How you know when your hooked.

[tappin&sappin]

This falls under the basics category...

While putting my shoes on this morning I looked acrossed the living room to see this caption on the bottom of the TV:

Al Qaeda Sugaring Again

After thinking "really, didn't know they had maples in those parts", I realized the caption actually read:

Al Qaeda Surging Again

Keep in mind I have 20/20 vision!

[TapME]

welcome to the club.

[royalmaple]

Go to Jim's (mapleman3) website and see the link to the maple bug, must have gotten bit by it. Watch for signs of fatigue after being in the woods all day, sore back and still the willingness to do it all over the next day. Sure signs you have been bit.

[Dave Y]

Well if it make anyone fell better I was deaming about it last night.

[softmaple]

i bet you were watching good morning america. i saw the same thing i was like what the #$%^ are they talking about. then i focused up and saw surging too.

[Sugarmaker]

Jake,
How is the tapping coming along? My guess is your having a time getting to the woods?? Sorry I missed you tonight. We finished about 8:00. Let me know when you are going to boil, And If we are not I might drop in.
Hope those Iraq's don't start making maple syrup.!;)

Sugarmaker

[Pete33Vt]

LOL I don't think Im hooked yet, although my wife has a hard time with me wearing my snowshoes in the house and every pair of pants I own has repair tools and supplies in the pockets. Never know when you will find a problem.

[Russell Lampron]

I don't think that there is anybody that visits this site that isn't hooked.

Russ

[H. Walker]

I'm not hooked, I do it because I make so much money at it!!! Right???

Is there a Maple-holic's Anonymous??

[3% Solution]

Let's see, am I hooked?
Oh hell yes, can't wait for it to start ...... can't wait for it to end!
Once it get's in your blood it's there, to stay.
As Marg Putnam told me one day it's in your blood (that was 30 yrs. after my first sugaring experience) and it is an art to make good syrup. Actually I think I hung around down there at that time in my life because of the babes that would visit, now it's just for solitude and stress relief.
Think about this, it is one of the processes that has not changed alot in over 200 yrs., no matter what you do (RO, steam-aways, preheater hoods) you still have to boil it!!
To me it's neat, take water from a tree and make something to eat out of it.
Not only that, but my grandchildren are into it also. Granson boils and the grandaughter checks the sap for sugar and keeps the food coming to the sugarhouse.
Can't put your finger on it can you!
It's like being a firefighter, you just don't know why!!
Yup, I'm hooked!!!!!!!!

Dave

[ebourassa]

talk about being hooked, but there is a guy not far from me who make about 50 gal of syrup every year, and when we were talking sugar i asked him if he was hooked, he reply was "its in my blood anI have been doing this for 20 years now and i cant even try the stuff." come to find out he is allergic to syrup and breaks out in hives every time he eats it. and he is still boiling today.

[325abn]

When you protect your 60 gallons of sap from frezzing in you storage tank, but let you water pipes in your crawl space under your kitchen frezze and burst!!!

I came home last night and no cold water in the kitchen. Went down cellar look into the crawl space and it looked like a LAKE!!!!!! Luckily the section of pipe has a valve so i was able to turn in off. Its plastic pipe so it will be a easy fix but ****!!

Cant believe I let that happen!!!

[maplwrks]

That there is funny!! I don't care who you are!! Hope you got it all repaired so you can get back to sugarin'

[HanginAround]

LOL, hate to laugh at misfortune, but that is pretty ironic.

You hear of addicts foresaking house and home for the drug, I guess it holds true with this addiction too.

[Farmboy]

I'm hooked now after 1 season.

[brookledge]

Farmboy
Are you interested in joining Mass Maple?
Keith

[KenWP]

When you carry spiles around in your pocket.

[Maple Restoration]

You know your hooked when your wife is pulling fitting out of the washing machine, and the living room is covered in drop line's and fitting good thing she love me.

[red maples]

this is good thread thanks for bringing it back to life!!!

When you almost run off the road looking at road side maples..and counting them as you go.

The other night up 'till 11:30 watching mythbusters and how its made and making droplines on the couch.

[red maples]

oh at the gym this morning. doing bench press push up yeah 1 down push 2, up hmm maybe I should run that mainline over a bit, down push up 5 down more maples up the road up 8 ahhh done!! wait how many did I do.

