September Journal

[Pete33Vt]

Well I will start this journal, If Mike doesn't mind!? Mike I have been in your area for the last few days.We paved a few driveways up that way. One on Riley Rd., one off of Gore Rd. and one on Dandurand Rd. I met a guy off of Gore Rd. and told him about maple trader. I think he got on and joined up. He had a great looking little sugarhouse. Well Its going to be a very busy month. I got the barn all torn apart. Needs new concrete before we get the animals in. Plus alot of remodifing. Woods coming along ok. When I can get the kids to help. I am working on getting sap from 150 taps. The last time they were tapped he got 1400 gallons with average test of 3. Not bad for around here. He said he was paid 300.00 for the deal. Does that sound right? The temp here is been getting down there I had 39 on Thursday morning. Feel more like fall every day. I hope evryone is safe and happy. Enjoy the long weekend. Stay safe.
Pete

[Al]

Morning Pete. Yep, fall is on the way. Been busy getting a few shingles stuck down and doing the trim on the house. Start cutting trees here pretty soon for the following year. This is my favorite time of year to cut wood. :D I bet Old Mike is despondent he did'nt get to do this months journal. Been seeing alot of does here. Just waiting to see horns.
Take care,

[Revi]

It's turning into very early fall here. The leaves may start turning in the next few weeks. We split up a lot of basswood and other low value woods for the evaporator. I had one cut for wood carving. I like carving basswood. I make woodblock prints and am doing one based on Eastman Johnson's sugaring scenes. I plan on having it ready for maple sunday.

The days are getting a lot shorter, and the sun is not as powerful as it was all summer. I think the maples have had a chance to store some energy, however. Soon they will cast off this year's leaves and prepare for winter. We have our wood cut and drying and are filling the sugarhouse. It may take a while.

[Parker]

Slashed up 10 cords of pine for the evaporator and trucked it home,,arm seems to be good enough to run some of the equipment,,getting lots of logging help,,still wont be able to handle a saw for a few months,,,I need to split 30? cords soon,,some is 3 years old,,some green,,have around 20 cords in sugar house,,another 6? ready to go in,,LOVE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR!!!! good luck to all,,,,and may your tank run over....

[Pete33Vt]

Al where are you located in Pumpkin Village? Are you up the hill from Rodger Sweet? I might have a chance to stop over this winter.
Pete

[Pete33Vt]

Parker, good to hear that you are on the mend. Do you know anyone in your area with a John Deere 648 grapple. A buddy of mine is looking to sell or trade his 548 grapple for a bigger newer machine. He has alot of jobs coming up with long skids. And they are looking for a faster unit. His machine is in good condition for the year just a little slow. It would be nice to find one.He is also looking for a bigger loader. He has a husky 175 ( I think) right know and is looking for a bigger unit? Any info would be great.
Pete

[Parker]

Pete- Tell your buddy to call main finanical service out of scarboro ME,,I would think they would be able to help him out,,I have a hood 24000 slasher, live heel, 60"saw 1986 in good shape I would sell for $27,000,,as poor as the markets are it should be easy to find equipment...I would probably call some banks and look at some of the many repos a market like this one causes...
I worked at the Hopkinton fair yesterday in the sugar house,,They had maple cotton candy and barbcue sauce outside and frosted maple milk, maple sugar, maple candy, maple kettel corn, maple nuts, and maple syrup inside,,,it was very busy, meet some fellow maple makers,,a good time

[mountainvan]

Made it in another paper this week. Had several people mention it at the farmers market. Only thing I did'nt know was that what I wrote on their e-mail questions was going to be printed word for word. I probably would have left out the story of falling in bear poop while cleaning maple tubing one year, or my neighbors seeing me doing " my happy maple sugarers dance" in the woods when I walk up to a tank full of sap. Hopefully the flatlanders don't start thinking of me as that crazy mountainman. If they do, it could help sales. Did'nt hurt today!! Have to bottle more syrup this week, start to move wood into the woodshed( cut and split it last year), and go fishing. I love being a maple producer!!

