Pumpkin Village

[Al]

Here in Pumpkin Village (Fairfield Vt.) we've got the ridge line done today. We're buying more buckets tomorrow and plan on tapping on the 1st no matter what!! :D Had the neighbors deer helping with the line. They raised him like a dog and now that's just how he acts.
So for this year I've added a tank/wood shed ,added 25 taps,and insulated the evaporator doors. Tomorrow I'll clean everything up and be ready to go. I'll be at 140 taps and proberly just about maxed out my little 2x5 1/2 rig.
Was at the new Leader plant last week. Good thing I had the wife with me. It will be worth a trip this summer to see it. Hint Hint.
Take care.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Al,

Glad to have you back on here and a good season to you! :D

[Daren]

hey Al....did it run today....anything out the tap hole after drilling? it was about 35 at my place today. Supposed to be even a little warmer tomorrow...bet it will run. I could tap tomorrow, but i still think I will wait out this really cold snap this weekend....When are you around your place? I have lots of midweek days off....as a matter of fact, I am off for 7 days straight every other week! Love to see the setup! Maybe even get Nick and Matt to head over.

[Al]

Hi Darren, I'm off on Weds. and Thurs. every week. Give me a ring. I'm tapping next week.

[Al]

Hi Brandon, haven't missed a day in years. Just don't post much anymore.
Take care,

[Daren]

I am hoping to tap wednesday too....only 50 though...should not take me very long....then maybe a trip to Pumpkin Village....i just bought new tree saver 5/16 taps from Leader. I hope the sap runs ok through the smaller holes. How many are you putting in on Wednesday and do you need some labor? Love to see the setup.

[Al]

Putting in the whole shebang if the weather is good. Give me a call or stop on in. Just walk out to the sugar house and holler. Watch out for the golden thou she loves attention. :D

[nmerritt]

Darren, put up some of the 5/16 lines today. Not sure if it's right but it seems to be going down hill. Got a little cold though. When we get to putting the drops in I'll give you a buzz. You will have to see the operation in full operation.
Nick

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I love the Leader 5/16 tree saver spouts. They seat and seal better than any spout I have ever seen. Of course, I tap them lightly with a hammer and don't push them in the tree by hand. :)

[Al]

No tapping this week. Have to work. Temps weren't right anyways. Oh well just have to drown my sorrows. :D
Take care

[fk]

No tapping for me yet but I have 84 new taps installed ready to tap. Those warmish days of 22 and 23 Feb only brought the temp to 33 and 34 degrees at my dad's in Eden. Not enough for any sap yet. Im not in a hurry. Of course it is at 1450 feet asl. Got the sugarhouse arranged pretty good and enough wood for maby 80 gallons this year. I will have about 300 tapped. ........I still have a bunch of leader and Grimm buckets if anyone needs any-with covers and spouts too. I probably have about 400 sets or so. $2.50/set probably is fair to a good home. Would be willing to trade them for some stainless splash guards of any kind for my evap or any canning equipment.
Good luck everybody!.........Frank Kneeland

[Daren]

Hey Al... The wife and I took a drive along Pumpkin Village tonight and looks for your place....forgot to bring the address though. I did run into a guy in a yellow ford f-250 with a golden on the front seat with him and thought it must be you. He was checking his collection tanks and said that he had about 15 gallons of sap. NOt really running yet I guess. I will try again this week either wednesday or thursday if you are going to be around. Are you all tapped? Hope so....weather is gonna break.

[Al]

Tapping tomorrow. I'll be around all day Wednesday. Just come up to the woodlot and holler. Loud!! We're the gray ranch on top of the hill with a two car garage set up in the woodline.
Take care

[mapleman3]

Come on Al, Lets get it done... I may have to stop over this summer, may make a trip up to the uncles in Enosburg.

[Al]

Buckets go up tomorrow and a test boil in the afternoon. Hope for some good runs this weekend. My work hours are from 6-2 so I will get off early enough to gather before the wife gets home. My off days are Weds and Thurs. My firemen isn't able to help this year so it's back to a one man op. Can't wait!!!
Come on up and see us anytime.
Take care

[Al]

We're all tapped and ready to go. The boy's came home from school and tapped there trees. What fun!!!! I think the best part of sugaring is the memories that we all will have.
Take care

[Daren]

Amen to that Al!

