April Journal

[TapME]

Everyone is so busy that their is no journal for the month yet. We don't want March to end.

[KenWP]

Well April came in with a bang for me. Had my best run all season. Now its to warm again and no chance of frost untill Saturday or Monday. Boiling all day today looks like.

[PerryW]

Made 7 gallons on April First, grade made is back from dark up to medium.

Didn't freeze last night, but picked up what dribbled out overnight and made another 3 gallons this morning for a total of 82 gallons. Grade dropped back into dark.

Going to hang on an see if we can make it though this predicted 60 degree day and pick up some freezes in the next week.

[maplecrest]

had a great run over nite. r/o working over time but is getting hot out might hit 60 today. i hope not no freezes in sight

[brookledge]

April 1st was my last boil. Got about 400 gal of sap. Today drained it off the flue pan and boiled it down in the syrup pan. Will finish the syrup off in my canner tommorow.
Keith

[Sugarmaker]

Making a small candy order tonight. It was not a great night to make candy. Did I tell you I hate making candy!

I also increased the invert level in some of the lightest syrup we made using invertase.

checked the sap total 5300 gallons boiled 105 gal of syrup was the approx count. sugar dipped to 1.9% one run Biggest run was 700 gallon.
Sugar house is presentable again too.

Radio went out of the big F250 last night: I think it was ghosts! Bummer, wouldn't have minded if the doors had fallen off, but the radio now that's serious (SIRIUS). It goes in the shop tomorrow for that work and some more Ford add on goodies:)

Yea still kicking around the idea of a home made steam enhancing unit (SEU) for the old 3 x 10. Maybe????

Chris

[jrthe3]

Chris you thinking of some sort of piggy back pan cause that is my plan this year to build a steam away thing

[Brian Ryther]

The day started great. I went out and reamed 1000 holes with great sucess. When I was done th sap was running like March. I have 2000 gal at the sugar house and 500 still in the fields. There are three freezing nights in the next 5 days. I started boiling at 1pm. By 1:35 My syrup pan had four holes in it. I burnt the pan so bad it began leaking like a sive. I shut things down and hit the phone. A few calls later I have an appt. with Bill at leader rutland early tomorrow morning. The pan is in my truck and tied down. Unless somebody knows of a 6x5 Small Bros syrup pan for sale I will have this one repaired tomo am and boil on my burnt / warped pan. If I did not have sap and sap in the future I would have quit at 2pm today. I dont care how bad it gets, I will not quit!
BR

[KenWP]

When do you know to ream your taps back out. What signs would warrant it.

[PerryW]

Ken,

about 4-5 weeks after drilling the holes, you will start noticing a few trees that will completely stop producing sap. After about 6 weeks, a significant percentage of the taps will stop producing.

Usually, the season is over by this time anyway, but if it ends up being a late season (or you tapped too early), you can increase your sap flow be reaming the holes.

I generally try to avoid reaming but have resorted to it twice in the past 20 years.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Sounds like great customer service to get it repaired and get you back boiling asap.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

I saw that Leader has the rolls of 30P on sale for $ 45 a roll for the next month or so in the new catalog that I got today and some other items in the spring sale. I was busy and just glanced at a couple of things. Just thought I would mention if anyone is planning on stocking up for more taps next year!

[saphead]

Earlier this season talked to an experienced sugarmaker that
put up some Leader tubing this year and unfortunately the stuff was junk.He showed me some and the wall thickness was very inconsistant.He said it wouldn't hold onto fittings like the Lappiere tubing that he normally uses.If I remember right the tubing was clear and I don't know if 30p comes in clear or just blue and grey.It was obvious that a bad run of tubing came from Leader. Just want to give a heads up.Has anyone else found any tubing like this? I think it was rigid.

