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| The newest addition to the garden area. A reflecting pool! |
April 11, 2014 – Friday
22 degrees/clear/calm
Pentoga Road
This is dawning to be the perfect maple day. With a promised high of
54 degrees and sunny skies, coupled with these below-freezing temperatures experienced
during the night, the sap should be pouring from the trees later today.
And speaking of sap, I boiled down the first batch that was collected over the past
week. In the end, about a gallon and three quarters of syrup was processed. The
quality is fairly average; a bit darker than I like, but not bad.
And the flavor… mmm, perfect. I love a good maple taste with
just a bit of added smoky flavor. This current year’s batch will cover
everything from pancakes and French toast to ice cream just fine.
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| The hydrometer I use to determine when the syrup is finished |
Collecting the sap is getting much easier as the snow
continues to melt. In fact, bare ground is beginning to appear all around the
woods.
After gathering the sap on Thursday, I packed one of the storage barrels in snow on the north side of the barn to keep it cool. Too much warmth
can spoil sap, causing it to turn a milky color and rendering it sour.
Waiting for the syrup to process on Thursday morning, I changed
the trays on the wheelbarrow. I’ve come to depend on the dual-wheeled beast for
transporting everything from dirt and rocks in the spring to firewood on a
daily basis during the winter months. I’d be lost without my wheelbarrow.
Only eight nuts and bolts were required to change the tub,
but what contortions I had to endure to hold one while tightening the other.
Couple that with not always being able to see the darn things and there might
have been some words muttered that Mom would wash my mouth out with soap for saying. I also took the time to
patch the end of one handle where some random bulldog decided to gnaw on it
last year. I used body putty and will sand it smooth later today.
After making an afternoon collection of sap, I decided to go
to Pine Mountain and walk the steps again. I really want to maintain a twice a
week schedule and yesterday afternoon was the only time I’d be able to do the
second workout. I’m paying for it this morning. It seems in my zeal to get the
legs in climbing shape, the muscles in both are protesting this morning. Oh
well, I’ll stretch and walk a few easy miles today before resuming my regular
hiking regimen tomorrow.
Sargie and I rode home together last night. There were
several items I wanted to buy while in Iron Mountain, mostly five gallons of
hydraulic fluid, some brazing rod, and pellets for the air rifle.
Oh, and I caught a squirrel yesterday. One down, a few gajillion to go.
What’s on the agenda today? After the sun comes up, I’m
going to hang out a load of towels that Sargie washed last night. This will be
the first time this spring that we’ll have forsaken the dryer in the basement for
the clothesline outdoors.
I’ll ride with Sargie and get the Blazer later on this
morning. Sargie closes tonight so it will be a late one for her. I need to take several stacks of newspapers and magazine to the recycle bins while in town.
Once home, it should be time to make the first collection of sap, then I think
I’ll finish cleaning and putting away the contents that are lying on one last
bench in the barn. I want to begin welding tomato cages out of 3/8’s inch
re-rod later this afternoon.
If it continues to dry, I might begin to rake some of the
dryer areas of the yard. And then there’s the garage, but I think I might run
out of daylight and it will have to be placed on tomorrow’s agenda. The list
goes on and on, but then I’m not surprised.
I don’t know if I’ve ever said this, but a man’s work is
never done.
So are the tales from Pentoga Road…
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