June Journal

[Mike]

Where is every one??????

[Russell Lampron]

I'm still here reading what there is to read. Haven't had much to write about.

Russ

[Daren]

Hey Mike...getting ready to expand my sugarhouse a little. Not sure exactly how I am going to do it with the least amount of mayhem. I am still splitting sugaring wood, but my house woodshed is full now. Planted the garden yesterday, but the deer plots are still nowhere again this year. I always seem to run out of money for stuff like that. I need to rent an excavator to stump them. Might do two of the three later this year and work on the big one next spring. I will have to see how the finances work out. #1 on the list is a new evaporator! Anything in the works up in Franklin? Do you see Ben anymore? He has been working nights for a while now. Hope all is well. -D-

[Mike]

Hey Daren, Not much going on here...Need to work on the sugar house rd...Will be adding another vac line at the sugar house..Hope to add another 1000 taps for next year..Might be adding auto draw also....Hope to make 10 barrells for next year.....Havent seen Ben around .....I hear he mad perm here..Good for him....What size rig are you looking for?? Put your food plots in around the stumps....They have a no plow seed which would work for you....Just rake the ground up and spread the seed.....Im looking for a low profile sap tank....800 gal range and a used trailer for my sap tank..Old manure spreader would work......Catch ya later.......Mike

[Fred Henderson]

My sugar wood is cut,split and stacked under cover. So is the wood for the outside boiler at the house. The garden is planted and growing. I am repairing the brush chipper this morning. A bad belt.

[Daren]

I looked at the new 2x5 at lapierre a month ago and liked it, but i did not like the size of the draft door and the firebox is a little small. I looked into the rigs that Patrick makes in Quebec and liked them. They have a bit larger woodbox and the draft door is about the same size as the new leader front. I got a price for him that was less than lapierre and for all stainless, no galv. arch, base and stack...all stainless with stainless smokestack cover. Sooo...I have one comming. The flue pan is 24x42" with a syrup pan 24x18". All thermometers and floats included as well. All I need to do is blanket and brick it. As for the no plow....I already have plenty of seed....gifts from family at the holidays. I need to work the soils first though. I'll keep you updated on the new evap. project.

[royalmaple]

Just planted my garden tonight dodging T-storms, bought a rototiller down the road. That helps a lot.

Strawberrys are cranking. looks like it will be a decent year for them.

Been working a bunch and cutting wood. Got two more house lots to clear for me and two more to clear for customers. Also been cutting / thinning down in the sugarbush. Just getting firewood for the land owner.

That place looks a lot different green.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Daren,

A 2x6 will give you several more gph rate without costing very much more and would be easier to resell and have a higher resale value than a 2x5.

[Sugarmaker]

Like most other traders, We have been working outside a lot and not spending as much time on the computer.
We planted our garden today. Cut sugar wood yesterday, and checked the bees. Lots of general cleanup around the property too.
We had a campfire in the rain/ drizzle tonight but it felt good to be slightly cooler. Several syrup and honey orders keep coming in, helps offset some of the gas costs. Oh Yea trying to work 40 hours a week at work to.

Regards,
Chris

[3% Solution]

Good morning all,
Yup you folks are right, more to do outside now (swat at black flies) than in the house.
However, it's raining, so not much to do outside today.
Got my new arch a couple of weeks ago, it's all set up, now just have to go to Bascom's next weekend to get some archboard, grates and pan gasket (that's going to hurt!!). But, if I divide the cost out over a number of years it doesn't hurt that much.
Got pics of a Steam-away (2x4) and did up some drawings, so that should be in the works before summer is over. Looks pretty easy, especially for a little jobber shop I go to. I figure the cost is going to be about 1/3.
Does anyone know what size blower I should use with this size Steam-away?
Well everybody stay safe and well.

[super sappy]

All of my sugar wood is cut for 2008. We had a hail storm today that pretty much took care of my garden .Maybe the onions and buddadas will survive but everything else is toast. We also seem to have a large cat in the neighborhood. One of my neighbors found a dead deer up in a pine tree wile looking for her cows as well as a couple of calfs found ripped apart.NYS DEC says that no large cats are around here, But a couple of the locals said they saw a large cat with a long tail on sarles ferry road today. That is 1/2 mile from where my friend lives. Anybody have any big cat tales? Sappy

[Grade "A"]

I saw a "Big Cat" jump across the road here in Vermont about 4 years ago, But Vermont's Fish & Game say there isn't any round here ether. I, along with many others must have been seeing things that day. I know that more people around the area saw it/them too.