[Brian Ryther]

The boys in Rutland hooked me up!!!!! I pulled in at 7am and left at 9am with repaired pans. I was able to make 15 gal of Mersh today that more than paid for the trip. The $45 price is the new price. With oil prices down it is cheaper to produce tubing. I have miles of leader tube up in my woods and would not use anything else. Quality products and excelent costomer service!
BR

[caseyssugarshack93]

all i used is leader tubing and i like it alot,

[maplekid]

caseysugarshack. how much syrup have you made?

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

If it was clear tubing, it wasn't Leader tubing. All the tubing they make is either, blue, gray or green and the reasoning behind the color is as follows:

Light blue see it all season

Green Hard to see when there are green leaves on in like a visible area where people walk in summer, etc

Gray Blends in with trees and surroundings year around.

I like the 30p a lot, but don't normally buy it as I have some squirrels that seem to have a fetish for it and won't leave it alone. LOL

I have worked in customer service for 15+ years since I got out of high school and I will have to second what Bryan said that Leader's customer service has always been second to none the many times I have dealt with them.

[KenWP]

Be thankfull you get service in english. To talk to anybody from D&G here I have to contact somebody in Montreal and get the message transfered to Compton store. The one day the fellow there had to phone somebody to translate for me. But I am the one that moved here so its my fault not their's that we have this problem.

[caseyssugarshack93]

im pretty close to 200 gallons hope to have week and half left

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

As of last week, all the tubing was flushed and sanitized along with buckets and all of the tanks and it is all inside the sugarhouse ready to go for next year. Evaporator still needs cleaned but I am working on building a simply cable lifting system for the hood before cleaning it which I will do on days it rains when I can't cut and haul wood. Already started on wood for next year and hope to have the wood wrapped up by at least May 15th or sooner.

[saphead]

Now i'm curious as to what he showed me for tubing.I didn't think 30P came in clear and all who use 30P like it a lot!

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Lapierre makes the only clear tubing I know of, not completely clear, but you get the picture. I have a few rolls of it up and I really like it a lot. The blue Lappierre stuff is the biggest bunch of crap I have ever seen and unfortunately I have several rolls of it up. Don't buy it, it is absolute junk and must be like sandpaper on the inside because it wants to completely block off before the end of the season every year somewhere and I have up several other brands and types and have no problem, so I know it is that crap and it is less than 3 years old.

[maple flats]

I still have about 4 full cord from this year and have now cut and split about 2 more. I will need about 10 full cord and it should be finished by the end of April. This is in addition to cutting all of the slab from my mill this year, which i blend in if soft wood at up to 25% or use alone when hard wood.

[Brian Ryther]

Began cutting next years wood in the morning. Pulled buckets in the afternoon. Some had rope sap. Collected 800 gals from vac lines. Boiled in the pm. 25 gal of mersh in two days. Maybe more tomorrow?

[KenWP]

What is rope sap.

[Jerome]

Still going strong here in Ontario winter is back with a vengeance. My wife just came down and jokingly asked if the school buses were running and for the first time all year they aer not go figure it is really not that bad out there.

[KenWP]

Another day of nothing here again. Is cold just not cold enough at nights. Maybe Tuesday night.

[dano2840]

ground shifted under neath my tank stand on thurs, and the 600 gal galv tank came tumbling off, dented the side and broke the seam, when it shifted and sent all the wait to one side the frame side fell over, i got a 425 poly tank up there and put more 2x4 cross bracing than you can shake a stick at, if that fails then i wont ever pick up a hammer again. hopefully it runs atleast 1 more time so all that work isnt for nothing

[PerryW]

Dano,

My cousin tapped about 50 sugar maples on the waitsfield-moretown line and he has had a terrible season. He's only made 2 gallons so far.

[KenWP]

My whole yard has shifted here. Doors in the greenhouse do not close and the place a picked to boil was dry as a bone I figured untill the frost came out. Ant where we kept snow shoveled the ground swelled 6 to 8 inches so I have humps all over the place. There is still plenty of frost in the ground here as I had to dig a hole and hit frost.

