Derek decided to put up some buckets this year, and Lady accompanied me out to check them one warm, sunny day later in the season.

Working in the woods



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.

 

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. 



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.

Izzy, Kern, & Sue

Romping in the sugarbush



Izzy

Sue


 

Derek - after a days work

 

 

 

 

 

 



Sugaring Season Comes to a Close

Tapped Maple Tree

Sugaring season has officially ended, and we are now in the cleaning process.  After maple season, cleanup is always a tedious, time consuming task in which everything is sterilized, from the tiniest tool or piece of equipment to floors and walls.

This season was not as productive as we had hoped.  The unseasonably warm weather and the number of consecutive nights it didn't freeze made it hard for the sap to continue to run.  However, we decided to stick it out and continued to draw sap as long as possible, collecting a total of 146,210 gallons of sap. This year's yield of approximately 2,200 gallons of syrup did not come close to last year's 3,000+.  Even so, we look forward to next year!

A Tap