[3% Solution]

A few years back my wife had a Lynx set by the neighbor's fence and watch her walk by and into the drive.
She said she felt very nervous and didn't like it.
We asked the game warden about it and he said "Naw you didn't see a Lynx, they're not around here".
We went to Cabella's a few weeks later and there was what she had seen (stuffed of course) a Lynx.
**** animals just don't know where they are suppose to be!!!!
If you only knew what is out in the woods, I think we would all be surprised.
Hey SS ..... keep your eye open those "Big Cats" are pretty bold.
Get some pics!!!!
That's our story and we're sticking to it!!!!!!

Dave

[Grade "A"]

The cat I saw was not a Lynx, it was much bigger. If you look up a picture of a mountain lion thats what I saw!!!!!

[3% Solution]

Grade A I didn't mean you saw a Lynx, I was just adding a "Big Cat Story" There is no doubt you saw a Mountain Lion, like I said you'd be surprised what is in the woods.
Fish and Game has said in the very distant past there was no such thing as Coyotes, too.
I remember Vermont F&G saying it also.
Sorry to offend you.

Dave

[Grade "A"]

My last post must of read differently than I intended. I was not offend, I was trying to make it clear what I saw, sometimes what I write and what I think I am writing are not the same. No hard fellings here.

P.S. My sister has a 28 pound house cat, now that's a "Big Cat"!!

[HanginAround]

They've been debating the existance of the Eastern Cougar in NB for decades, with biologists refuting sightings repeatedly, because no positive ID has ever been made... no carcass, hair, scat, prints, nothing.... finally a few recent studies have confirmed their existance.

http://www.elements.nb.ca/theme/endangeredspecies/cougar/eastern.htm
http://www.easterncougar.org/6thworkshop.htm

[3% Solution]

Grade A
We're ok here!!
We have a house cat that might weigh 8 lbs. and she thinks she weights 28 lbs.
What a rig, she hisses at most people when they come in, she must be guard cat.
Have a great day without rain!!!!!

Dave

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

The cats know no boundry's.

[Mark-NH]

You asked about a blower for your new arch. What size arch did you get? I had Leader install a blower when they retinned my 30" arch a couple years ago. You are welcome to take a peak at it to see the set up. I don't think it would be too hard to duplicate on your own.

Mark

[maple flats]

Not a cat, but several years ago a friend reported seeing a wolf, yea, a wolf, in upstate NY. The DEC said there were none at all in the state. A few weeks later my friend shot the wolf while deer hunting when it got too close and wouldn't leave him alone and quietly got it mounted. It is BIG and all silver. I think the DEC still says there are no wolves in NYS.
__________________

[Fred Henderson]

All that the NY state DEC knows is what the hunters tell them, which in most cases isn't much.

[PA mapler]

We have mountain lion sightings all over our area, and even some pretty good pictures, but the DNR still sticks to it's lame claims just like the DEC. BUT, you're not allowed to shoot them if you see them, even though they don't exist. My boss saw one down around Emporium, and he's just not one to imagine things. That long, low body and tail of a mountain lion are hard to mistake!

[Dave Y]

While I do not dispute what any one has or have not seen. I would Like to offer an Idea on where the may have come from. Several years ago a wolf was trapped in the Owls Nest. a remote part of the allegany Nat. forest. It was taken to a taxidermist to be mounted, the Game commission was called and after a close inspection the foud it was nutered. Apperently it had been in captivity and escaped or released intentionally. Many times people will obtain excotic species as pet or for a small wildlife park or zoo. the find that they are more animail than the can care for or afford and they release them into the wild, or some of them will escape. Asfar as naturally ocurring wolves or courgars in the northeast I would doubt, but not rule out. The coyote has migrated from the north and west and have agood foot hold here in the the north east. But what most people dont relize that this has taken 40 yreas to occur. I saw my first eastern coyote in 1968 . there wer four of them and folk mstoke the for german shepards.

[3% Solution]

Hi Mark,
I have a (two actually) on my arch, I was wondering about the size for a steam-away I am going to have built.
Then on the other hand I would be interested about the arch blower, too.

Dave

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

Not too long ago there was some breed of canadian wolf shot up in northern VT.

[Pete33Vt]

Ryan, did they ever get the DNA back from that 91 lbs dog shot, last year. I thought they were still waiting on the results?

[Breezy Lane Sugarworks]

That was the one I was talking about, but I could be mistaken.

