October 24, 2017

Charles Parks passed away today. A very sad day for our syrup family. As nearly as we can recall, Chuck began to come over to the camp sometime after one of his surgeries, Bob recalls Sue brought him over. She had no idea the gravity of time that field trip would cost her in the future!  He told us making syrup was always something that he wanted to do and for many years, as we are a family with great communication skills, did not realize we were doing just that. He soon discovered that nobody was really in charge of loading firewood into the evaporator. Having a little experience with firing a boiler of a different nature,  he jumped in , and from then forward, that was HIS job. That and keeping Bob company late at night.  He did not mind the late shift. He didn't even seem to mind Bob. He would stay till the fire had safely died down before making his way to his designated parking spot, which we have recently discussed, will forever be chuck's parking spot. Given his gifts for aesthetics, he made labels, etched bottles and made a few trips north into Michigan for various syrup supplies as well.
 


The second season  (whenever that was) he began to tap Sandhill Rd trees and bring that over with him. He joked that it was such a hassle, Sandhill Rd was gonna get there own evaporator. We got spoiled when he would find a lot of sap by 2 pm, he would come over early and get a fire going knowing that it was going to be a long night. He eventually learned to run the evaporator, (this began with Bob calling him from the other side of the woods telling him he was "on his own"). He would tell Bob joking that he did not need to test for specific gravity to take syrup off  he just opened the valve when "it smelled right". Cody loaded Chuck on Wally one weekday when nobody else was around to start gathering and they took off into the woods. That was one of only a few adventures into the woods for Chuck. We think the first trip occurred in 2013 as this was the first year for our crawler tractor we call Wally. When there was a crowd present, he rarely said a thing, if there was just 2 or 3 people there, he was downright chatty.

THINGS WE LEARNED FROM CHUCK:

1. syrup season is about how it smells outside

2. don't yell at your wife too much...he really said that....explained why his wife's ring tone was a siren...

3. socks are optional, good gloves are not

4. always be the last person to eat, makes you seem busier than others

5.always look forward to syrup season

6. keep your work area tidy

7. the dog will always like you if you feed her

8. sandwiches, of any kind, always taste best at the sugarcamp

9. if they ask you to do something you don't want to do ..pretend you don't hear them or tell them you are not qualified

10. it is very fun to mimic bob yelling about too much or too little wood in the fire

He quit almost every day, ..........always was gonna be his last day over some unreasonable expectation that we had of him. First one texting the next day to see what time we plan start.


 

 These were taken on an unusually warm picnic day in 2017.

As a group we have considered it an honor to get to know Chuck and spend time with him. The true measure of your impact may be the ongoing mark you leave....we, as a group,  have laughed many times over the last month about what Chuck's reaction would be this or that as we have cluttered his work space, made ruts in his parking spot etc. Thanks for the never ending gift of laughter!  

Summer addition:


July 28, 2017


Bob found a sawmill online on the Forestry Forum and made plans with the seller to meet in Kentucky (halfway from the mill's home, in Memphis). This was a day long adventure and included some rain. He appreciates Chris taking the time to bring it north and explain some things in the rain. Bob made it home in time to get a sandwich at the fair and make a trip to the Cleveland airport for Cody's 12:50AM arrival. It was a big milage day!




Saturday July 29, 2017


Bob and Jack and the boys moved the sawmill over to the woods. (Oh yea after they tried to run the mill in the shop and cut a nail within 5 min of starting it up). This day was a big learning curve. We enjoyed an evening at the fair Saturday night.




Sunday July 30, 2017


Dorothy came to visit, had a little picnic lunch, the first of many this week. We began to figure out the saw and cut some 4 x 6 beams. They ruined a couple of blades in the process.Cody unfolded a new saw blade, which uncoils explosively and he tried to catch it...not a good idea...first blood draw of the week. The crew quit in time to get clean and go to help pick up the fair booth.

Monday July 31, 2017


Today's team emptied everything out of the camp; included one horse shoe with nails, one woodchuck skull, one bat, small herd of wasps and LOTS of dust. Returned to cutting wood, working late into the evening.

Tuesday Aug 1, 2017


Started taking metal off of the building and found this to be a million times more work than expected. Long nails were pounded very close together and then someone took the time to pound the ends over on the backside. The nail heads were very soft, perhaps lead, they pulled right off with the claw hammer...decided at this point to get out the swearing jar. Cody finally suggested to call it a day after two hours on the roof and little progress. Super HOT day. Chuck and Sue visited. Bob agreed to quit at 8 pm when wife started to detonate.