[ibby458]

Had a call for a gallon of light amber, so checked my stockpile. Yikes! Down to 3 gallons plus a few scattered quarts and pints, and Christmas sales are still to come. I bottled 40 gallons this year, better do 60 or a bit more next year.

Next year's sugar wood has been done for some time; also got the year after that up now in the form of dead tamarack poles and limbs. Gotta cut to length and pile, but it can wait until I got a place under cover to stack it.

[Mike]

Pete, If your in the neighbor hood and you see the gate down stop in......Ill be there a lot more now summers over.....I have to run some main lines and a new vac set up at the sugar house......I bought a 4000 tap pump.......Hope to have all the taps there some day.....Al, whats your email address, Ill send you some pics of bucks on our property....Pete, I was sleeping, thanks for starting the new Journal for me.... :D

[Pete33Vt]

Mike, Where exactly is your neighborhood. I KNow of alot of roads in Franklin with gates. But if I drive down some of them I would end up in Canada!! Hahaha. A little better description of where your at and I might be over sometime to check out your operation, Sounds like a great setup.
Pete

[Pete33Vt]

Parker, I havn't had a chance to talk with my buddy yet on your slasher, It sounds like it right up his alley. I'll let him know and get back to you.Do you have any pictures? What are the hours on your machine?Thanks for the info.
Pete

[Mike]

Pete, Its on the middle rd......Comming from Byrons store its the 1st drive way past the big red farm house with the sugar house and horses ....You can see it from the state park rd........Mike

[Parker]

Bobby and young Ray needed something to do this afternoon while we were moving equipment,,,had them go to the sugarhouse with the tractor at 2:00,,I got back from the doctor and joined them at 4:30,,put 8 or so cords inside, by 8 pm,has got to be 30 cords inside now,,,have another 20 cords to put in,,,,want to rig up some racks that I can pick up with the tractor and set inside the sugarhouse thru the woodshed door( Handle it once),,have a truck body that might work...Good Luck to all.........

[Pete33Vt]

Mike, Yep I know where your at now. I'll look you up sometime, When its not so busy. Trying to get the barn ready for animals, wood for the house, and get things ready for sugaring. Was hoping to have a 3x10 for this year but will have to make due with a small homemade rig that a friend has. If it give me to much grief I'll sell the sap a go boil for someone.
Paker, I'm sure with a little head scratching, you can figure out a rack for your wood. I too love this time of year. Getting closer to layoff for the season.
Stay safe, and enjoy life..
Pete

[royalmaple]

Apple boxes make good crates to hold wood, and easy to manuver around with forks.

[Parker]

Finished building a road and landing into the Hoit road sugar woods,,will start logging there today,,the landing and road are on the oppisit side of the lot from the bush,,will make a road good enough for the tractor when done (I hope),,,we will be logging pine and oak for now but hope to do some thinning of maples while I am there,,The deer over there really chew the heck out of the tubing,,I think with the low hemlock cover removed from the bush they wont feel comfortable standing there and chewing my tubing into 6" long pieces,,,,,

[Parker]

Got a skidder trail roughed in over the mountian to the bush,,pretty stoked to rearrange some of the tubing and do some thinning,,it is very overcrowded,,would like to move the tank and put a culvert next to the road so collection would be eaiser,,,,,,,,,we will see,,,,,,,,

[Pete33Vt]

Got Rain here yesterday, was trying to finish up wood for winter, Oh well, got some cleaning done in barn. Going to try and get more wood done today, and water into barn. All work that needs to be done for sugaring will get done latter on. All of the trees I am going to tap are on other properties. So I need to wait until cows are in before I can work on them. Oh well not very many anyway. Someday I will jhave a bush that I can work and keep up.
Stay safe... Pete

[mountainvan]

had another successful sales weekend at the farmers markets. have to go get more glass bottles this week and fill them with syrup. Doctors office called this week to make an appointment for another biopsy, looks like it will be next month. I've been feeling pretty good, not to many naps, just a couple. Congratulations to Chris on the fair.