[brookledge]

Al
I had to wait to finish my tapping till my kids could be there to help. I hang 9 buckets and the rest on tubing but every year they want to help with the buckets. So I know what you mean by memories
Keith

[Al]

Well no big runs today. About 40 gallons on 131 buckets. :( Nice thing is there is always tomorrow.
Take care!

[Mike]

HEY AL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 8O 8O ......How goes it up there in Pumpkin Village??

[Al]

Not worth a hoot!! Got my last sap about a week ago. Just enough to sweeten the pans but no draw off. Now I'm wondering since it looks like at least until the end of the week before weather improves if I should just dump it and start over with a clean rig. I'll have held the sap over a week and a half.
How are you doing? Are you up at the sugarhouse this weekend?
Take care.
Al

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Al,

Leave it in the pans, it will be fine! :D

[vermontkyle]

Hey Al,
Yeah, I understand your quandry with the sap. I live in So. Burlington and boiled last sunday (9days) ago. It ran a little that monday and tuesday then froze leaving an inch or so in the buckets. I've been wondering whether to dump them or not. I checked the sap today though when it warmed up and it looked o.k.
I think if it is warm enough we'll gather tomorrow and boil thursday then hopefully again this weekend. It was running well for a couple hours today-at least on the trees in the sun.
Anyway, I've read enough of Pumpkin Village I feel like I know you.
-Kyle

[Mike]

Al, If the sap runs this weekend ill be there sunday......And probally monday and tuesday.....Its been a slow start......

[Al]

Kyle, come on up and see us. Were are you in South Burlington? I get down there every couple of weeks.
Al

[vermontkyle]

Hey Al,
Im in Mayfair Park which is off Williston Rd. by the Ethan Allen Motel. ACtually if you drive down Williston Rd. youll see some sap buckets on trees kind of across from the Ground Round-anyway those are my buckets-my family ownes the Ethan Allen Motel and I tap around that too-also in colchester at my parents and at a friends out in Williston-101 taps in all this year (wanted that 100 to join the VMSMA).
I will stop by some time-my father in law lives in Fairfax and we get up to Brannons every now and then for their sunday breakfast.
I collected today and not quite enough to boil yet-sap looked good thoug-probably sunday as I have to work saturday-thinking of putting up some cardboard signs on Williston Rd. dircting people to the boiling in an attempt to do my part for the maple open house weekend. Most of the neighbors are from down country anyway and boiling usually attracts an interesting group of onlookers.
PS-I also grow giant pumpkins-if you are interested I've got some good seeds.
Nice Chatting,
Kyle

[Al]

Hi Kyle. Know right were the motel is. Pumpkins seeds are a hit here. My oldest boy Warren sales pumpkins in the fall for college money. Of course he's only nine but with the price of school better to start early. It's alot of work but we help him out. He's pretty happy around Halloween though. :D
Well we gathered around 90 gallons today and will boil tomorrow. Checked the sap in the tanks and it just looks a little milky to me. Going to clean everything tomorrow just to get off to a good start.
Take care.

[Al]

Well collected some more and had around 150 gallons. Cleaned everything and started over. Boy that sweetening pans deal takes awhile. We drew off about 2 gallons of fancy. :D Front pan is almost ready to draw off. Well have to run. Wood to put in and the boys are ready for maple open house weekend. They love to go to other sugarhouses. Of course almost all of Warrens classmates have someone in sugaring. Heck the schoolhouse even has it's own sugarhouse with a 2x6 in it. :D
Take care

[mapleman3]

Glad to see your getting sap Al, the way things have been going north of here it just seems real late. 8O

[Mike]

Hey Jim, I think where about the same as last year as far as starting, but im way ahead of last years crop.. :D ...66 gals so far and it look like the sap will run good for the rest of the week......Hey Al, I noticed the sap yesterday was a little cloudy......Hope its not a sign of things to end.. 8O

[mapleman3]

Mike, I'm at 76 gals... this wek is it for me, looks like most of the week is warm... hopefully I'll do another 10-15 gallons.. don't know

[Al]

My sap is clear as a water. Still pulling off a real light med amber. Getting around 110 gallons of sap a day the past couple of days. We're averaging about a Qt a hour on my little rig. She's been a roaring!! :D
Hope the end isn't near.
Take care

[Al]

Well got about 60 gallons of sap today and figured with the warm weather coming I'd better boil it down. Lost med amber yesterday so cleaned everything up but still came out with a dark amber. It's so good it will make your toes curl and hair grow on your head. (Jim) :lol: :lol:
We're over 12 gallons and have more in the front pan. That's are new record. :D
Oh yea! The wife bought me a pressure washer today. :D
Take care