[Flatfoot95]

I saw a cougar last summer cross CR24 in Bellmont. There is no doubt in my mind what I saw. DEC told me that it wasn't likely. Of course they also told me last month that there were no Bald Eagles around here too even though I had a wounded one at work. It wasn't until a Ranger showed up that anybody would help....unfortunately it was some 3 hours later and too late.

[Jim Brown]

Gentlemen; I can only speak about my part of the state.(Pa) Back in the late 70's in this area we had a game warden who was a great guy. and a personnel friend.Someone said that they had seen a coyote in the Venango county area and asked Bob Williams about it he said they were seeing things and there were none around.(the official response of the game commission) A short time later in the same room Bob said that if we repeated the following he would lie and say he never said it, but the game commission had put 6 breeding pair of coyotes in the county. As a foot note Bob died of cancer about 6 months after that conversation. my suggestion is not to believe every thing the game folks tell you.you may not be seeing things!
My two cents
Jim

[mountainvan]

Just got back from Ohio, nice to back home and have syrup orders waiting for me. I read out there that Michigan has confirmed cougers in the U.P. and the L.P. through dna analysis of scat. Folks here in the Catskills see panthers everyonce in awhile. I never have, but that don't mean there not here. In 17 years walking in the mountains I've only seen one bobcat and a couple coyotes. Critters that don't want to be seen, aren't seen.

[Mike]

There was some talk awhile back about putting wolves back in VT.......I dont think the hunters here would like that............

[Mark-NH]

I live on Cross Rd in Sunapee, the cut off road from Brook Rd to Rt 103, near One Mile West. You are welcome to stop by anytime.

[3% Solution]

Hi Mark,
Are you the place on the hill, first on right off Brook Rd.
If so, I know right where you are.
Maybe I'll stop by one day.
Thanks for the invite.

Dave

[Mark-NH]

Dave,

Yup that is where I'm at. Hope to see you.

[mountainvan]

Man I can't seem to get a break. Got a nice round rash on my leg, yep, lyme disease. Second time around for me. Went to the doctor and got antibiotics. At least sales are good.

[royalmaple]

Van-

What is the process of getting rid of the lyme disease or do you even get rid of it. I am so tick paranoid, took a walk in the woods to check on future expansion and luckily I had light colored pants on, and I picked at least 3 dozen ticks off my pants as they were climbing up. I'd take 10 steps, tick check, kill 3-4 move on. I hate those things. Most were wood ticks but had about 6-8 of the small deer ticks that were sneaking around too.

I almost hate going in the woods thinking that I'll end up with a tick in me and next step is lyme disease.

I was trying to keep a mental note of what I walked through that had them in it, vs what was safe walking. Seems the field on the edge was loaded and in the woods when I got into some old slash piles of pine or multiple dead limbs they were in there more so, than then fern areas.

[HanginAround]

I have never seen a tick in NB in my life... but have seen one everytime I went to NH, and they freak me out!

Sorry for your troubles van.

[brookledge]

Matt
Most will get a dose of Doxycycline after a tick bite but the biggest problem is after 24 hrs or so that is when lime disease can set in.
The biggest thing is to look your self over every night regardless on where you have been. I have been bit before (you never know it or feel it until you see it or feel it because it becomes engorged with blood) but only once did I need antibiotics. My father-in law got it never new he had a tick on him and it gave him all kinds of problems not exactly sure how they treated him other than it took along time for him to feel normal again.
Also lime disease affects people differently so one persons symptoms are not always the same as others.
Keith

[royalmaple]

I check myself often, and strip down when I get home from a day in the woods. and still have had some burrow in, but mostly all wood ticks so no big deal other than a pain in the A$$. I just hate those things and can't see what use they have. I knew a guy that did get lyme disease and it screwed him up for years.

I just thought once you had it you were S.O.L. I didn't know there was a cure etc.

[3% Solution]

Yup those little thinks are creepy!!!
I stay out of the woods this time of year, unless it has been burned over, just because of ticks.
When I do most of my tubing work is in the Fall for a number of reasons, a few are; it's cooler, no leaves so I can see better, no ticks jumping on me, and I like to be out in the woods in the fall of the year.
I can take a walk around the drill yard at the Academy (I stay on the blacktop) and I'll have at least one on me when I go back in.
Hey Matt, did you guys get the drum and the fuel over to Unity the other night?
It was nice to meet you.
When I get a minute I'll do up some pics and drawings for a steam-away for you.
I'll need an address, but I can get that latter.

