I think I've gone to far!!!! funny story for you all.

[rustyinmaine]

Alright, here's my story. Being a carpenter in Maine in the winter is slow. So, in my boredom around the house I got the great idea to tap some trees and make some syrup. I look all over the place for all the info I could find and constructed my homemade evaporator and went to tap some trees. I started out with just 5 taps and the next day the buckets were full. I thought wow, this is great. So I proceed to scavenge throw the garage for different pipes to make more tap out of. Well I ended up with about 6 more and ventured to the edge of the swamp to tap more trees. The sap started to gather by the bucket full. I soon needed more space to store the sap. So I went to the restaurant that I work at part time at night and started to gather more buckets and storage containers. As I got more buckets, I made more taps and tapped more trees. Well today I made some more taps and as I was getting ready to go out and find more trees, it happened. I had my drill and hammer and all other equipment that I use. Then my lovely wife, that supports all my crazy ventures, looks at me and says "what are you doing?" in a very sarcastic way. I looked at her and said "going to tap more trees!". She then looked at me with concern in her eyes and replied. "Rusty, what are the hip waders for?" . Right then and there I knew that this whole maple syrup thing has kind of made me obsessed and nuts. Now I understand what you guys say on here about having to be crazy to do it. Its official I have gone maple syrup crazy and I like it. By the way I put the waders on and put 10 more taps out this morning in knee deep water. But found a huge tree that had the sweetest sap I've tasted this year!:mrgreen:

[Haynes Forest Products]

You aint crazy your just PREPARED:) Now I havent heard how the evap is going. I can tell you that the first year that my nephew and I taped mid season we had every possible thing that would hold sap out in the woods leaned up against the trees. Went to Napa and bought all the plastic fittings they had for fuel systems hammerd into the trees for a tubing system:lol: WELCOME.

[red maples]

waders Ha how do you think I put up some of my main line!!!:rolleyes: I will be pulling taps in those same ones shortly!!!and too far man your just the tip of the ice berg there is so much more under the water that you can't see yet!!!! it sank the titanic watch out!!!

[vtsnowedin]

Like Larry the cable guy says "I don't care who you are ...that's funny"!

[morningstarfarm]

Dude that aint nothing...I collected this year in a canoe after the last flooding storm...would have prefered waders but it was too deep.:lol:

[Haynes Forest Products]

Tripping in waders walking in 2ft of water with full buckets is a funny thing. Next time only fill the buckets 2/3rds:o and float them to the boat

[rustyinmaine]

Haynes-the weather has not been very good up here. I think i'll fire it up tomarrow. I still putting more taps out. I was thinking the same thing about getting hoses. I'm a carpenter and have 1000's of feet of air hose and fitting to use. I'm just not sure how long the season is going to last. This week looks good but it is starting to warm gradually. we will see what happens!

[buxtonboiler]

Doesn't sound crazy to me. Sounds like you got bit by a swarm of Maple bugs. Gotta watch out for them. As long as you are having fun it don't matter anyways.

[Sue @ Battel's Sugar Bush]

Glad the maple craze got to you, Rusty. Your wife may be thankful for your insanity later this year when you're enjoying some of your own nice warm maple syrup. :)