Today is the final boil, bringing the last of the sap in the evaporator to syrup.
This batch made two gallons of syrup that we processed on Saturday. The little bubbles mean it's about finished.

April 5, 2020 - Sunday morning

20 degrees/clear skies/calm winds

Pentoga Road

What a mess I found when stepping outside Saturday morning. The entire automatic feeding system that brought the sap from the barrel above to the float pan was covered with a dusting of snow and had frozen solid.

With a strong westerly wind howling, it didn't make the job of thawing everything out very much fun.

In the end, I submerged the hose in the kitchen sink filled with hot water. A heat gun was used to thaw the rest.

It took well over an hour, but in the end, the Pentoga Road Maple Distillery was back in business. (No, despite some of your humorous comments, we're NOT making moonshine, just good old fashioned maple syrup.)

I played in the shop off and on during the day while the barrels of sap were being evaporated away. First on my chore list was to overhaul the top shelf of the paint cabinet to fit a small laser printer.

Supposedly, because of the make up of the ink/powder, (whatever) the temperature around the printer is to remain above freezing. The insulated paint cabinet was built with that purpose in mind, so with a bit of sawing, chisel work, and rearranging, the printer found a new home.

Used exclusively to print patterns, I couldn't be happier.

Speaking of patterns, I made a test copy yesterday, then decided to mount and saw it from a piece of scrap lumber that was in the burn pile.

I've thought of making the same pattern, only three feet tall, to use in conjunction with the pond and garden house. I don't know. For now, we'll add this to our "what do we do with this pile."

Sargie and I took a late afternoon walk around the extended yard and were gratified to see the rhubarb made it through the winter months in good shape.



It's the first to pop out of the ground every spring.

We processed almost two gallons of syrup yesterday, bringing our seasonal total to six. There ought to be another one to two gallons in the evaporator that will be boiled down this morning before I begin the huge required cleanup. 

The forecast is for bright sunshine, little wind, and temperatures reaching into the 50's, perfect for getting wet while scrubbing everything with soap and water before putting it away for another year.

With that said, it's almost daylight and time to lace up the hikers and go for my morning walk.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...

Today's random Alaska picture:
Speaking Yupik Eskimo as their first language, children in a remote village are being taught English. In other cases, where the children talk mostly English, Yupik is taught. Most children in the more remote villages are completely bilingual.
(Look at that little wiggle worm boy hiding behind the sign!)