[brookledge]

KenWP
Ropey sap is sap that is like stringy and snotty. It gets the term because if you move it or stir it it will almost pull like a piece of rope.
Keith

[markcasper]

Brandon,

Leader makes 30P in white/clear. It is not advertised in their catalog, but your dealer can get it if you want it. All I use is 30P clear. The first stuff I put in for the 1999 season and is still in production. I am really happy with it and the white helps keep sap cooler on my southern slopes.

It sucks that its 45 dollars a roll now. I bought 40 rolls last fall and think I paid $55 a roll assuming it would just keep going up in price. Most of those rolls will not be used for a few years yet.

[KenWP]

D&G makes clear tubeing also. It's all they would sell me in small peices. I used only 64 ft of it for my trees.

[dano2840]

Dano,

My cousin tapped about 50 sugar maples on the waitsfield-moretown line and he has had a terrible season. He's only made 2 gallons so far.

its been a P!$$ poor season here, 94 gal off 600 taps of real nice trees? i havent had snow in my woods since like march 5 which is messed up usually im just starting to loose it now, crap year, but thats life it is what it is so what ever you deal with it and then put up some more taps for next year, who is your cousin???? maybe i know him

[KenWP]

Sounds like my odds. 7 gallons from 135 taps and then they just stopped. I have a few today that are dripping. But its like a slow drip. The kind that keeps you up at night wondering when the next drop will hit the sink.

[Revi]

We got about 30 gallons off of 260 taps, but we're still happy.

They are all woods trees, and we use ecolo taps, so we get about 80%, but the trees heal up faster. We don't have vacuum, just gravity.

Whatever we get is great.

It showed up at the perfect time and ended quickly.

It was a lot better than last year.

[gator330]

All set to count the money..... I lost!!!!!! I must say this is the first time I've had any come back to me, On a hobbie that is. Every thing is in a bottle or jug and labeled. I set up a small display at the family farm supply store, Looked real nice, I think it will sell. Sold some at work and their wanting more already. Good test, their the kind that would tell me if it was junk!!! May be sold out before the end of the month. All ready planing for next year. Going to keep up with a few things during the summer. Maybe build this up to the point I can make money??? Time to get on to the next thing, Started some lettuce this week, onions are in and some space is ready for pea's. Before you know it will be time to pick peaches and apples. Just 11 months till we are tapping again!!!! By the way it is snowing here today. The fire has run out of wood for the season. Turkey season is open in three weeks. I still haven't ordered chicks or got my pigs for the year.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

:) Things look good weather wise here for the next week. An inch of snow last night and 26 degrees. A similar pattern to follow. Am wondering about the wisdom of reaming some holes. Been tapped in for 5 weeks. The new taps and line are still going strong but the stuff that has been in place for a few years has slowed up. Guess I'll see how it runs this PM and go from there. If those guys in Quebec are gonna have a bumper crop, I will need one too. Just checked and I still have 7 of those "only used once for maple syrup" barrels out in the barn......

[KenWP]

Weather looks good here for a run sometime also. I do not know if it will get warm enough today to run after the freeze last night. Next Monday looks the most promiseing so far. I am thinking of reaming the few old holes I have left as I had to move a lot of the older taps this week futher out in the bush. Now I have to carry sap up hill and then a half mile to get it home.

[PerryW]

Well I don't think the freeze in Littleton/Lyman was hard enough for a run. Only a skim if ice on the puddles; but I'm still hoping for a hundred or 200 gallons of sap.

The weathermen are predicting lows of around 27-28 for the next several nights. Not quite cold enough for good runs but hopefully I can make another 10 or 20 gallons.

[KenWP]

Seems that if it freezes earlyier in the evening it works better then when if freezes at dawn.

[Jerome]

looks good here +9c right now was -5c last night next 5 days look good with + - 5deg every day then that's it.

