Big Problem

[plattmaple]

It sure looks like the sap should run here today with a high of 45 & sunny. But i have one big probem- i came down with the flu yesterday. I was getting ready to wash out all our tanks when it hit me like a mack truck. I've been taking med's & resting,but i still feel like crap. All i know is that i don't have time for this! We boil on a 4x12 wood fired evaporater so it gets way too hot for my 67 yr old partner to run
by himself. I'm hoping we can wait to boil on monday or that i can find somebody to help out today.
I guess its not the end of the world but it still sucks! If this happened two or three days from now i wouldn't have as much of a problem with it.

Jeff

[mellondome]

Spragues would probably take the sap, if they are boiling.

[plattmaple]

That would be an option. But hopefully I will be able to go tomorrow.

[plattmaple]

I felt a lot better today so we didn't have to take our sap to sprague's. We boiled for 6 hours and made 16 gal of med syrup. We are now up to 75 gal made. We still have about 400 gal of sap left and it was still running at 8pm. We are really happy with what we have made so far.

I walked our woods today and found that the only lines that were running good were the 3/16 lines. We only have about 250 taps on 3/16 right now out of 2000 taps. We will be replacing older 5/16 lines with 3/16 the next few years. there's no doubt 3/16 out performs 5/16 on gravity from what we are seeing. The only thing is we haven't had a big run yet so i don't know how it will handle that. The sap seems to travel a lot faster in the 3/16 lines so i think it will be ok.

[Daveg]

Hang in there, Jeff. Get better. There's still many weeks left to the season and your sap gathering system must be frozen with this polar plunge. Drink plenty of liquids (syrup)!

[plattmaple]

Dave, thanks for your concern. I'm feeling a lot better now. I hate this extreme cold weather, but it is giving me time to recharge for the BIG runs that are about to be on us before you know it!!!