April 2, 2013 – Tuesday

Clear/calm/3 degrees

Pentoga Road

I’m not sure if March exited like a lion or a lamb, but regardless the animal, it was cold. Today is dawning the same with the thermometer barely registering above zero.

Monday was fairly worthless. I declined riding with Sargie partway to work and walking back because of the cold temperatures and very strong winds. I opted to sit by the wood stove and read assignments, sip coffee, and when the need dictated, get up to put another log on the fire. Stress was not a part of my day.

A walk was finally taken, not out of want, but rather so the blood in my veins wouldn’t turn to Jello.

I cleaned the house later in the afternoon and threw some pork loins on the grill just before Sargie arrived home. Those were later cut and used on the large salads I fixed for supper. I think of them as super salads: lettuce, tomato, green pepper, mushrooms, hard boiled eggs, almonds, bacon, cucumber, and grilled pork loin.

We spent last evening munching our salads and watching Dancing With the Stars. It was a lazy day for me.

With all that said, I was up early this morning and chomping at the bit. Regardless of the weather, I need to boil down the remaining sap/syrup and prepare it for canning. Wednesday’s forecast high is to be in the lower 40’s and the sap should resume flowing. The pans also need to be scrubbed before boiling begins again.

There are also a dozen “dry trees,” those that for whatever reason, haven’t given one drop of sap so far this year. I’ll pull the spouts from those and insert them in new trees.

It’s time to pour another cup of coffee and think deep early morning thoughts. I think it's in my professor's contract that I'm supposed to do that every now and then... or at least look as though I am. After all, a man’s work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road…