[Farmboy]

Farmboy
Are you interested in joining Mass Maple?
Keith

Yes I am I have been on there website several times I no the president is mapleman3. Any info would be on joining would be great.

[Jim Schumacher]

When you live in god's country, with thousands of lakes all around you... and you still run more gas through the chainsaw then the boat; when you stop by the salvage yard and buy hundreds of dallars worth of stainless steel multiple times throughout the year; When you live in NE Wisconsin and there is not a soul around who gives a **** about maple production so you talk to yourself about it while you drive...

[KenWP]

I have a boat. The motors almost brand new used it twice in 12 15 years. Just lost intrest in fishing when dad died.
I live near a lake that's supposed to have fish in it but have never tried.

I figure that when a guy knows where every maple in the country is he's got a problem.

[40to1]

My maple-sugaring "operation" is pathetically small, but that's all the more reason why I'm so surprised how hard the sugaring bug has bit.
Like many on this board, I drive around counting how many taps I could get on trees as I pass by. And although my house needs a new roof and has a list as long as my arm of repairs needed, I'm designing a sugar house in my mind.

But the realization of how hard the bug hit was in the late spring. As the weather trended warmer and warmer, and the time to pull the taps got closer, I got a bit ....mournful. Sort like a schoolboy who senses the end of summer and the start of school. Wishing for a few more freezing nights after five months of them: unbelievable!

[3rdgen.maple]

How about when you spill a little syrup on the sugarhouse floor and it gets licked up? Okay okay not me my dog has the maple bug in her. She prances around looking for spilled syrup to lick up. I think she has it worse than me. She has got it so bad everytime you let her out she runs straight to the sugarhouse and waits by the door for me she has a sad look when I call her back and tell her not yet girl not yet.

[red maples]

it really is the best thing. think about it..

1. you get to play with fire
2. you get to use chainsaws
3. you get to cut down trees
4. you get to use a log splitter or an ax
5. you get to play with fire
6. you get to spend more time in the woods
7. (if your handy) you get to build buildings and stuff
8. you get to drill holes in trees
9. you get to play with fire
10. you get scientific with stainless beakers and high tech instuments
11. you get to go snow shoeing
12. you have lots of stuff related to sugaring
13. you can't wait to get more stuff for sugaring
14. you get to play with fire
15. you get out of the house in feb. after being in all winter
16. you get to hang out in you club house or sofisticated fort(sugarhouse)
17. you get to pray to maple gods for lots and lots of 3% sap
18. you actually get an end product that tastes good
19. you get to make a little money from what you made
20 and best of all you get to play with fire!!!


hey did I forget anything

[Farmboy]

You forgot play with fire

[Z/MAN]

You know your hooked when you have the Maple Trader as your homepage and read it everyday all summer long!:)

[red maples]

you said it brother

[Farmboy]

Also when you almost miss the bus because you say I've got a minute to check the trader and stay on it for five minutes.

[nymapleguy607]

All projects in your garage are maple related

[valleyman]

Hooked you say?
I have a commute that most people cringe at the thought of a hour or so of stop n go driving. Well it goes by pretty quick for me when I try to count all the maples that i cant tap.

Oh yeah, I'm starting to miss exits too! Thinking about how to improve the evaporator!

[KenWP]

Your hooked when you stop at a garage sale and see nothing SS or that looks like a pail and leave again. Or you go into a store and check out the plumbing fittings twice a week.

[3rdgen.maple]

How bout when you are deer hunting and a nice buck appears and you don't want to shoot cause it is standing in front of a maple tree.

[Haynes Forest Products]

You know when you have a real dog when it will lick the side of the evaporator during a full boil for the syrup you splash during draw off. Yes my dog does have a lisp:emb:

[3rdgen.maple]

That is funny Haynes. MY German shorthair loves to lick up spilled syrup. Evertime you let her out she runs to the sugarhouse. Does not matter if it is july or march she still runs right to the door waiting for me to spill her a treat.
She stands right next to the arch and watches for sap to splash out of the flue pan so she can get that too. Funny thing is she wont give up and there has been many times where she has fallen asleep standing there waiting and then falls over. One of these days I expect to find her drilling holes and tapping trees:D Dog loves 2 things bird hunting and maple syrup. MY KINDA OF DOG.