[Gary R]

Finished with maple weeks ago. Finished with birch a couple days ago. Got all the buckets cleaned and put away. I've got my stacks off, sugar shack in the driveway by the barn. Pans off and grates are out. Getting ready to install air over fire. Plan on pouring a fire box floor with tappered air holes. Also looking at new type of preheater.

[maple flats]

After 10 days no flow, I finally got maple weather again. The buds on the sugars still have not opened. Next 5 days look like good flow if the 10 day is correct. I now stand at 120 gal on 600 taps (actually 570, I pulled my 30 reds over 2 weeks ago. This morning I dumped some old sap from the last 10 days and sanitised my tanks. Sap was running good all day from 9:00 on. The timing is perfect for me, I have the next 10 days off, perfect!!! I have emptied the evap and finished the old. In the morning I will collect and be back boiling. Hoping to get at least another 30 gal to end up with a quart/tap on gravity. Still looking to add RO next year and Vac the next.

[KenWP]

Had a very busy day. Boiled for 12 hours and then called it quits for the night. Back at it again tomorrow. Forecast calls for frost again tonight but will see what happens. Only need a couple of 5 gallon pails to finish off another batch of syrup when this batch I am working on is done.

[PerryW]

Hit 94 gallons of syrup (94% of full crop). High elevation trees had their best run so far, but my main sugarbush only ran 200 gallons. Grade dropped to grade b but ended up back into Grade a Dark at the end of the boil.

[KenWP]

Had a frost again last night so should have a bit of a run today. My syrup looks very dark this batch and it tastes different since I am useing almost totally new trees since my last batch. proof will be in the pudding they say.

[PerryW]

Froze down to 26 deg F last night and the sap is running well here in northern NH. The last batch last night was nice Grade A Dark Amber and I expect tonite's syrup to be the same.

[maple flats]

I only got 140 gal on my bigger bush (420 taps, higher elevation) today and 20 gal on the smaller (150 taps, low flat land), total sap (gravity) today on my 570 remaining taps. Sugar was at 1.9%. Boiled it down and waiting to see about tomorrow. This was my first flow in the past 10 days. Sap was a little cloudy but not buddy yet. Expect to make B when I get enough for a canning batch to be graded. I noticed at the bigger bush that the tank on old tubing with adapters was much slower than that on all new and the 2 have a similar # taps on. Hope to add vac in 2 years, that would surely improve those numbers.

[KenWP]

Had just a short run today as it didn't freeze all that hard last night. Was enough to make almost a days boil so that made 3 days of sap in a row.

[Sugarmaker]

Should clean the last of the tubing that I forgot in the woods today.:)

Built a steel frame for the syrup strainer tank so I can move the frame it was on back in to service as a honey extractor stand.

Have been working with our son-in-law to build a post and beam foundation for his 30 x 22 foot building that is coming Tuesday. Lots of post hole tuning and rough framing with 6 x 6 posts and 2x10 stringers. Should make a nice solid foundation for the Amish to build on.

Also have a candy machine to work on in the near future too:).

Have a great Easter!

Chris

[Brian Ryther]

I had to finish today. I boiled on Thursday then took Friday off to make today a bigger boil. Big mistake. Within 30 hours the flue pan turned to jello. I had to drain and clean that this morning before I could start. The up side is that the jello cleaned my flue pan shiney. I boiled the 1100 gal I had collected from the past two days and chased the evap with 300 gal of water. If I wasn't comitted to work on Monday I would stick it out and boil one more time. I made 635 gal from 1901 taps this year. .33 gal per tap. It adds up when you consider 200 buckets 600 gravity, and 1100 on vac. I averaged 20+ gal of sap per tap with vac, buckets were 9 gal per tap, and the 600 gravity (tree saver with extensions) bush did 11.5 gal per tap.
Time to go home and see the family.
BR

[KenWP]

Okay I am swamped now. I have days worth of sap in storage and another day of it Sunday unless it gets to cold. I have trees giving me 5 gallons at a time and the worst tree is a gallon. Anybody have a spare evaporator in their pocket.