[Pete33Vt]

I hope everyone can take a minute today (and every day) to think about how this country changed 5 yrs ago today. I know I will.

God Bless and stay safe
Pete

[Sugarmaker]

Hi folks,
Vacation this week to clean the sugarhouse for the State tour. Also to go to the Local Albion Fair. We will be entering syrup and honey and spending many hours there this week as the "offical" spectators. We go for breakfast. watch some events have lunch come home take a nap and go back cown for chicken dinner in the evening.
Our grandson Mike (11) will be pulling in the garden tractor pull tonight in the 1050 lb class with a 14 hp Bolens. :lol:

I was just telling Jim Bortles (Father and Son) that I just bought a maple tree that had been tapped for at least 50 years, maybe more, and am planning to cross cut it to see the tap holes for display. I will let you know how this turns out. The tree is 36 inches in diameter at the tapping height. Should make some nice show and tell pieces. If they turn out nice I try to sell some of them???

Man it sounds like everyone is busy right now. Harvesting wood and canning syrup. Our sales have slowed as normal during the summer.

Rick, Hope your Yall Come was a great success! We couldnt make it but sure were tinking about those big fireworks!

Also I just picked up my new evaporator last night its is a beauty, all stainless! :lol: :lol: More to come on this subject. We will be auctioning one off at the PA State tour.
Pray for Peace! Pray for our troops!

Regards,
Chris

[Jim Brown]

Well last saturday we just opened the new sugar bush we leased this summer. Put in approx 500 feet of main line and 100 taps to start. Got to get the other 500 feet in this weekend and continue to increase the tap count. Hope to have 400 on this set up by the time the snow flies! Got the vacumn system set up on a trailer and ready to hook up to the first 360 taps in the old bush. That should give us a good idea weather the 2x6 and the new steamaway will handle the load!
Congratulation Chris sounds like you cleaned up at the fair! Looking forward to seeing you at Cambridge Springs.

Jim
Ps. my new steamaway will be delivered to the show so the dealer can show it off before he deliveres it!

[brookledge]

Chris
I cut up an old road side maple that was about 42" in dia. and found old tap holes that were drilled when it was about 12"- 16". The holes were about 1" dia. holes. Those were the days when they used wooden taps. The tree never filled the holes in.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Chris,

Whats this about a new evaporator?? 8O 8O 8O 8O

[Parker]

Finally got a proper skid road cut into the sugarbush with the timbco yesterday afternoon,,I have flagged out a bunch of trees to thin out in the top of the orchard,,the nice thing about the timbco is you can cut the trees,,lift them off the stump walk out of the area with the tree and put it on the ground where the top will not damage crop trees or tubing (if you dont drop it 8O ) We will see how this works out,,,good luck to all........

[Pete33Vt]

Parker, do you own the timbco or is it hired out. I know that they are great as far as the least amount of damage. The buddy of mine is in with a guy that has a John Deere feelabuncher and its a great unit to work with. I recived the pictures of the loader/ slasher. Nice looking unit. Very clean. And great looking landing. Alot of guys around here are getting into hiring fellabunchers. It cuts down on there expense and gets a huge amount of wood cut in a hurry. If they weren't so expensive to buy I would almost get into one and hire myself out. But I am like abig kid I guess. I love all the big toys. Good luck with the thinning.
Stay safe and be happy.
Pete

[Parker]

The bank and I own the timbco.,,it is an 84 with an intermitant head so it is nowhere near as fast as the newer ones,,but it is a lot better than nothing,,and with my arm still in recovery (no chainsaws for another 2 months) the timbco, wood truck, and slasher is about all I can do. the truck next to the slasher in the picture is loaded with 4 foot wood, going to the shaws farm on the other side of the valley,,they want 100 cords.....
Did some cutting on the top of the bush with the timbco yesterday,,dosent take long to open it right up when you are cutting bushy hemlock kinda shocking even to me,,will do a little more with that machine today ,managed to grab a lateral line in back of a hemlock i was cutting, when i swung the tree around and started walking to the hitch about 60 feet of 30-p came with the tree,,that stuff is tough,,it ripped the saddel off the mainline even though it was going around 7 trees lefty-righty,,
Wont try to do too much more in the bush with the cutter,,for the rest of it Mark will do some with the cable skidder,,then for the real tough stuff we will use the tractor,,and mabey even harness up the halflinger for the real tight spots,,,,,the timbco weight 26 tons and i want to avoid any root damage so I have to be very carful....good luck to all..............