[valleyman]

I think I may gather these humerous comments and assemble them into a small book along with illustrations. Funny stuff.:lol:

[3rdgen.maple]

Valleyman everytime I read one of these post I can picture the image in my head as well. I want a copy.

[valleyman]

3rd gen,
Any idea about getting permission from you guys if your quotes go into print? I will definitely credit each quote by the author (the mapletrader screen names at least).
I think it would be a great little book to read during the slow season.
I want to get some quotes that your wives, girlfriends and kids say about the addiction. They're especially funny. whoever is interested in helping out with your ideas you can email me at:

greg.karas@sbcglobal.net

Thanks!

[3rdgen.maple]

I would suggest to have any interested parties email you with their address then send them a quick release form to sign granting you permission to use their quotes. I would gladly give you permission. Maybe use their Trader name and then their actual name if they are willing. It would be a really cool book in my opinion.

[The Birdman]

when you have a mile of tubing strung through the wood with no leeks. But the kitchen faucet has been driping for 6 mo. :rolleyes:

[On the ledge]

valleyman
feel free to use my trader name last year I made syrup for the first time, 8 taps, my wife looked at me and said what are you doing?I said making maple syrup, she said yea ok. 6 hours later I said taste this and her only comment was , why didn't you tap more. So this year, stupid me I thought I had permisision and marked all my maples , came back and said honey I need to buy an evaporator and maybe build a sugar shack. Now she was looking at me like I really lost my mind. She said I told you toget a hobby not an addiction. The only thing that helped continue this endeavor is that my golden{mama's boy) and my border collie love the walks in the woods and the splash of sap on the deck when I' m boiling. I guess all dogs like the taste of syrup.

[3rdgen.maple]

when you have a mile of tubing strung through the wood with no leeks. But the kitchen faucet has been driping for 6 mo. :rolleyes:

That is too funny

[vtmaplemaker]

when you have 2000 ft of 2" main line in the front yard, and the kids are playing on it because there is no room for their normal toys!!

[vtmaplemaker]

or when the wife asks "whats for dinner", and you look in the fridge, and say "either maple cream or maple candy hun, which do you want"

[tyrod2]

My wife does not understand how come thay are in my pockets all year round.If I find a downed line I repair it. I do this all summer long:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[Dave Y]

you know you are hooked when you start with 12 taps and a 18"sq pan in front ot your garage. Seven years later you have over 3000 taps and you have a 4x14 force 5 in your garage that has double inside. the 500 or so traps you own are now gathering rust and the coon poputation is exploding and you dont have time to do anything about it.

[valleyman]

On the Ledge,
Thanks. As I said earlier these are some pretty funny quotes. Cant help but put a smile on your face. That is if your "one of us". I was repeating one of the quotes to my wife last night and she was looking at me with a straight face as if to say "thats it? I guess some people will just never understand.

As far as the book goes, I'm going foreward with the idea. It will take some time, especially me illustrating these great quotes. Not to mention all the chores that didnt get done because of my maple projects. I'm a 2nd yearer, so I'm still in the building a better evaporator, shelter, pre heat, and storage, ect,. ect,. stage. Pretty much consuming as much time as I'll give the addiction.:emb:

[NH Maplemaker]

I think it is when you tell your wife you buying a new piece of maple equipment because your isn't that good, and she looks at you an says. So your going to sell the old one rightttt? You say well no ! It's still good and I may need it!! Jim L.

[maplecrest]

when the roofer came and i ask him to take down the roof jack he put up last year and he gives me a stare that i am nuts. as he is here today putting up three new ones asking if he will be back to take them down next year!

[nymapleguy607]

You burn through more wood in a month boiling sap then you do to heat your house for the winter.

[Haynes Forest Products]

When We started this little adventure back in 1988 we did batch boils and finished on a stove. The stove was at my nephews house and after the first season he had to repaint the kitchen and family room from all the steam:mad: I was 1300 miles away by then and didnt help:emb:

[KenWP]

I think the absolute proof I have a addiction is the fact I actually am here reading all these post's instead of reading the local paper which is in French by the way or helping with supper.

[3rdgen.maple]

I think the absolute proof I have a addiction is the fact I actually am here reading all these post's instead of reading the local paper which is in French by the way or helping with supper.
I can relate to that. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[red maples]

I made supper!!! but I am suppose to helping the kids in the shower but I escaped for a quick trip to the trader!!!!