Wednesday Aug 2, 2017


Kelsey came home and brought donuts and fresh enthusiasm. We pulled a little more metal, then Bob set up to push on the north side of the building with the Root family's backhoe. While Brad pulled the front corner of the building out with chains.  Jack and Charlie W. supervised and remained suspiciously quiet during this process...


We ended the warm day, and rewarded Brad and the dogs with a swim at the pond!
 

Thursday Aug 3, 2017


Ran the mill. Ran the mill some more. Today's task was to cut the siding boards for the new building. Dale and Karen were home so they came to peak. Dale took home pieces of wood to hold up his peach tree limbs . Brad thought this was very funny. Marsha made lunch and snacks.  Adam has a pile to  look through....called to tell him that. Started a second pile of wood on  a wagon. Red elm was the gorgeous cut of the day. We have quite a large pile of "pretty wood" and the bon fire pile is growing too. Went through 4 blades today. Bob says two were him just being dumb.

Saturday Aug. 5, 2017


Enjoyed a bon fire/picnic back at the woods with the neighbors. Good food and fun. Youngsters made it longer than the old folks. Lots accomplished.

Monday Feb. 20, 2017




President's Day


Yet another beautiful day that began with a little fog, about 34 degrees this am and colder than we had thought it would be. We spent most of the day working on other agricultural projects that have been on the back burner. Bob went to check the woods about 3 pm and found little to nothing in terms of sap....so he sent out the group text to call off the troops and took Wally to the house for water. He loaded up the finished syrup in the back and hauled that to the house . Chuck was NOT given the day off and cleaned up the odds and ends of wood around that we have been avoiding using when time and heat were factors. Adam's  Twp Rd 178 taps are still running well (he brought 12 gallons) and Chuck brought 4. They tossed that in the flu pan as they pushed with water behind it.


Bob sent out a text that it is likely over  BUT , IF the weather forecast warrants it, there will be a "scrub buckets with bleach" party on Thursday evening. Gerri recalls attending one of these parties in the remote past on a warm Sunday afternoon with Mark and Susan on the East path. If memory serves her correctly....it wasn't that much fun.




They ended up taking off 3 gallons of darker syrup tonight. Below is a picture of the darker niter in the back. Bob said they could hear the niter breaking off of the pan as they boiled tonight.

 

 

This was officially only the 9th day since we started. We are within 469  gallons of sap of the entire season last year. This has been a fast and furious week. Thanks to everybody  who has helped.......many almost daily ....truly appreciate it.....gonna have to get together and argue about something next week for old times sake.




Total Sap Today : 0 + 12 Twp rd 178 and + 4 sandhill rd
Total Sap To Date: 3270 gallons
Total Syrup Today: 3 gallons
Total Syrup To Date: 64.5 gallons

Sunday Feb. 19, 2017




Yet another gorgeous, unfebruary type of day. Temperature rose into the 60's with warm sun and little wind. Crazy warm for this time of year. The temperature dropped to a whopping 41 last night, the trees ran some, not great by any means.

We went to church minus Brad who was charged with setting up a campfire and getting  the wood ready to fire in the camp. Chuck came early to help. The Yantz family came for a visit and walk.

Adam and Katie engaged lola in a game of catch with a large stick and larger mud hole. She had a great time getting attention and filthy dirty. Katie's sister Kelsey took the brunt of that with a muddy leg as a souvenir of her visit. Kelsey took this pic....she looks a little possessed.

To bathe or not to bathe....not a question tonight.

Pretty sure this is the black silt all farmers look for.....hey neighbor...maybe we could grow pumpkins in the tub?????

Chuck, Bob and Brad quit Saturday night with 13 inches in the upper tank. Leaving the sap sit overnight made for a little darker syrup today. Boiling sped along pretty quick so by the time the rest of the troops decided to get moving, the supply was squeaky low. Wally made 3 dumps to keep the evaporator full as we gathered. Chuck put wood in, Bob took wood out. Katie waited patiently for Wally to return.

The stairs hit the ground and the reese hitch came loose, Mr. B watches as Adam and Brad fix that up.

 

 This also necessitated gathering backwards which was a shamefully big deal to some people. Maybe one of our growing edges needs to be flexibility? Trying new things??