[mountainvan]

spent the last three days bottling syrup and making sugars. Trying to stock up on all sizes so I won't have to be back in the saphouse till October for bottling. I have another biopsy in a week and a bit, so no work for the end of september.

[Pete33Vt]

Van, I hope everything goes good for you and wish you a speedy recovery.

God Bless and take care
Pete

[royalmaple]

Went to see my new evaporator yesterday, it arrived at the dealers on Friday. What a nice looking rig. Can't wait to get it set up and hear it roar. I may just boil water for a few days just to get the jitters out of me.

Even my wife who thinks I am nuts, was impressed. She even said WOW. 8O 8O

Definately pretty darn big. I'll post some pics as I get it here and set up.
:lol: :lol:

Should be getting some progress on new sugar house as well in the next week.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Spent several days when I had a few hours the last couple of months redoing my tubing. Nearly all my drops were the old blue lamb stuff and were only 2+ years old, but had to go. I had a bunch of the stuff when I installed my new tubing and I love them because they are so flexible, but that's about the only good thing about them. I also got rid of all the end of the line rings also, guess I can't say anything good about them except they are easy to install. :roll: I also used 4 rolls of Lapierre tubing I got from the maple guys and installed another 75 taps. Lot of tubing for not a lot of taps, but a nice setup. I had planned to do this last year, but with building the new sugarhouse, that was put on hold another year. I used the 30p for all my new drops and all the 400 old ones I replaced. It is good stuff, but seems the squirrels like it too much. Nearly all of my taps are on Beaver River except the new ones this year and I have 4500' of it in the woods and it is the best tubing I have ever used. It is harder to work with, but the wall thickness is close to double most of the new tubing and it is so stiff it resists sagging a lot better than any other I have used.

Also got a few hundred ton of dirt dumped around the sugarhouse on both sides, so I would like to do some grade work this fall or may wait until next spring and get some grass planted. I have plenty of waist deep grass now that was volunteer, but I need to regrade and smooth it up. I have eliminated most of the buckets and all of the new taps I have added are emptying into an already established location. I am adding a few other shortcuts to speed up the gathering time and hope to be able to gather all 6 of the tanks in three different sugarbushes and run thru the UV at the sugarhouse in around 2.5 hours next spring. I had a new road built for the one sugarbush that I added the 75 taps for as I nearly got stuck everytime I gathered there last year even in 4x4. Less than 5 months here and the wood has been in for some time and nearly all of it had seasoned for 2 to 5 years before I cut it, so it is good to go. The new wall on the end of the woodshed is really a big asset as I now only have the 2 small openings on each end and nothing gets in now but a nice air draft to dry the wood.

Good luck to everyone, 3 weeks from yesterday until squirrel season opens and 4 weeks until bow season opens. I have 2 weeks off in Nov and if the Lord allows, I hope to spend a lot of time 30 feet in the air in my Lone Wolfe climber. :D My buck beside me on the wall has gotten lonely since I brought him home from the Taxidermy a few months ago and this year I have access to nearly 10,000 acres that aprox 75%+ is in a bow hunting only county and sports a lot of huge bucks. Maybe I can get him a big brother. :lol: :lol:

PS Van, we're still praying for you! :wink:

[Fred Henderson]

Brandon, Why did you get rid of the end of the line rings? :D

[Jim Brown]

BRandon; What was the problem with the purple tubing to cause you to have to replace it? I have 800 taps on the sutff and I'm looking for some direction.
Thanks
Jim

[brookledge]

Jim
The purple lamb tubing is made from vynil and is very porus (under a microscope). Bacteria and dirt can and do easily attatch to the inside and outside making it very hard to clean. That is why most everybody doesn't use it any more.
Also it stretches when you pull it tight after a while it sags if you cut it and re tighten it all you are doing is narrowing the inside diameter. Before you know it the dia. will be less than 1/4" and it starts to restrict flow. I personally will not use it any more. I have about 175 drop lines that I hope to get replaced before next season.
Those are my reasons I'm not sure if they are the same reasons for Brandon or not.
Keith

[royalmaple]

Is the purple lamb tubing smooth on the outside or does it have ribs?

