February Journal THE COUNTDOWN!!!

Chris ,
No wax. just a spit shine.
Just checked the 15 day forecast.!0 days with snow and no above freezing temps. I guess I have time to finsh everything I still have to do.

Must have a dry mouth by now. Do you have a old evaporator hanging around to use so it dosn't get dirty.

Chris; We have moved vac pumps,generators, drums,barrels,buckets and rolls of tubing into the garage.(cut a hole in the fence)We have yet to do anything with the building.Since we have everything but the rig moved out of the sugarhouse we have enough room to move around good in there now .Darlene wants to look at making a retail area over there now that we have cut trees and bush and opened up the front so you can see it well. We plan on tapping this saturday. Doug is coming in from dayton Friday evening and the crew is due to arrive at 8:00am to start.

Good luck
Jim

Jim Brown,
Sounds like you have been busy. Last year I was able to make syrup on my birthday (Feb 27) but by the looks of the accuweather forcast it might not happen this year. Almost go time!

Jim

last year i taped on presidents day and boiled the nexted day but that is monday and i don't even have pans

Chris,

If I get a steamaway, it will be bought. Don't have to worry about me making one. I love to make things and can do about anything but weld. My dad taught me about everything except welding and electrical. I am learning a little electrical as I go but have only welded one time. Besides, with my work schedule, I wouldn't have time to build one anyway.

Will have to wait and see how this season goes. I am running 625 taps on a 2x8 which isn't a problem but all my boiling help is getting older and won't be around for how much longer?? I tapped my biggest bush Jan 31st last year and this year, it doesn't look like I will tap before Feb 20th. This weather is completely crazy. More snow this week on top of what we already have. At 9 this morning, it was 10 degrees and well below 0 wind chill and at the same time, I was watching weather channel and it is 40 degrees in Vancouver. Something is bad wrong with that as they are trying to haul in snow just to have enough for the olympics and we are up to our ears in it. Usually never even snow on the ground when I tap. I can only remember it a couple of times in last 10 years and this year I am going to need snowshoes. Not supposed to get out of 20's for next 10 days and the 9th and 10th day in low 30's. Crazy cold, but we'll see what happens. Hopefully we can get 4 good weeks from Feb 20th to March 20th. One thing for sure, the ground is super saturated and 24 to 30 inches of snow on it now and snow every day for next 7 days.

Snow, snow, snow. The stuff looks nice but is a real PITA. I was planning on tapping this weekend, but with the snow and the forecast calling for more cold I think i'm going to push it back until next weekend instead. I've got plenty of other things to do to occupy this weekend. Still need to hook up the vacuum pump, wade snow to fix more lines, etc. After plowing last saturday we got in the woods in the afternoon and again sunday. Slightly funny, after the fact, was replacing my mailbox post saturday morning, after my dad backed over it while plowing my driveway! Got some lines fixed and some new ones put in. Got 45 new taps online, should put us at about 915 taps right now, I hope to make it to 1,000 by early season. Focus now will be on fixing, tapping, then trying to add a few more.

This is starting to look like it will be one of those true to the book seasons. The ones that start in March and end in mid April. With great temps for huge sap flow.:) If not when this cold goes out and the warm comes in and stays you may want to be ready for a short season.:cry: Hate to say it but this might be the case for you guys in the south. Still ready to get to it no matter how it turns out. One thing for shure it won't be this week. I'm going to hitch the team Saturday and drive some folks around the fields drink coffee eat fritters and have some good old winter fun. Little pulling will do my girls some good for when the tractor won't start and the sap needs picking up. I'm also going to try them on a few trips to the woods for a down tree or two. Want to start pulling wood with them this spring and summer. I'm not shure but I think being ready to go in January was a big mistake. Next year I have to put it all off till it's only a week away. All this waiting is starting to really suck!!!

OK I see I got some jucies flowing in NWPA!
Boyd,
Yes Greg as in Edinboro industries. You know Greg taught me how to solder. We really should have a class on soldering for those of us not fortunate to have welded pans. Its really not that tough to do.

BTW I really need to resolder my front pan in the middle partitions at the rear. Lots of heat there. but will try to get through the 2010 season as is.
I thought you had your pans???

The WRU will be worked on as time and funds permit. If it comes together this year that would be great ( seems to be up to how fast I work:)) I can usually get a lot done if I have the materials available. Running out of stanless to fab and need to start shelling out the old green stuff. Which doesnt seem as plentifull these days:)

Jim Bortles let me know if you need a hand with tubing. I could at least hold one end:)
Jim Brown,
That property will be like a pocket in a shirt (real handy)

Brandon, Yikes your getting dumped on. Gota love the global warming! Adam in Pittsburgh and Stacy in Columbus are struggling with the unusual snow too.

Chris

yes i know greg when i droped off my pan yesterday he had another one out there that must of been t&s