Working in the woods is an important part of our job. Lately, we have been spending a lot of time checking our tubing for damage, like animal bites & chews and downed trees on lines. We examine every inch of tubing, every dropline, and the entire length of every mainline. We make sure everything in each sugarbush is tip-top so it will be ready for sugaring season. This way there will be optimal sap flow in the spring.
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| A section of a sugarbush |
Many animals, like squirrels, chipmunks & deer, chew on the tubing. Along with the obvious lines chewed in half, there are also many smaller chews and punctures that need replacement in droplines and the actual line itself. It is crucial that we inspect all of our tubing and fix any damage, from animals or just what incurs through time & weather. We have also found many trees, both big and small, that have fallen on our tubing lines.
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| Kern cutting up a fallen tree on the tubing |
Some excitement that always abounds when working in one particular sugarbush comes from the "dog-next-door," Izzy! Izzy, a hound/lab mix, always runs over, her ears flapping in the breeze, and greets us. We can't leave the vehicle door open too long, unless we want big, muddy dog prints all over the seat! She is always bursting with energy, chomping at the bit to go on an excursion in the forest.
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| Izzy, Kern, & Sue |
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| Romping in the sugarbush |
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| Izzy |
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Sue
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| Derek - after a days work |