We found a whopping 197 gallons in the woods and Chuck brought over 14 gallons from Sandhill Rd and Adam brought 13 gallons. The taps in the parsonage yard ran well. There were a couple of buckets sorted out with mold and a much larger presence of ants today..sadly.

For a first time ever ( in February anyway) we set up a camp outside today with our fire ring and moved the picnic table outside. We cooked hot dogs and enjoyed sitting outdoors. The fire ring works great we came up with some ideas for future campouts. Thanks Fruth family!!

 

Aunt Dorothy and Karen and Monetta and Susan R. all came for a visit today. Nice day for a walk.

Mr. Birch came to help today and Gary and Becky walked over to say hello. Chuck got a little irritated realizing that everyone was socializing while he was working . Huge surprise, he complained. Bob told him to go to the red union house in the back yard to register any further concerns. Chuck was quiet for awhile.

Sue P. and later Charlie, Julie and Brylee came for a visit. Bob invited Charlie over as he found out he had pork. We all tasted and approved haha. We sat outside and enjoyed smores for the first time this year. Every night in the previous week everyone was too pooped to mess with melting marshmallows...they are tricky little boogers when you are tired.

Total Sap Today: 197 gallons + 14 Sandhill Rd. and +13 Twp Rd 178

Total Sap To Date: 3246

Total Syrup Today: 9 gallons
Total Syrup To Date: 61.5 gallons

T

Saturday Feb 18, 2017

Lovely day here! Hard to know what to do first today. It was sunny and warm. and breezy for awhile this afternoon but became much more still this pm. the taps ran almost constantly today.

Bob started a fire about 2:30 to burn in the sap leftover from last night. Around 3:15 Gerri and Bob made the first pass through the short path and found 150 gallons of very clear sap. Muff, Katie, Jenny,  Adam, Brad and Karen came to collect as Dale drove.

 

Our sophisticated system of tracking our daily activity in the woods is actually very helpful.

We had a really nice meal tonight that looked a lot like leftovers from last night.

The syrup ran through the filters rapidly tonight with very little niter today.

Conversation tonight was rather spirited with a lot of friendly fire.

 

ota

 

Total Sap Today: 675 gallons + 30 gallons from Sandhill and + 22 from twp rd 178


Total Sap to Date: 3022
Total Syrup Today: 9 gallons
Total Syrup To Date: 52.5 gallons

Friday Feb. 17, 2017


Yesterday was also cool and although there was some sap running, there were no workers willing to run. Bob canned off some syrup with a great deal of difficulty but nevertheless accomplished the canning goal and has to return to clean up the mess at some point.

Friday was pretty with high around 60 degrees and just a slight breeze.Brad and Bob gathered the short north and found a little over a 100 gallons to get started. Bob stuck to the plan to start gathering later tonight at 5:30 anticipating more help. Katie, Adam, Gerri, Muff, Gary, Kevin , Jenny , Dale and Karen finished the rounds just in the nick of time..dark again.

The woods is very, very dry compared to most times. Footing is typically a big issue and not so now. The leaves have dried and feel crunchy underfoot.

We always enjoy sharing what we see along the way in terms of wildlife signs, always deer and coon tracks etc. The hallmark this year is woodpecker holes. They are everywhere. We caught sight of one of these birds on sunday while gathering. This cherry is right along the north path. Adam sees a disturbing face in the hole?!

Lots of food tonight....aunt Dorothy made soup, Karen and Adam made rice krispie treats, Muff and Gerri made tacos.... nice to sit down and enjoy eating once before it was too late.

Both Adam and Chuck brought sap from their taps to add to the mix.

Sue came for a visit later in the evening. Brad attended the basketball game and sent scores homebound.

Total Sap Tonight: 530 + 20 Twp Rd 178 and + 20 from Sandhill Rd.

Total Sap To Date:2295 gallons

Total Syrup Tonight: 9 Gallons

Total Syrup To Date:40.5

Wednesday Feb.15, 2017


Turned slightly cooler today , mid temperature around 30 degrees with a few snow flurries. Really did not matter as we did not even check buckets for fear of finding sap. Today was deemed a resting day. Bob & Brad both took a nap after school. 


The last three days were equivalent to half of last year's entire season. Everybody feeling it.


A few pics from the past few days.

Saturday am cutting an Ash tree on the north path.

 

 Wonder what lives in here?