June Journal

[Mike]

Let the summer begin.........

[mapleman3]

Way to be on the ball Mike... Man can you believe half the year has gone by already?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Seems the cat has stole the tongues around here. :mrgreen: I drove 695 miles today and went by my dealers and picked up four cases of jugs and then proceed farther north in PA and picked up the 600 gallon milk tank. Sure was a sight to behold with something that big on a 5x8 trailer and behind my Odessy van for aprox 300 miles on the way home. The tank is a 1958 model, but is in excellent condition and hardly has a dent on it and some light scratches. Sure was stressful driving that far with something that big behind you also. 8O

I worked Thurs and Friday evenings on getting the gravel inside the building and 200 tons later, I am nearly done. My dad finished up the rest of the blocks today while I was traveling, so I will have to finish grading the inside and filling with gravel and will be ready to pour the floor. After I get the floor poured, I will lay up to more courses of blocks on the outside wall to get me 16" above ground level and 2 courses of 4" blocks for my inside walls.

[Parker]

I have been working at thinning in Hill the last few days,,,had the county forester up there on friday,,asked him what he thought of the sugarbush ,,his response "well its not a Vermont bush now is it" ,,,it might not be a vermont bush but I want to make it one of the best in merrimack county,,,,he did say for merrimack county it was not bad, I asked about fertilization, he said thinning would be the most important first step then reevaulate in 2 years,
I wonder if the high sugar readings I got up there were from the trees being stressed???intense compotion? He said he thought it was genetic,, probably thinned for sweet trees in the past, he did say that that bush was intensivly managed in the past and one of the first places to put up tubing in the state, ,thin, thin, thin,,,,lots of days needed to complete that project but it should be nice when it is done,,,,,,trying to get the roofing for the woodshed this week also,,,,,,,,,,,,,keep at it!!!!!

[mapleman3]

Had a real close scare yesterday... after I changed the oil on my truck I moved it from the driveway, cleaned up my tools and such and there about right where I was sitting was a BUG!! it caught my eye so I caught it, well **** if it didn't look EXACTLY like the Asian Longhorned Beetle. so I put it in a ziplock bag and into the freezer to kill it. a while after my wife brought my son to a party and what does she come home with in a cup... ANOTHER ONE!!! so into a bag and into the freezer. I made a rather panicked call to our Association, and I was told there are a few "LOOKALIKES" so he gave me a website to look at and sure enough ours is a look a like... it's a "white spotted pine sawyer" WHEW Not the scare I'd like again...
check out these pictures for future
http://www.uvm.edu/albeetle/identification/index.html

Have a great Day.. sure is nice out there

Brandon I got your call the other day, I will talk with you soon, work has been about the busiest it's been so far, great job on all the work your doing!!!

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

The Asian longhorn beetles are about 2X the size of the sawyer and a very bright white VS the Sawyer which almost looks somewhat grey in color instead of the white.

[mapleman3]

I realize that now but I'll tell ya when you see it for the first time and remembering what the Asian looks like it gives ya a scare at first!! Boy I'm sure glad it wasn't... as far as size it was about an inch long body wise .

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Spent about 3 hours this evening and finished filling in the building and getting the gravel on grade and ready to pour the concrete. Sure took a lot of gravel, $ 2500+, but you do what you have to do. I am going to put in three floor drains and set the screed stakes, and hope to pour a week from this Sat. Looks like it will be around 16 to 18 yards of concrete, so quite a big pour. Hope to have some pics posted soon! Maybe it won't rain that day, it wants to rain every day around here again this year. This makes the 3rd or 4th year in a row! 8O

Wish I could make it up to Rick's this weekend, but guess maybe sometime in the distant future! :?

[mapleman3]

Brandon Sounds like things are moving along.. don't know if you have the heat that we are getting, but it doesn't allow for much work thats for sure.
hope to see your pics real soon!!

Yeah I wish I was up to the ya'll come too. I just called Rick up at his camp, figured I'd wake the ole dog up.. sure enough he was sleeping, he said the fireworks went well there last night. hopefully we can get a whole bunch of us there for the Labor Day weekend Ya'll come, it's a blast start marking your calenders!!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Jim,

Been extremely hot down here, but I have kept trucking. I worked about 3 hours yesterday getting the concrete ready to pour and spent the rest of the day helping my parents move. I have all my floor drains graded an in place and all I need to do is to set some screed stakes and put the plastic and wire in place.! :D

[hangman]

Brandon,
I've been following the construction progress here online. It's exciting and very interesting. I'm anxious, like many others, to see some photo updates.

Looks great so far…Hangman

[themapleking]

The weather was nice For Ricks party. Good fun good food, For those who didn't make it Mapleman. Rick even let me shoot off all of the fireworks. Sorry Jimbo :lol:
Laber day weekend is the big one you should all come. We got ideas for a huge firework show done by the pros SKYLIGHTERS.

[mapleman3]

He let you light off Joe?? why that some-bi$%h after all the help I have given him and you get to go first :evil: grrrrrr... :wink: :wink: guess thats what I get for living so far away!!
Glad you guys had good weather, we got downpours on Sunday here... can't wait for the Labor day bash.. oh and I'll bring my firing clothes helmet and torch!!!!!!!! :D :D :cry:

[Mike]

Hey Brandon? How far is the new sugar house from your place??

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Mike,

It is 25 to 30 minutes away, a little less than 1/2 mile from my setup. I am hoping to pour the concrete this Sat and should have some pics posted sometime this weekend. I got the screed stakes in place yesterday and a few more things and I will be ready for pouring hopefully Sat morning if the rain will hold off for a few hours. :D

[lharris1]

Good luck with pour on Saturday. I wish I had the weekend free to be there and possibly lend a hand, but I have to be in Morgantown for a brithday party for a grand daughter. I told Richard about your plans and he said he would try to stop by.

[steve J]

Well I need to do a lot more thinning if I want to add some taps next year but for time being its time to do some fishing. Any of you fishing in the LCI up on Lake champlain this weekend?

[mapleman3]

Hmmm Maple? Havn't touched a thing!! did put on an addition to the Chicken coop though for all the new girls, hatched 14 bought 10 which now brings us to appx 60 birds.... time to cull out the older girls and Roo's.

Maple? well with this cold front, maybe I should retap :lol: 8O

[syrupmaker]

HE HE HE yep you gotta move closer for sure if you want to make things go bang with me. :lol:

Rick