Dave

[mountainvan]

If you catch the symptoms early and get antibiotics as soon as possible it is curable and doesn't do any real harm. If you go undiagnosed for awhile it gets into your joints causing arthitis or worse your central nervous system. If you find ticks on yourself and a couple days, or weeks, latter you get real tired, sore, headache, fever, etc.. Go to the doctor and get antibiotics. Sold a couple more gallons today, have to bottle again soon. Got some good video of a 300lb+ black bear this morning. Dog scared it away from the saphouse. They're coming down every night now. Going to have to charge the co2 for my paintball gun and start making the bears a little blue.

[royalmaple]

Dave-

Nice to meet you too. Keep me posted on how the Steam away goes. I'll pm you my address.

If you ever have another tank with only "25" gallons of K1 left in it and you are giving it away, I will take the ride over to pick it up. I'll have to keep that in mind when you estimate the sap you get next year, or your evaporation rate.....
:-)


We got the tank out of the truck and the jugs emptied out pretty easily, only a few spills. The Gov's set right up now.

Van thanks, I guess some symptoms are like M.S. My mom was diagnosed with MS a few years back and they thought it was lyme disease for a while.
I just get all freaked out by those P.O.S. things.

[TapME]

The best way of geting an enbedded tick off is to use a triple antibiotic and place it on the tick so it is completely covered, they connot breath and thus back out. I had about ten years ago a lime deasese shot, but latter they said they were not very effective. Just make sure that if you fell down and out after a bite that you see a doc. We have 3 family members that have had lime and all have recovered well, some signs still show but not many. Justkeep checking to get the nasty things off.

[gearpump]

Lyme disease comes from the deer tick which is about the size of the head of a pin. The wood ticks are the big ones and those are the ones that you have to pull off. Deer ticks are not usually seen and if you do get bite by them, you won't know it unless a big red rash shows up. I have already had a couple of wood ticks munching on me. Nasty little buggers.

Marty

[Father & Son]

Spent yesterday at a maple confections workshop. The speaker was Stephen Childs, NYS Maple Extension Specialist from Cornell University. Excellent information and some new tools (toys) for making value added maple products. Very good information on invert sugars and crystallization. Now I'm beginning to understand why some of my candy and peanut batches have failed.

Jim

[Parker]

During tick-black fly season I eat a tremendous ammount of garlic (old woodsmun's trick) I have not seen a tick hooked onto me since I started doing this (years ago) I have seen them on me and my clothes but they dont ever seem to set up shop on me,,,,,,,,works for me....

[brookledge]

Parker
I bet that works for people too, nobody will get near you if your breathing fire
Keith

[mountainvan]

Old timers here swear by leeks to keep everything away.

Remember I was talking about my @#*&*ole neighbor and his stupid corn. Well he found out that black bears love corn, even more than the smell of maple syrup. Bears could get to corn, in unsealed barrels, not to syrup, in sealed containers or if spilled cleaned up with bleach. Well now he's trying to electrfying the falling down garage to keep the bears out. Keeping me amused. I doubt if it will stop a 350-400lb bear. Bottled more syrup today to deliver tomorrow.

[220 maple]

Checked some trees on the first of June, Probably 75% taphole closure already. Love them health spiles. Hopefully all holes will be closed by August. I tried to photo some of them last month but didn't know how to use my new ditigal camera. I have had holes that have healed by the first week of May in the past. Onetime Rick Lloyd who used to work for Waterloo -Small was walking thru a friends sugar bush in August. We asked why these trees was not tapped this season, Eddie told him they were! He was amazed that they had closed that early, He replied I belive I would put more spiles in next season.
Mark 220 Maple

[Maple Hill Sugarhouse]

The pirate is worried about a little tick? he wasn't talking much when we opened up a couple of hives of bees at the sugarhouse last week and the first one was 3 deeps boiling with bees(50-60,000) he was probably petrified and didn't tell me/Just think one could have climbed up your pant leg and zapped you on your swizzle stick which could have got it throbbing real bad and then i'd have to cart you off to see the doctor and have the son of a gun amputated. Then you'd really be thinking? or maybe that's less -------.

I have't see a tick on me since i don't know when around here. certain spots are loaded and others you can't even buy one.

[royalmaple]

AArrrrggg, Afraid of a little tick says ye, Ni says I.

Tis the thought of the blessid curse of the bite that is, close to mind.

I was pretty much frozen with that many bees around but not scared, just taking baby steps.

That was pretty impressive, Ive never been around anything like that.

[thenewguy]

ticks don't seem to be the problem up here in Canada, the only thing I've heard about ticks lately is in brad Paiseleys new song.....