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

That's what you get for all the complaining for so long about not getting any sap! LOL!

[KenWP]

I know. Most likely some body sneaks in and fills my buckets on me twice a day. Supposed to not get above freezeing tomorrow so will get a much needed break.

[PerryW]

Looks like some great sugaring weather for the next few days in northern NH. Freezing up hard right now in the low 20's and supposed to be about perfect weather for the next few days.

I'm up to 103 gallons as of last night and still mid-grade Grade A dark amber after flirting with Grade b a couple days ago. I washed out the main 600 gallon tank yesterday and I'm washing out the truck 425 gallon tank and my 300 gallon sugarhouse tank this morning. I will not be surprised to see medium amber by tomorrow night.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

OH MY!
Saw all three on Friday but the weather forecast says it will keep coming. Gonna go ream another 300 or so today. Seems to help some but no Gusher. Sap quality is down. Purchased sap from buckets has been colored pretty bad and one guy brought in 500 gallons of 1%. He pulled them. Other purchased sap is at 1 and 1/2%. My reds are now at 1 and 1/2% but sap is still pretty clear. Sugars are still around 2%. First ones I reamed were big old trees that average good sweetness.
Syrup is still good flavored and is a low B. I thought I had gone to C but still looks pretty good. At this point, I am at close to 1/3 gallon/tap on my stuff and a bit under a quart/tap on purchased sap. Lotsa volume and darker than average. Gonna need the volume as it is starting to look like a bumper crop and weaker prices.
Doug

[KenWP]

It's 28 degrees here and sort of snowing. Won't be much sap today which is fine as I am behind the 8 ball on boling. Will see how much get done today in the cold and then be at it tomorrow again most likely.

[maplecrest]

to hear the peepers, see frogs and still be making syrup is very strange. 28 degrees here and snowing. looks like at least 3 more days of weather for sap.

[sapman]

Peepers and other frogs have been going here for almost three weeks. I'm still trying to make syrup. Vacuum ran most all day, only produced about 150 gal. Tonight supposed to be 24 then 50 tomorrow, so we'll see if I should've quit last week or not.

Tim

[KenWP]

Was a cold day to boil to say the least. Got a bunch boiled down and since it was to cold for sap to run got me that much closer to catching up again. Will be a good sap day tomorrow if the forecast is right. Cold wind from the north might slow things down a bit.
Syrup is a lot darker then before but still edible.

[PerryW]

No sap flow today here either. Weatherman predicted a high of 40 and it never broke 32 deg! At least I got some wood in today.

Last take-off Sat night was still nice dark amber. All the tanks are washed and ready for clear sap.

Still pretty optimistic. Already broke our goal of 100 gallons (103 gallons) and we're definitely getting more sap this week.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Cold this AM. Supposed to start to thaw around 10. As soon as it gets daylight, I'm back to re-boring holes. Have done about 600 so far as time allows. Didn't think it was doing much yesterday until I walked back along the main line. Sap coming in from the side I re-bored, not on other side. Have 650 gallons of sap here at sugar house and another 400 in the bush. Will start to recirculate with the RO before I head to the bush. I will have lots of syrup but so will others. Price is probably tumbling as we speak (or write)!
Doug

[sapman]

Doug, when did you tap? My taps have been in for about 5 weeks now, and seem to be slowing, but I should probably be done already anyway. I reamed my 300 buckets, and they definitely picked up, but not like earlier in the season.

Tim

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Tim,
Tapped March 4th-6th. The new bush is still going strong. 800 taps, 2/3 soft maple, 650 gallons today (not rebored). I am definitely going to start a rotation of new droplines next year!

[KenWP]

I have mostly newly tapped trees now and today proved it. I have so much sap its not funny. Going to feel like those mersh guys from down south pretty soon.

