That Time of Year Again!

I love and hate this time of the year all.  I LOVE that the snowsuits are slowly being replaced with lighter, less clothing, that the snow is slowly melting away and that the signs of spring and warmer weather are all around us.

I hate that I still have a list of 'stuff' that was suppose to get done in the house over the long winter, that we need to start switching the wardrobe and finding out what still fits and what doesn't from last summer.  Most of all I hate that I am drawn outside to start new chores when I should be inside finishing up that list of inside chores.

What is calling me outside this time of year though is a very strong pull towards making maple syrup.  My father use to make it from his sugar bush with the help of family members.  He passed away this past December leaving his love of tapping, collecting, and boiling down the sap to me. 

We combine the old with the new for our method of maple syrup production.  We tap the trees with a hand drill and put in a spout.  Then we put a plastic bucket underneath it.  We collect the sap in big barrels on a sled pulled by our 4-wheeler.  Once it is collected we bring it back home and boil it over an open fire in a cauldron.  It takes a long time to boil it down with the open fire concept but there are advantages to that method too.

My dad's sugar bush sits quiet this year as I take over the maple syrup production from our sugar bush.  I now have my own cauldron with my own fire and lots of warm memories to reflect on while I sit around the fire. 

We have boiled down our first batch of sap and need to clean it now and then test it to see how well it tastes. I hope I can make mine as well as dad's, but I'm sure I'll take a close second!