[TapME]

HEY, Royalmaple the ticks aren't the problem here, that's if you can get past the blackflies and the sketers. After that the turkeys and the bobcats are a peice of cake. Then on the odd day of the mother bear and cubs or the strange dog that has been howeling at night, I think it must be one like they found in Turner last year. After that it's a cake walk. Ticks ............... they only bite once .

[brookledge]

More and more ticks seem to be working their way north. i'm in Massachusetts and I'm 43. Ticks were not a problem around here until about 5 years ago.. Then Lime disease became a problem in southern Connecticut. Now ithas worked its way north and seems to keep heading north.
Keith

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Don't see many ticks down here any more and they must all be moving north. You guys can have all of them!

[TapME]

Never saw many ticks here in ME until they stoped spraying for for spruce bud worm. About 10 years after they stoped the ticks started to show up and now at this time of the year they seem to be everywhere. Has any one else noticed this connection.

[royalmaple]

I wonder what that thing was they found in Turner. That was a pretty interesting "thing". Funny how they never gave us a final opionion on it. I guess the gov't came to get it and then nothing. Must have fallen off the truck on the way to the lab?

I can deal with the flyers, just hate the creepy crawlers.

[TapME]

They just had a couple of attacks up the mid coast that they said was loose dogs that killed 25 plus sheep. Sound like the creature got off before he met the car on rt.4. I think the sheep were in the damrascotter area. I just know that it didn't look like anything that I have ever seen. This thing was 45-60 lbs had short legs and a head that looked like a pig with really long and sharp teeth, and black as a moonless night.

[Parker]

I saw a picture of the "devil dog" but thought it was a hoax,,,is that what you are talking about??

[royalmaple]

Yeah, that is it. Most people up front were saying oh that is just a dog. But if you look closely you can see features that are in the dog family but not your average house pet that sleeps on your bed.


I talked to some people I know in the area and they talk of a creature at night that has a howling scream that is blood curdling. Like nothing you have ever heard.

There were more pics on the net, but I guess the lady that took them in Turner has demaned money for anyone to use them so most sites have pulled them. But if you search for turner maine beast you'll get some pictures.

Some of the best ones they had are not online anymore.

[TapME]

I saw some of the pics of the dogs that this thing got ahold of, pitbulls and a rotwhiller and this thing just had it all over them. Size didn't make a differance at all, just imagine what it could do to the wild anamials in the area. Matt you must have friends that had to have an experance with this thing. Can't beleive that there is only one.

[ibby458]

FINALLY got a start on next year's sugarwood. Got 2-1/2 cords of hardwood in the traler, ready for splitting and stacking. Kinda late, but I got a good location for drying, so it oughta be OK.

[mountainvan]

Bottled 30 gals of syrup today, more to bottle tomorrow. Farmers markets start this weekend, so time to start raking in the washingtons. Shot two bears this week with the paintball gun, both were less than 50 feet away. I was in the house shooting out the window. A bear can make that 50 feet disappear real fast. No caterpillars this year, though there are spots in Deleware county that are bare.

[maplekid]

got the sugar house biult and the wood split haveing some trouble with the smoke stack again but went out dismorning and found out the problem(had a broken brick got it fixed though)will try to post some pics of the sugar house in a couple of weeks....

[mountainvan]

Had my best start with the markets last weekend, sold out of a couple sizes of extra dark in plastic and glass. Bottled more syrup today and will do more tomorrow. No bears for the last couple days, guess they learned not to come by my house. Plus my neighbors gone, hopefully forever, I'm thinking he was leaving corn out for the bears.

[gearpump]

Saw on CNN tonight another weird global warming trend. Its seems that in lower NY state the warming is causing the black bears to start turning blue. Kinda concentrated around the catskills.....LOL.

Marty

[Dave Y]

For crying out loud! Thats why I quit watching the news. It is more fiction than fact!

[andrew martin]

We increased the number of trees we tapped this past winter to 240, and we were unsure how syrup would sell in our small town of 5,200 people. We made 35 gallons from light to Grade B, and we had a tremendous response from this little community, and we only have 2 gallons remaining. We are pleased and it is a nice incentive to add 100+ taps for the upcoming season. The only thing I would change is to blend my light with a dark or Grade B to make medium and/or dark - people prefer the medium and dark grades over the light. Maybe we will make candy next year, but not sure yet.

Andrew

[mountainvan]

Weird stuff going on here in the Catskills with colored bears. Haven't seen a bear this week, maybe they learned not to come down the mountain by my house. Glad to see other peoples sales are good. I'm sticking around 50% over last year. Bottled more syrup this week. I do 15 gallons in various sizes and then the saphouse gets to hot to stand. Hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July.