I got a few rolls of some purple tubing it is pretty soft stuff and I had been using it for drops. Mine has some ribs on the outside of the tubing. Just wondering if what I have is the lamb or not. I don't remember a label on the roll, only that it was in the $25.00/500' roll range.

[mountainvan]

Lamb made(still makes?) smooth and ribbed tubing. The ribbed made the trees feel better, I cound'nt help myself on that one. Actually the ribbed was supposed to not collapse when tight on a tree. I used the stuff for one year and then got rid of it. It sags worse than grandma, once again I can't help myself!!

[royalmaple]

Van-


Thanks for the info on the lamb tubing. Must be what I got?

So that is why there are the small rings (ribs) on the 5/16 health spouts. I bet the trees like them better. 8O :?:

Someone must have really done some research, and summond some tree spirits to ask them what they liked... :lol:

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

On the end of the line rings I used, if you used a tap on them the sap had to go all around the tree and some of my end trees are 36 to 48" in diameter and there is no way to have it grading correctly and I think they cut down on production because of the sap backing in the lines and definitely lower the quality. Would be great for vaccuum, but definitely not for gravity. If the sap can flow into the line from both sides of the tree, has to be better. :?

[Jim Brown]

Hey Guys, thanks for the info. I have 800 taps on the purple stuff. Just a drop 24 inches long and then into light blue 5/16 lateral.. Looking to expand to 1500 by this time next year and I don't want to do it twice!. I will be putting the first 400 on vacumn this spring with the second 400 on natural flow.
Thanks again for the input!
Jim

[220 maple]

Recently I had chance meeting with some family members of Southernmost Maple, They are planning a seminar on a Saturday in October. I requested they let me know as soon as they have confirmed the date so I can post it here on the message board. They are located approx. 30 miles north of I-64 at Bolar,Va. Last year they had a representive from Leader Evaporator. It will be a great chance for the Virginia and West Virginia producers to gather. Exchange ideas and get ramped up and ready to go. Since most of the southern producers start the last week of Jan. or the first week of Feb. It's a perfect time for a seminar. My help suggested I start my Red Maples around Christmas since they always stop early. One of these years I going to do it. I'm never ready, but thats another story.
Mark 220 Maple

[mountainvan]

I had a lady from highland county, I think that was it, virginia buy some syrup from me at one of the farmers markets. She was very proud of the syrup industry down there, also that it was the highest county in elevation east of the mississippi. She definitly knew her maple!! She invited me down to visit and tour the sugar houses. Any good fishing there too?

[220 maple]

Highland County Va. has the highest elevation in Virginia, Probably 75% of the trees are Maple. There is 5 commercial sugar camps in Highland County that I know of. Rexrode's Sugar Camp, Everett Rexrode Owner. Puffenbargers Sugar Orchard, Ivan an Sis Puffenbarger Owners, Eagle's Sugar Camp,Jay Eagle Owner, Sugar Tree Country Store, Glenn Heatwole and Family, Owner, and Southernmost Maple, Mike Puffenbarger and family, Owner. Mike also owns Mapletree Outdoors, Hunting and Fishing guide service. Check out the Deer and Fish Photo's on his web site. Southernmost Maple .com
Mark 220 Maple

[VA maple guy]

Hay 220 Maple, I look forward to seeing you again at Mike's place this year.
I'll be in Highland county for my annual two week bow hunting trip in October. I plan stopping at mikes place for some maple supplies.
I hope some other Mapletraders will show up this year.
Mountainvan, try fishing the Bullpasture river, there is public access
to it a little south of McDowell. You may also try the south branch of the Potomac, it runs from Highland county along RT 220 into Franklin West
Virginia.