[sapman]

Guess we tapped about the same time, Doug. I'd guess that my trees have had warmer weather than yours down here. Time for me to throw in the towel, I guess. Tough on the RO concentrating this stuff, not to mention awful to filter. I had to change papers immediately and start with LOTS of DE the second time.

I'm really looking forward to next year. Hopefully have close to another 800 reds by then, and start tapping earlier for the good Feb. runs, if they happen again.

Hope you make a lot more, Doug! Oh, and I don't know what I would have done without those barrels!

Tim

[PerryW]

Looks like sap today and maybe freezes for the next two nights but no freezes after thursday night. With predicted temps in the 60's I will probably be pulling taps this weekend.

Sitting at 114 gallons and exceeding my goal of 100 gallons, it will be a good season for me.

I've been considering vacuum, but if I can make a solid 120 gallons; it's really enough syrup for my hobby setup.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Just started the pump in the front bush. Sap is trickling in. Froze last night just a bit and is supposed to be around freezing tonight. I will take gas back to the new bush and start that pump this AM and then monitor things. I have 700 gallons of sap now and need to know if I will get enough more so that I will be able to RO it and have enough filtrate for a final wash and rinse. I will see what is accumulating by lunch time and go from there. I'd like to process what I have on hand before it starts to smell more.... If the sap is coming, I'll process what I have and let the pumps run all night and then get the last of it tomorrow. Been a looooong season!
Doug

[maplecrest]

froze last nite. not alot of sap same problem if run r/o will have enough water to wash. and a final wash. tired today. might just run straight sap and then water to get what is in evap and start washing tubing in the am. will hit 4000 gallons today.57 gals. per tap.and i sold 4400 gallons of sap at the start sugar house was not ready.

[KenWP]

I still am getting sap but slower then the last few days. I am going to pull taps tomorrow as it's not supposed to freeze tonight and I am exhausted to say the least. Anybody have some gallon jugs.
This has been my first year and I never expected a bumper crop.

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Off to pull the plug and get the last of the sap to the Sugar house. Is everybody done but the Pirate?

[KenWP]

Froze a bit here again last night. I can see a short run today hopefully and then warm for a while. I am tired of maple syrup. I have boiled for 8 days now and sap has ran for 9 days. Bumper crop for me so I bet the big guys are swamped.

[PerryW]

Looks like I'm in the same boat as you Ken. Gonna pick up my last batch of sap mid-afternoon and should end up with a little better than 120 gallons. Got plenty of all grades from Fancy to Grade B. May make my first commercial today.

The best part about sugaring is as soon as you start to get tired of it, it's over for another 10 months (except getting the wood up for next season).

[caseyssugarshack93]

pulling the plug today.. Sad thing...
be better prepared for next year, made a little over 300 gallons,

hope everyone had a great season, now its time to start cutting and splitting firewood and stacking for next year yippie

[3rdgen.maple]

Pulled the plug yesterday. To sum up the year it was the worst one ever. Weather never cooperated. Either too cold or too hot. When the weather temps were spot on the wind was showing it's ugly side. 385 taps and produced 37.5 gallons. Hope next year is better. Did have fun with what little we had. It was a teaser season for me. Time to clean.

[Sugarmaker]

Making product to get out to market. Saturday will be a local event where teams will be plowing and with the nice weather could draw a nice crowd if people aren't washing there cars or getting ready to mow lawns.

I have the sugar house so I can walk through it again!:)

Jim Brown, P.M. me I have some of those tin spiles sorted out.

Yes I see that the bulk price is down. Form my view point I don't sell any bulk and I try not buy any more than I have too. I did pay good money $4.00 per pound for syrup late last year, but I paid the price and turned that syrup into some dollars as value added product. Like some of the others its still a hobby for me. When the syrup is gone its gone. I made all good flavored syrup that will all go into our maple products for 09.

We did get to tour Jan Woods' Maple museum last night and it is well worth the trip to Fry road in Edinboro PA. Check wwwpamaple.org to find Jan's address and phone number.