[nymapleguy607]

Its 12am and you want nothing more than to shut down and go to sleep, but you can't stand the thought shutting down when everything is running so well and you only have 100 gals left to boil down.

[mapleack]

The secretary says "you guy's are getting a bonus this pay", and you instantly start thinking of what maple related purchase you can spend it on! Instead of the house, vacation, etc.

[Sugarmaker]

You spruce up the sugar house when family or friends are coming over to visit: and its not during sugarin season!:)

[Dave Y]

hey guys, How about this one! when you spend more for a new evaporator than you did your house!

[red maples]

You spruce up the sugar house when family or friends are coming over to visit: and its not during sugarin season!:)

funny you should mention this one... family coming up for the holiday!!! on the to clean list:

straighten up kitchen
clean bathrooms
new sheet on spare beds
sweep out sugar house
organize work bench in sugar house polish stainless steel again!!!
mop floors
vacuum
put up xmas lights on sugar house
put up xmas lights on house

:lol:

[nymapleguy607]

You spend more time polishing the evaporator than you do waxing your truck

[dano2840]

when your buddies come over to help you boil and mention they have trees and you tell them they should tap them and they give in to peer pressure, then you lend all your extra equipment to them and help them get set up every step of the way, its like a disease you spread it

[Jim Brown]

When your wife has the birthday party for your 96 year old mother-in-law and every one ends up in the sugar house not the dining room and your eating in shifts because you have 1000gal of sap in the tanks and the RO running !!

[Ewetopia]

You know your hooked when driving down the road, you evaluate every maple you see and estimating it's tap count.

[tyrod2]

You know when you are hooked when you are setting in your deer hunting tree stand and you are counting maple trees

[red maples]

when family come to visit and your really not that excited to see them but you get excited because you get to tell them all about making syrup and give tours of the sugar house and show them the fancy bottles you bought and how this works and and then show how.............

[3rdgen.maple]

When you leave a glass of milk and a plate of cookies in the sugarhouse on chistmas eve because you just know Santa is gonna go in there and sit there and stare at the shiny evaporator while munching on cookies. Maybe one of these days he will leave me a present in there. Guess I haven't been very good past few years.

[red maples]

now thats a good one!!!:lol: :lol: :lol:

[gator330]

When your wife leaves in March and you don't realize it till April. Didn't really happen, Yet!!!

[nymapleguy607]

90% of your conversations involve something maple related

[dschultz]

When you have visions of sugar maples dancing in your head

[KenWP]

When your wife leaves in March and you don't realize it till April. Didn't really happen, Yet!!!

Just a second I had a wife. O my god she is gone. No wonder suppers been late for months.

[Sugarmaker]

Deer season begins to get in the way of maple projects!

[3rdgen.maple]

When this is your 1,000 post on the Maple Trader.

[KenWP]

Got you beat 3rgen.1614. That and its almost 4:00 am and somebody is still up reading this. Actually worked in the cold all day on my evaporator and the chill had me in bed by 9.

[Dave Y]

That Just means you are hooked on the "Trader".

[jrthe3]

here are some
when your sugar house is insured for more then your house is or when your sugar house is and your house is not
when your sugar house has a cement floor and your basement does not even better yet cement is what you do for a living ok this is me

[TapME]

when you go to bed and count taps and not sheep

[Sugarmaker]

All of these are great!:) made me chuckle!

Chris C.

[red maples]

when you wish you had more time to read all the new posts!!! man theres just too many!!!

[mapleack]

When there aren't ENOUGH new posts!!!

[Saw Filer]

When you didn't go fishing all summer 'cause you were building a sugarhouse. When you didn't get all the taters dug 'cause you were building a sugarhouse.
When you did'nt get all the firewood cut 'cause you were building a sugarhouse.
When you did'nt go Christmas shopping at all 'cause you spent every dime on the sugarhouse.
And especially WHEN YOU MOVE INTO YOUR SUGARHOUSE!

george

[KenWP]

When there aren't ENOUGH new posts!!!

This is my complaint also. I get up pretty early and sometimes there's nothing to read with my cheerios. I seem to need my maple fix before fighting with french all day again.

[3rdgen.maple]

Ken just put some maple syrup on your cherios my dad says this i the true breakfast of champions. Oh if you want new post in the morning quit reading them at night:D

[smitty76]

can't help but read new posts as they come in. I have the trader on all day at work and all evening/night at home. i can't save them, just gotta read um.