[Revi]

We've been getting some not very great wood out, now that it's dried up a bit in the woodlot. We were paid to cut out the little popple as a pre-commercial thinning project last year. Now it's making our woodgathering a bit easier. It's not the kind of wood you'd want to heat your house with, but it'll be fine in the evaporator. We also split up a lot of basswood and other stuff we'll use for the year after next's sugar wood.

[220 maple]

Hey Va Mapleguy,
Hope to see you again at mike's. Two weeks of Bowhunting has to do a man good. I usually Bow hunt some on weekends and scheduled days off. I take two weeks off for WV rifle season, Bucks Only. Every year my goal is to hunt in the mourning and evening and then work in the woods with tubing and other maple related things during midday. Every year them pesky deer intice me to forget my maple goals. If you Trout fish on the South Branch don't forget that they usually stock two weeks in October, most are Brood trout, 3 to 4 pounders. They do this the week before fall turkey season comes in, call WV DNR trout stocking number. I believe they stock about everything that they stock during the spring, lakes also.
I heard that the law has changed and you can now catch 6 in a lake. Be sure to check the game regulations on that if you go fishing at a lake.
Mark, 220 Maple

[Parker]

Yesterday I took the paint gun and painted down thru the bush on Hoit road,,Iwill drop 2 mainlines today and try to weasel mark and his skidder down thru there in between some nice rock maples,,there are a bunch of large ash trees I have wanted to remove for some time,,2 are standing dead and I have always worried about the comming down on the lines,,we have cut a BUNCH of hemlock out of the woods surrounding the bush and a fair ammount out of the bush itself,,,,there is a big diffrance in the ammount of light in the sugarwoods now,,,,The conditions are the driest I have seen in a long time around here,,very good for logging,,,,,,,,

[gearpump]

Matt Magoon started logging my back 40 acres this week. A lot of nice young rock maples should be loving the open space next year. I am hoping that the price for lumber is up so I get some funds back to finish the sugarhouse.

Marty

[Parker]

Me and my big mouth,,,rained all day yesterday so no logging,,we did clean up the sugarhouse and bottel 15 gallons of syrup,,,during the cleanup I found another 15 gallons of syrup I had missplaced,,,,made my day

[Pete33Vt]

Same here Parker things WERE drying out great. You could really pull some wood. Then the rain. Turned the landing to snot. Now we have a hard time getting a pickup to the site. Much less a log truck. Oh well, thank god for a dozer and water bars, maybve the skid roads will hold up.
Good luck Pete

[Sugarmaker]

Congratulations to Jim Bortles (Father and son) for first place in Maple syrup at the Albion Fair!

Lot of rain here also. Have used those days to continue cleanning the sugarhouse. If I could lock the doors after the tour and keep all the junk from getting back in we would be ready for spring syrup season!

I need to get into the bees and get them ready for winter and take off any excess honey. The golden rod honey flow has been good and we have had 4 swarms of bees ovre the last 3 weeks. I gave 2 swarms to a frind who is just getting started.

Son Eric, grandson Nic, and I checked their deer stands yesterday for the opening of Archery Sept 30. Nic is itching to bring home some venison this year!

Mid Oct we will be out hunting whitetails during early muzzel loader season.

Regards,
Chris

[royalmaple]

Ended up working yesterday stumping out my area for the new sugar house. Even in the pooring rain. Not the best ingredient when you are working in clay, and trying to get equipment through it back and fourth.

Got a load of gravel in the grubbed out area now, firming up nicely.

Just finished running the conduit for power, phone, internet. Ran some rough stakes to see what it will look like in the spot. Looks good.

Only need about 1 more load of gravel and run the compactor over it and hopefully set up some forms for the slab soon.