I did get to work the bees tonight. I have 9 colonies that have survived. 3 did not make it. So I will be looking for some swarms in a the coming months. The new honey maker suit from Mann Lake worked great. I bees were really aggressive tonight and I did not get stung.:)

Regards,
Chris

[benchmark]

Sugarmaker-
Is it true that the worker bee's have to keep the queen at 90* all winter long??

[peacemaker]

now nate how many gals of lemonaide did u make ?

[Sugarmaker]

Benchmark,
Yea they shiver in mass and the shivering generates enough heat for them to survive in a cluster around the queen. I have heard 80 to 90 degrees F too.
I had three hives die out this year (winter) one looked like it starved the others did not have a lot of bees.

Weather was just great. Spent the day meeting a lot of new maple customers, sold some product and visited too. Got to watch the draft horse teams plow up about 4 acres. I took some colorful kids blocks that spell MAPLE SYRUP mixed them up and set them on the table in front of the products and the kids and some parents had fun lining up the blocks and creating the words. Just another way to make "maple syrup", and it brought a smile to their faces:)


Chris

[caseyssugarshack93]

Lemonaid? ha what do you mean peace?

[KenWP]

Hopefully I get done boiling today. Had frost last night so the few taps still in are running. Seems if the trees bud here they do it fast but the ones that are slow to bud just hand there. The one hard maple out in the lawn hasn't really started to even show signs of buds yet.
You could use the syrup I am makeing as deck stain on pine. it's pretty dark stuff.

[PerryW]

Finished washing up my 700 taps of tubing and 50 buckets this morning. Now just the evaporator and replacing 9 cords of wood to fill the woodshed.

[KenWP]

Had a small run of sap on the few buckets left hanging. Collected that and pulled all my taps finally. Finish boling tomorrow morning and wash up and thats it for another year.
Almost got run over by a turkey today. Have to figure out how to make dinner out of one of them.
Time for fiddle heads to come up I am hopeing. Thats the next thing on my to do list of new and exciting things to do in Quebec.

[mapleman3]

Today My Wife and I pulled out 7000ft of laterals out of the north bush, Being on leased land I have to put up and take down each year! it's a bummer but worth the work. tomorrow we will take down the mainlines.

I moved the tanks to their summer resting spot behind the sugarhouse. still have a few buckets left to clean. I will start washing the bundles of tubing through the next few weeks then store in the holding tanks away from the critters.

I know next year I will be in good shape at seasons start. not much change or addons for next season except getting the back 100 taps online with vacuum, just mostly repair work.

We got 2 ducklings and 4 chicks yesterday, the kids love them! they are real cute. that will put us up to 13 hens and 2 ducks.
We will "Off" a few older hens for soup this year, my first time, still kinda unsure about doing it but they need to go.

[Amber Gold]

Jim, I have to take down about 400' of mainline w/ 1500' of laterals, and 600' of vacuum line and not sure if I'd want to do it if it was too much more than that. It took me about 1/2 the day, but I'm sure it's going to take longer putting up and figuring out which trees I went through.

[mapleman3]

Amber I wish I didnt have to but for me to have the taps it is what it is....

We took down the mains in an hour yesterday, all rolled up ready to wash. around 1800' of mains. I don't use wire so that right there is a time saver

started cleaning the laterals also yesterday. it's going real easy. take a bundle. hook up to my air/water manifold I made wirh a 5/16 barbed end, start the air/water mixture , it makes the bundle of tubing jump around like mad. Then I start plugging each drop and forcing it through every drop, then just air till it's all out of each drop. takes about 4-5 minutes per bundle. did around 12 yesterday before I had to go drive the daughter around.

[KenWP]

I am finished here finally. I just have to bottle the results and wash up all the spiles,buckets,jugs and containers that I used to get this project done. I have maybe 4 times as much to wash as I started out with due to me being addictied to drilling holes in trees. It was a pretty long season for me as it went from fun to work by the time it finished.