgot the griddle foil so we covered the top (after cleaning and seasoning) with new garbage bags. Bob measured and used the chain saw to cut wood to lay on top to keep this covered. During this process he asked Evan what the wide board was propped up against the wall. Evan flatly replied "the cover for the griddle from last year". Bob expressed appreciation. 

Outside of the gift of a gorgeous day...the only other highlight of the evening was Adam announcing rather loudly for everyone to relax...he pumped up sap into the upper tank and saved the day. Indeed the back of the evaporator pan was a bit shallow and the milk bowl was empty. Only Adam noticed. He is our hero. He deserves a promotion...to something that really sounds important. We will have to think about that one!

The final ewe to plunk out lambs did so at 1230 am or thereabouts this morning. Kelsey went to the farm to discover them at 1245 am. Brad was the only person with whom she could share her good news at that hour!  #17 and # 18 are both ram lambs....who will likely be off to market...so they will remain thing #17 and thing #18.  Their mother's name is Buttercup. All Bob could think of last night was "not Sparkles" so he has suggested a permanent name change.

Gerri got the sap count the first and only time she asked from Brad and Adam tonight....620 gallons in 3 trips. 

Quote of the day (actually from Tuesday) belongs to Bryan H. Gerri pointed to buckets in the distance that would be next along the way "so is there an easier way to get there than straight ahead?" AND, he also wins the award for best missed photo op..no idea what he was doing, only caught the tail end of a manly maneuver where he was picking up a log, throwing it off to the side of the path only to have it bounce and roll and back toward him. Brad and Gerri got a glimpse of this...and Bryan heard them laughing over the noise of Walle.  Nobody had a camera out...Dale may have more details. Bryan did entertain us with tales of his extrication of a black bird from his house earlier this eve. To be a fly on that wall! Apparently this is an easier job for him than most as he reports his black birds are intellectually challenged. 

The dogs were even a little tired and willing to take the first bus home tonight. Ranger ran possibly harder and farther than last night! 

Social distancing does not include your dog. If it is possible for a dog to give you the stink eye...we think Teddy perfected it tonight. His demeanor apparently improved at home. 

 

Brad was off to night shift. Bob and Adam are much more realistic in their plans stating that there is no way they are going to boil all of this in tonight. 

Total Sap Today: 620 gallons

Total Sap To Date: 1,560 gallons

Total Syrup Off Today:10 gallons

Total Syrup Off To Date: 27.5 gallons