Maple Syrup Update

Bob has about 60 bags hanging on our maple trees. After one day, Bob collected 95 gallons of sap. He hasn't been able to collect any more because the weather has been so cold that the bags only have a couple of inches of sap in them and it's frozen. We don't process the sap, because the old sugar shack that was on the property when we purchased it almost three years ago, was falling down, and the roof collapsed two years ago, and Bob has been taking it down and burning it. There is still a wall standing, but not for long. Once the weather warms, Bob will be cleaning-up the area and landscaping there. Anyway, a church member and friend of ours that lives just about a mile from us, does maple syrup commercially and has all the equipment to process the sap. So Bob collects our sap and takes it to our friend and he processes it for us. It is 100% per maple syrup, no other ingredients are added and we get about one gallon syrup for every 40 gallons of sap. We are hoping that the weather cooperates and we are able to collect enough sap to make 15 gallons of syrup. Last year we collected enough for 13 gallons.

Bob had an interesting experience last year when he was hanging the bags on the trees. He carried his cutters in his back pocket so he could cut off small branches if they were in the way of where he wanted to hang a bag, and when he cut a small branch off one of the trees, the sap was flowing so he decided to stick the cut part of the branch in his mouth to see what the sap tasted like. He said it tasted like sweet water. And then he continued hanging the bags. That night he was up making lots of noise in the bathroom, banging cabinet doors, and then going down stairs and banging more cabinets doors, and I couldn't figure out what he was doing. He is usually very quiet about everything he does. But, I just waited until he came back upstairs and then asked, "What's wrong?" he responded, "Look!" and he turned the bedroom light on. I took one look and started laughing. I just couldn't help it. His lips were swollen to twice the normal size and they were bright red in color. Just before he had cut that branch off, the one he stuck in his mouth, he had cut poison ivy vines that were climbing up a tree. He had poison ivy on his lips and in his mouth. He suffered for over a week, but he learned a lesson and he had a great sermon he titled "Ignorance Is Bliss".

Friday Madness

I have been working on Easter dresses for Gracie, Hannah, and Madeline. I finished Gracie's dress a week ago, and have been working on Hannah's all week. But, when Friday arrived, I still had to put the sleeves and facing in and do all the hand work. And, I hadn't even started cutting out Madeline's. Right after breakfast, I started working on the dresses. I had kinda decided that I would probably just give them their dresses next week when they come to visit. But, then I received a telephone call from Lisa telling me how excited the girls were that they were going to have new dresses to wear to church on Sabbath. I couldn't disappoint my little granddaughters. So all I did was work on the dresses until 1:30 when I had to leave for my hair appointment. As soon as I got back home I continued sewing and I'm happy to report that I finished all three dresses. I pressed them and hung them on hangers and Bob and I left for Ryan and Lisa's house around 7:00 p.m. The girls were so excited when they saw the dresses and they tried them on and they fit perfect! They twirled around and ran around in the house. Hannah told me she liked the dresses a lot! Especially because they were matching dresses. The smiles on their faces made all the work worthwhile. I told the boys, that I didn't have time to make their dresses. Maybe next year I'll have time to do theirs. They laughed and said, Oh, grrrandma!! They were pretty happy to watch their sisters and cousin having fun twirling in their new dresses. Then we put the girls pajamas on them and visited for a few minutes before we had to leave. Everyone was in the living room, except for Gracie. I asked Lisa if she had put Gracie to bed and she told me, no. No one knew where she was so we started looking. We found her in the bathroom having a great time playing in the water in the sink. Her pajamas were soaking wet, and the floor was standing in water and the basket of laundry was soaking wet too. What a mess. Bob and I thought it was funny to see what Gracie had done. Ryan and Lisa had a different reaction. We helped change her pajamas, Lisa mopped up the water in the bathroom, and Gracie was off and running chasing her kitty.

We couldn't seem to get a good picture of everyone at the same time so I'm posting several of the same picture session.

Gracie's all wet from playing in the water in the bathroom.

Before we changed Gracie's wet clothes, she wanted to give Checotah a hug.

Ryan and their two dogs, Molly (Golden Retriever) and Checotah (German Shepherd)

It's Maple Syrup Time

Bob went out early this morning to hang the bags on the maple trees on our property. He will be collecting sap for a week or two depending on the weather. The sap flows during the day after the temperatures have gone below freezing at night and it warms to above freezing during the day. Last year Bob collected over 500 gallons of sap and we got 13 gallons of syrup. We only have two gallons left from last year.

Bob will empty these bags into five gallon buckets every morning for processing. I think the metal buckets look nicer, but these bags are much cheaper, so we went with cheap.

Signs of Spring

Although there is still snow on the ground, we have signs of spring all around our property. This afternoon, Bob and the girls (Punkin and Lola) went for a walk. The girls enjoyed chasing rabbits and checking out the territory and Bob enjoyed taking a few pictures for me to write a blog about. I think he's getting into this blog thing. He sits in a chair next to mine and reads along with me when I'm checking the blogs and even suggests comments to leave, too (sometimes).

Wasp or hornet nest found out back.

It appears that something got into the hornet's nest and the hornets are no more!

Pussy Willow's just starting to open.

Daffodil's emerging from the ground.

Tulips poking their heads up.

Foxglove waking up from their winter nap.

Canneberry Belle's waking up too!

Bob has tomato plants growing in our windowsills. (every windowsill)

I finished making Gracie's dress this evening.

A Quick Trip

Today Bob and I decided we would make a quick trip to Sauder's to buy bulk brown rice, millet, oats, and wheat. We had run out of these and Bob needed them for the next time he makes bread. While we were in the area, we ran over to see Ryan and Lisa and the children. I tried the dress on Grace that I'm making for her. It fits perfect. I just have to take a four inch hem. I think I'll cut two inches off first. The kids were also excited to show us their new dog, Checotah. It's a pure-bred German Shepherd, four months old, and very sweet. It's also very gentle. Ryan is hoping it will be as smart as Punkin.

Then on the way home we saw several indications that spring is just around the corner. The robins, red-winged black birds and the geese have returned.

When Bob pulled over to the side of the road so I could take a picture, the geese got scared and took off flying. Look close, there are snow geese too!

Promises Kept

This is the most beautiful snow we have had all winter. The branches on the trees are covered, first with ice and then snow. We have about a foot of new snow and it's still snowing. We're expecting another 2-6 inches by this afternoon.

Where's the driveway?

Looking towards the barns.

I still haven't got to use my new snow shoes this winter. And, today I won't either because it is really windy making the temperature miserably cold.

Cathy, These Pictures Are For You!!

My friend, Cathy, who lives in California, asked me to send pictures of snow. So Sabbath morning while Bob was out blowing snow, I put on my coat and boots and went outside for a photo shoot!

The church is about four miles from our house and there was a lot more snow there. This is what I saw when we arrived at the church. Snow, Snow, Snow!!