[KenWP]

You have to read the post's as some disappear and you have to hunt for them again or wait till somebody put's a new response on the thread. The only way I can find a days post's is when there are non period for a while and then it shows the post's made in the last 24 hours.

[The Birdman]

when everyone's counting down the days till christmas. your counting down days till you can tap your trees. your christmas list all maple related.

[mapleack]

When you have a dream about walking through a junkyard where there are milktanks everywhere you look, your girlfriend is with you and points to a stainless tanker trailer and says "get that one" Now that's when you're hooked.

[valleyman]

Expend most of your energy piling and the freshly fallen 12" snowfall from all areas remotely close to where the sap storage refrigeration will be and give little thought about digging the cars out and clearing the driveway and walkway's. Priority's ya know. I know ya know.:lol:

[jrthe3]

when you look at the member list and look at all the screen names with maple in them it like looking up smith in the phone book

[nymapleguy607]

When you are looking foreward to the maple conference more than you are christmas

[smitty76]

nymaple, that is funny. you called that one.

[KenWP]

I will second that I am looking foreward to two weeks of no school that I can work out in the shop doing what I want.

[briduhunt]

Your know your are hooked when you go on this site on Christmas day. Love the sickness.

[Low budget maple]

When you wipe out on while playing with your kids snow board and the first thing thru your head is I realy hope my knee is healed in time to gather sap !!!!

[brookledge]

Today while watching the family open gifts and thinking I should be working in the sugarhouse. It will have to wait till tommorrow but it is going to be losy weather for me tommorow
Keith

[The Birdman]

you open your christmas presants, and as soon as you get through unwraping you run to the sugar house to install.

[The Birdman]

I will second that I am looking foreward to two weeks of no school that I can work out in the shop doing what I want.

Ken you are married you can never do what you want. sorry. good luck give her the charge card. you will have two three day's. happy holidays.

[jrthe3]

i got my brother inlaw making me some stickers that say

i have lived with fear most of my life but in the spring she lets me make syrup

[gator330]

Your on a 9 day vacation. Cut wood for the sugar house but not the house. You haven't seen your wife in a month, she's in bed waiting for you (So you think). Your on your fourth gin and juice, make that your fifth, and your still reading the trader. Thank god for the trader!!!!! And for Maple syrup addictions!!!

[Snow Hill Farm]

When you tell your wife on Christmas Eve you have to go in the work shop to wrap her presents but you already have them wrapped and make new drops instead!

[Farmboy]

Your newyears resolution is maple related.

[gator330]

New Years eve and your at the cumputer waiting to start the january journal and you get beat out. Two people with no life!!!

[3rdgen.maple]

that was funny gator. I will let you get Feb. journal started.

[Farmboy]

I was waiting to start the january journal to. It was 12:08 and there were already 2 posts in it.

[ibby458]

I guess I'm not truly addicted yet. I built a new house BEFORE I built a new sugarhouse. Of course, the old house burned down and the sugar house isn't big enough to live in - - - - -

[wnybassman]

I swear I just saw a can of "Scortch Guard" sitting on the kitchen counter. I had to look again to see that it wasn't.

Nice concept though! :lol:

[On the ledge]

When it's March and you think it's not cold enough at night and too warm during the day

[maple flats]

You're hook when you have the worst season ever and you are still looking forward to next year.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

You're hook when you have the worst season ever and you are still looking forward to next year.

Yes, because you hope next year can't be anything like this year.

[mapleack]

When you have the worst year of at least the last ten and you're still out today looking at new taps to add.

[GeneralStark]

When you find yourself looking at this website frequently.

http://www.uvm.edu/%7Epmrc/treemet1.html

[backyard sugaring]

When you spend more on making syrup than you can buy it for.



30 taps turkey fryer
2 small sap gathers
1 sticky kitchen
golden retriever who love syrup

[KenWP]

I believe a guys hooked when he actually listens to Hanyes and 3rdgen when they type something.

[3rdgen.maple]

something :D

[farmall h]

When your wife threatens to start reading your posts on the Trader...'cause she thinks you have a new "love interest".;)

[adk1]

when I am on this site all the time and constantly walking out and staring into my woods to try and picture where the dump station will be and how I will run my mainline to my future sugarhouse