[Daren]

Hey Al.... I had to look back to catch up on the recent posts. The sap was really movin since last Thursday. I have been so busy in the sugar shack that I have not been able to log on to catch up (keep up). Looks like you are really putting it to it this year :D . I still have to get up there some time....I wish my evap rate was a little better so I could get out to see some others steamin. It just takes me all day to boil off 75 gallons of sap. Only got about 7 gallons per hour off. Oh well...sure was fun doin it. Maybe some more improvements for next year :wink:

[mapleman3]

Sounds like the season did good for you Al... whats the improvments for next season look like?

[Al]

We're done here. Trees have budded and the sap is all bright yellow. Looks like around 14 gallons this year on 130 buckets. Would of been more but we had a 9 or 10 day space inbetween runs so I dumped the old sap and cleaned up the rig. We started at fancy and ended at a dark amber.
Would like to see about getting a front float put on the rig if possible. That's it for improvements. It was a good year and now for the clean up!!

The boys are getting older and becoming more help every year. Sue would get up early in the morning to wash all the dirty pails, filters etc. every day. :D She shore looks a heck of alot better gathering sap then this old man. :D Can't beat a good partner in life.
Take care

[Daren]

Amen to great friends, life companions and the sweet smell of steam! These are truely the best of times. I am already thinking of next years possibilities. It was a great year....mostly packed into the last week plus a couple days! It is always a little bit of a downer knowing that it will be another year before we can do it again. Oh well....the wait makes it all that much better, like waiting on Christmas or that teenagers first kiss. Good health to you and your family Al. I still hope to catch up to you sometime.

[Al]

Well just when you think your done. Your Dad comes home from Florida and He didn't get to tap his 17 trees around the house. He calls and wants to know when I'm gathering again. Thought I was done!! 8O
My gear hadn't been cleaned so I did a fast water run through my tanks and was ready to go. So we gather about 165 gallons of sap. Throw some on the ground. Sort of selective crop selection. To make a long story longer we made about 3 gallons of a Dark A/Light B. My Dad got his day in the woods and sugarhouse so he's happy. What a day!!! Nothing like spending a day with your Dad!! :D 8)
Now he thinks one more run on Sunday! 8O 8O Mom's laughing but she say's Dad slept like a rock that night.
Take care and call your parents if you can. My Dad is 68 and my best friend. They don't make them like him anymore.
Take care,

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Al,

Glad you got more sap and more importantly, time with you dad. Same here with my dad and I sure enjoy spending time with him and sugaring. First year since I started I really didn't get to do that and missed it a lot. He came by for a couple of times and helped a little, but he was too busy most of the time. Hopefully he can get his house finished and get back into it next year. Go for it, maybe a few more gallons out there! :D

[Al]

Well gathered another 185 gallons yesterday and boiled it down to a Grade B. Not the best tasting syrup. Taste like maple lollipops. Sugar content was almost non exsistent. We had a good family get together and ate to much food. All the kids got there own qt. of syrup and went home happy. We're now offically done. The peepers are out. It was a good season. Time for a front float and maybe forced air.
Take care

[Mike]

Where's AL................................................ ........

[Fred Henderson]

Probably in very deep snow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Al]

Yep, deep snow. Hope to get the road plowed this weekend and tapped by Tuesday. Got a nice new custom finishing rig this year. Just my size. 12"x12".
The sugar house is ready. Added a nice new wood floor in the back room and put up alot of pictures. My wife calls it home away from home. The boys are already to camp out with Dad. Wife wants to know what I want for my 50th birthday in two years? Here's my selections so far: A new 2x6 with a Maple Leaf arch from Leaders, a new F250 with a Boss plow, a New cabbed tractor or a small addition on the sugar house with a wood cook stove.
Nothing small since I'll only be 50 once. The sad part is my wife agrees with me. Boy now that's like letting the kid into the candy shop!!!!
Hope everyone has a good year and we all get swamped!

[Daren]

hey Al....nice to see you back...too bad we have to start on page 5 this year. Anyway...I am going to tap on Saturday. maybe a boil by wednesday if it decides to run a little. Not sure how it will work with all the snow. Snowshoes are a definite necessity. I've picked up 25 more taps for this year. The sickness continues.