Hop Kiln Road 2012

[Hop Kiln Road]

Kinda Tapped
M just made me a couple of those NY Manhattan drinks using the terrific new cherries I got her for Valentines Day! I try to get her to put three in mine, but she winces if I finger fish in my sommelier before reaching an "appropriate" liquid level. So while contemplating why a drink with Kentucky bourbon and Italian wine got named for a place in NY and how every last one of the internet guys are already racing their suckers and squeezers and giggling me a Luddite, I was whiskeying whether I had the points to raise the RO issue. Geez I must have been telegraphing, cause M said, "oh you're about to stick your fingers in your drink, aren't you, Treat?" Caught a little off balance I tried to parry that I was just feeling inadequate cause all the other dudes my age out on the internet are running for President, making $21 million dollars a year, fathering oodles of kids, paying zippo in taxes and opening their marriages like popping wine corks, while I'm stuck a boring, politically abandoned, pre-industrial age weaver. She just raised her sommelier and gave me that funny look, like she knows which way the wind is going to blow, and said, "Cheers, isn't this the time you hang your buckets on all those trees?" Guys, I'm as good as tapped!

[eustis22]

Just..........wow

[Amber Gold]

Funny. Well done.

[Russell Lampron]

Bruce it looks like you picked the right time to tap. The 10 day forecast looks about as good as it can look for sugaring. I'm going to tap my buckets today.

[eustis22]

Bravo, again

[GramaCindy]

Got a little run going here, uncanny, looks like Doc hit the tap in right on the nose. Maybe 1.5 gpt in 36 hours, tested 2.1%, clear and foamy, but the Wheeler Brook tank was pretty light so hiked in to spruce up a couple laterals just before dark and what do I find, three tough looking squirrels trying to make off with about 20 feet of my mainline, probably going to sell it for scrap to finance their recreational habits. Well I only had a bunch of fittings and a tubing tool so I figure I can make a break for it and out run 'em, but its three on one, and before I can get the jump on 'em the biggest and meanest looking squirrel grabs me by my carhartts. He's got a bunch of my 1/2" clamps on his fingers and real bad acorn breath, and demands I turn over my ATM card before, "I get messed up real bad." Enough said, couple feet of mainline ain't worth it. I high tail back to my truck while they scurry the mainline and a bunch of laterals up the brook headed for that Manchester scrap dealer. Yikes, so shook by the time I got home couldn't even squeeze a lime! Swore to M I was going back in the morning with dad's M-1 and first thing drop the big one, no warning, nothing. Well she says I can't do that cause NH has some threshold law! Says I've got to retreat first, but, if the squirrels cross the threshold of my abode, and I feel threatened, then I can shoot 'em. Guys, seriously, I practice and I'm no slouch, but three squirrels in the house with the dogs going nuts, M's Hummel collection, my adrenaline, probably use a whole clip just to take out the little runt brandishing the tire iron. Still think I ought to just ambush 'em on their threshold tomorrow morning.

OMG….I am laughing out loud Bruce…your post are a real TREAT! Thank YOU! and Keep em' coming!

[Greyfox]

Bruce, if that IS your real name, not to worry. The rule of Law is WAY overstated. I'm an aquaintance of the Good Doctor as well, and he knows a high-powered Samoian attorney who has CONNECTIONS. No, not 5/16's laterals, but big-time powerful and dangerous people who can make things happen. Squirrels have been know to just disappear, never to be heard from again. Coyotes have to eat too, and they're not too finickey about the occasional .308 balistic tip included inside a free lunch. Not that I would KNOW these things, but that's the rumor 'round the campfire. Some would say that's overkill, but never mind. Leave the Barrett .50 in the bunker, and let the garand do the talking.

Now off the the sugar house. Just checking to make sure I have everything.....sandwich, 12-pack, 1911....yup, good-to-go. Caio.

[eustis22]

I really need to split a few maple porters over a fire with Hop Kiln Road

[Amber Gold]

Let me know the damper works. I've thought about installing one. My evap. doesn't wake up unless it's over 1200F, so there's a lot of wasted heat going up the stack. I think my stack oversized for my evap. at 14" and think it should be choked down to say 11". Also, w/ the forced draft, a larger stack isn't necessary.

Sounds like you're off to a typical February start...off and on.

[PerryW]

maybe next time the discount cruise ship will be taken over by Somalian pirates.

[Sandy]

Sorry about this Treat, but we already had owah new stickers printed (or stolen from *bucks coffeehouse) and besides the lobstahs 'roun here ah pretty tough nuts ta crack. So let me know I could drop off a-couple-a lobstahs at your place next trip to NH to help with youah squirrel problem...neighbors tell me squirrel is "the other white meat" and our mobsters, um i meant "lobsters" ah always hungry and pack 38spl+p, snub-nose, of course, an aint nevah heard of laws-of-entry.

[Russell Lampron]

It's sad to hear that you are pulling your taps. March is still in the teens. It just isn't right. I am leaving mine in until after maple weekend and giving the CV's a workout. To my surprise my vacuum is still pulling in sap so I am able to hold out a little longer.