March 21, 2021 - Sunday morning
31 degrees/partly cloudy/windy
Pentoga Road

The name of the game on Pentoga Road continues to be sap, sap, sap, SAP! We're either collecting in the woods, boiling, finishing the stuff, or canning syrup. That's what our lives have become this time of the year.

Hambone has been a great help. Just as with the Pennington boys decades ago, he's eager to learn, wants to help, and is a quick study. Honestly, I haven't seen a youngster catch on and work so hard, yet have so much fun, since my sons were young. It's refreshing to see that playing video games hasn't replaced everything of value from the old days.

Just goes to prove my theory. A youngster will always rise to meet higher expectations if one spends enough positive time and effort to teach him. On the other hand, he'll be more than happy to sink to those expectations of a child, or lower, if left to his own devices. 

Riding with Grandma Sargie back from the south maple woods

I was most impressed when Hambone grabbed a bucket and took off into the woods on his own to begin gathering sap. Anyone who has ever carried five gallons of water can attest to the work that is involved.

And just like the Pennington boys of decades ago, Hambone learned that a guy can get mighty thirsty while collecting sap, but thankfully, the nearest drinking fountain is just a sap bag away.

After his bucket became too heavy to carry, he became Grandma Sargie's or my "bag boy." We'd hold the bucket while Hambone poured.

The day wasn't all work and no play. Everyone knows that the woods is full of interesting treasures, things that can't be found in video games or on television. Hambone found a small branch that he thought would make a great walking stick. He also found another that would make a great poking stick for planting garden.

I taught him the word, "dibble," the official name for a garden seed poking stick. 

Oh, he was proud to know that new word and pretty soon, came up with a special stick that could serve  as a walking stick AND a dibble. Leave it to a six year old boy with an active imagination.

Between collecting sap and boiling, we found time to play a game of wiffle ball. I made the mistake of showing Hambone how to twirl, ala Casey at the Bat, and he became more interested in that than actually playing ball.

Thankfully, the bat is made from plastic and didn't hurt too much when it thunked him on the head.

Hambone also received a lesson on pruning fruit trees and helped me prune the two apple trees in the garden. With last summer's excessive rain and warmth, both had really grown.

The Macintosh - Before

After

The Wolf River tree also received an extensive haircut. Though there'll be fewer apples this year, those that are harvested should be larger.

Evening came and it was time to boil down the second batch of syrup for the year. Drawing several gallons from the evaporator, I placed the large stainless steel pan over the propane burner and we waited and watched as the watery syrup slowly became the rich, thick, sticky, liquid we love to pour over pancakes, ice cream, waffles, and biscuits.

It seems like we waited for hours, and literally, we did. Well, at least for over an hour as the last of the water evaporated.

Hambone learned that there are a few advantages to waiting, watching, and learning. His favorite activity became swiping the sweet liquid with one finger from the hydrometer and sticking it in his mouth.

Grandma Sargie about had a fit. Hambone had earlier been playing in the dirt and Grandma insisted he go in the house and wash his hands before sticking his fingers in his mouth.

I invoked the Pawpaw injunction and told her that there are a different set of germ rules when putting up maple syrup. The Pennington boys used to simply brush their hands on their pants before sampling any maple syrup. All grew up to be big, strong, healthy, men. I assured her Hambone would be no worse for the wear in doing the same. (It's similar to the ten second rule when one drops an edible goodie onto the floor.)

I sent the boy to the house for a couple of table spoons. If a lick from a finger was good, a swallow from a spoon can only be described as absolutely heavenly.

A walking/dibble stick and a spoonful of fresh maple syrup

Can life get any better?

It was time to move the syrup to the processing stage in the kitchen. Once again, Hambone discovered the sweet sweet advantage to making maple syrup.

We use a measuring cup to dip the syrup from the bucket into the canning jars. There's always a bit left when finished, just enough to have a final sip or two.

From what I hear, when I was outside yesterday afternoon, Hambone handed Grandma Sargie her head on a platter playing Uno. 

The sap quit running Saturday afternoon as the temperature approached sixty degrees. I'm uncertain if it got cold enough last night to cause it to run today. If not, we'll boil what sap is in storage and see how many gallons of syrup are processed.

I was hoping that we might pull the taps later this afternoon and call an end to the season, but it appears we may try extending our efforts one more week. I plan to be hiking the Appalachian Trail next spring, so we're doing two years worth for friends and family.

Hambone will be heading home today as he has school tomorrow. Poor kid. He learned how to swing a bat this weekend, collected sap and boiled much like the young man he's turning out to be, made a dibble/walking stick, beat Grandma Sargie in a cut throat game of Uno, and even hopped up and cleared the dishes after last night's supper.

There are some things that can't be learned by playing video games and in the classroom. 

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

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...