[Pete33Vt]

You didn't mention a drain. Did you put one in or are you planing to. I know some people think that they will freze up. But with enough pitch you should be alright. We would have a mess without one. I like to be able to wash down the floors once and a while during sugaring. and hate having to walk through mud to get to the sugar house.
Well this month is about over. We here are getting ready for hunting. Bow starts in another week. Then rifle, then muzzleloader. Should be a good year. I've seen alot of nice deer around the house. Have to kick things into over drive so I can get every thing done, before the season. Or at least the important stuff, wood stacked.
Stay safe
Pete

[royalmaple]

Yes I am going to have a drain. I was going with a center drain 4" pipe running to the back of the site.

I am also going to set three rows of block off the slab to help with washing down everything.

[Revi]

The drain is a great thing to have. We had one put in with the slab, and it's been great. The slab slopes down to it a couple of inches, so it drains nicely. It makes the evaporator a bit hard to level, but you can use washers and things to get it right, before you brick it.

[super sappy]

My Mife informed me that a group of musicians from UGANDA ,AFRICA stopped at the corn maze on Monday. They purchased several pints of syrup and some molded sugar. I think that it is pretty kool that my syrup will be in Africa next week,shared with the families of those people as a taste of America.-Super Sappy

[mountainvan]

Had another surgery yesterday, went better than the other three. Actually got to go home last night and sleep in my own bed. Bottled syrup monday for this weekend, hopefully I'll be good enough to go.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Anyone heard any more about the new producers guide?? Doesn't look like it will be available in my lifetime. :mrgreen:

[Parker]

Van- glad to hear your doing well,,,
Took the cutter down the western edge of the sugarbush on Hoit road and cut all the hemlock,poplar,birch and soft maple that were compeating with the sugars,Looking for that afternoon sun,,,,Mark has been working in the bush with his cable skidder cutting a bunch of beech,,ash,,and oak out,,It was a hard thing for me to cut that first lateral line to make room for us to work in there,,BUT,,thats the price of progress,,I have wanted to redo that set up for a while anyways,,I have been keeping track of how much this bush has run for the past 4 years and am lokking forward to see how this opperation affects sap flow

[Pete33Vt]

Parker Good Luck with the sugar bush, I am sure you will see a differance this year, as the sun will be able to get into the trees that need it.
Well here it is the last workday of the month.I am not look forward to it. Its POURING OUT and we are finishing a big dig out for paving. Its 50x100 and were going down 2 ft. got half out yesterday, so we should have a pond to work in today. And of course we are in the middle of a big parking lot and guess what we are at the lowest spot. guess rain gear and hip waders for today. And oh yeah temp say 50 right now. Should make for a wet sloppy day. A few hot toddies after work will feel pretty good. Hope you all have a good day, and great weekend.
Pete

[Revi]

My wife an I are planning on going leaf peeping on Saturday. They say that they are at peak a little north of here now. That's the other harvest from maples. The leaves bring a lot of people up here to see them. Maybe we'll see some sugarhouses on the way. The leaves don't last too long. They are starting to turn nicely up at our woodlot now. The rockies haven't turned so much, but some of the reds are really getting nice.

[mountainvan]

Went to the doctor today for results, no cancer!! Won't make the market tomorrow, but plan on going sunday. Have to start working on setting up my vacuum pump and adding taps to my big bush.

[Pete33Vt]

GREAT NEWS VAN!!!! Good to hear something positive. As far a leaf peeping, around here its pretty much peak. It won't be long and it will go the other way. We got our big dig done yesterday. And yep it was wet and rather cool. And a few of the rain drops were pretty soild, almost like freezing rain. But it should be a good weekend here hopefully.
Good luck to everyone at the fairs and markets. Hope sales are good.
Have a great day
Pete

[brookledge]

Van
Thats good news. Always great when someone can beat it.
Keith

[Revi]

Well we checked out the color up around Sugarloaf on Saturday. It was at peak, or maybe a bit past. It should be peak next weekend around here. Leaves are getting good around the sugarhouse now. We'll be on the national solar home tour next Saturday, so I hope it's scenic too. Glad to hear Van's feeling better.