Salisbury Sugarworks 2012 NEVER GIVE AN INCH

[Parker]

What a day! Started tapping in boscowen.Had Dennis, Courtney, and Ray for a crew...got in around 700 (obviously none of us are Vermonters)...this is a woods that we had been throught and repaired not long ago and still we found extensive squirell damage....I went out to try to get the vacuum running around noon...after about an hour fired the faithful sp-22 up and...no vac...?!?!?...pump was making a funny noise so I tore the top off and the roll pin that makes the valve spin was gone??? had it going in another hour of wrenching...looked at the vac. gauge and....4"!!!!!!! WOOOO! Shut the valves between the releaser and the woods and got 27"...problems in the woods.. headed up the conductor line and herd hissing??odd...Freaking squirls chewd my dryline!! AHHH..fixed that up a littel and walked up the conductor line to the end shutting the lat. mainlines off so all the vac was on the last lat. mainline...vac. read 9"...as I shut that valve the vac dropped right off...LOTS OF LEAKS TO FIX!!! mind you this was during a better than average run...frustrating...as we walked back to the tank @ dark I could see a mist in the air around the vac. pump...sure enough the new last year Lapeirre double releaser had one of its lids turned enough so the float rod did not hit the rocker and shift sides (I WILL NOT BUY THAT MODEL RELEASER AGINE) my fault, but a poor desgine.. and the pump was sucking sap!!! Also my fault caus I did not have a moisture trap with squash balkl to prevent that (on list for today) threw the pump in the back of the puckup and ray and I worked on it till late..off to the woods agine.GIVE IT HELL!!!..MAY THE SWEET GODESS SMILE DOWN UPON YOU!!!

[Parker]

Got vac. going by noon, buit a moisture trap so no more flooded pump,,by 4 we had it all tight to 22" (just an sp-22), Mabey 350 gallons of sap,,sun never came out today...Gaining....Working on Bobs arch tommrow

[Mark-NH]

A lesser man would have sat down and cried at your first day out. Give it hell and carry on.

[Parker]

Hi Mark! You tapping yet? still running that sp-11? Off to Bobs today,,we have been modifying his 5x14 (OLD) arch for forced air (in ramp blowing towards doors-air tight doors and up thru the grates,,,BIG blower)...Time to try to get that project wrapped up! Back to drilling thursday....

[Mark-NH]

Yep, still running the old girl and she has not let me down. She is on about 220 taps. I am going to start tapping tomorrow Sunday. Plan/hope to get one bush all done and on vacuum. Please keep your posts coming. I really enjoy reading them.

[S Culver]

Nice Hank Stamper quote Did you post it above your bed? Keep it up

[GramaCindy]

A lesser man would have sat down and cried at your first day out. Give it hell and carry on.
That's what I was thinking. Sounds a little bit like my test boil day yesterday.

[red maples]

Geez!!! thats a tough a first day!!! I thought I had some issues man!!! I did have a lot of squirrel damage as well worst year yet for me. I think it was to lack of acorna crop, but everything was pretty low this year pinecones hickory etc. so I guess they just needed a little plastic to knaw on!!!!

[Backyard Sapper66]

PARKER,

Where art thou????

Hope all is well over there in "sugar land".

Nothing doing up here on the mountain, I've even gone out and hugged the trees, talked to them nicely and even talked to the "sugar Goddess" while I was spiffing up the shack and she hasn't replied yet (well at least not with any runs of sap but I have heard a few voices).

Take care my friend.............
Doug B.
:)

[Parker]

Dont have the quote scralled in equipment paint above my bed,,,BUT,, Hank Stamper is my hero....A BIT OF A SLOW YEAR HERE....BUT we have faith in the SWEET GODESS!!! Made 1157 last year,,,555 so far this year...BUT its gonna freeze tonight and my red maple taps are pulled (budded out)...sugars dont look too bad..firing up pumps tommrow....I WANT IT!

[sjdoyon]

We hit 9 degrees this morning and the sap stopped flowing after almost three weeks of a continuous run. All rock maples so they still haven't had the urge to bud. Hope to get in a few more weeks in with the scheduled cold nights. Good luck to all who are still hanging in there.

[Parker]

20 deg here this a.m. ..Just got back from Sanborns orchard,,a due south face,,trees are all budded out...Ill start the pump when it gets above freezing but dont have a lot of hope for a run out of there.....headed to Hill (due north face,,900' higher in elevation) to fix some problems,,install some saddels we missed,,,have hopes of getting some sap off the remaining 1600? hard maple taps...time will tell...GIVE EM HELL!

[PerryW]

got down to 12 deg here, 28 degrees at present with a howling wind. Got 65% of my trees still tapped (the colder ones). Not sure if it'll warm up enough today?

[Parker]

Well, thats it for us this year...643 gal on 3100 taps..OUCH!!! Still had fun...