January Journal

Dirty Jobs running the Sugaring episode again at 9pm tonight est.

Thanks, Jim!! Most of us were just starting to get over the last time it showed!!! Stand back Pa., another whoopin' is coming!!!

Decided to do metal for the sugar house roof. Amber Gold came over to give me a hand. All we got done is the coupala, and the whole time we are saying "man that looks too small". I think I'm going to rip it out in the morning go half as long and twice as high.

Dennis- Your running so many cfm's per tap a little hole isnt too much of a deal I dont think. Thats allmost a 10 cfm pump on your little woods. Itll be fun as heck to see how much sap you get. How many gallons have you got in a day so far? Mike- Quit dissn us southerners! Were just trying to make some PENNSYLVANIA FANCY!! You ought to see the stuff come out of my lines yesterday. Thats going to make some Pennsylvania fancy. Theron

Yesterday was a great day! Attended the Northwest PA Maple producer's meeting. Could have talked for day's with all the wonderful member's there. Learned alot more from the great seminars. I got so excited I came home and drilled 3 1/8" test holes. All in reds that I have never tapped. All were running sap. The refractometer read 1.6 in the first. The second read 1.7 and the third read 2.2!:D My wife was with me and immediately said I should tap that one. She even walked around with me as I dreamed about putting a few hundred on tubing. I don't know if I'll ever take that step though.

Well I am off to DC don't know if I will have time to keep up with the trader so I am sure there will be alot to read when I get back. Theron go make some of that Pa. Fancy. Any idea how much you have collected yet? I wish we were at the tapping stage here weather wise. Sure would be nice. Looks like mid to late Feb. now. You guys all be safe and talk to you when I return.

Gary R was right the sap adrenalin and sugaring BS was flowing yesterday at the NWPA Annual maple meeting which was attended but famous maple traders like Gary R, Jim Brown, Jim (King of PA syrup) Bortles, Jan (Premium producer) Woods, Jake (Tappin and Sappin) and many others. You will seem more folks from this are getting on the trader too. :) We know its the place to be if you want to talk maple and get lots of input. and good discussions.

Good talks by Brad Gillian from Leader and local forester on the Asian Long horn beetle, Gary Bilek on invert sugar levels and how to change your invert levels in syrup, and Kirisa Durfee on maple benefits to your health.

Got to examine the new check valve spout too. Several Leader dealers were on site.

Jim Bortles and I made some nice crumb and Greg Walberg made sugar on snow. Both demonstrations were well received and we got a lot of good questions.

I was wound up like Gary R and had to go home and hang tubing for 130 taps. Felt good to get out and start to get ready for mid Feb.

We have rainy, raw, windy, warm sugaring weather today. One of those days where if you are out in the bush you cant wait to get back to the sugar house, get a fire going and get the steam rising.

Regards,
Chris

I most say a nine year old daughter shure can be handy at times. I was talking about adding an avatar and she took a photo, down loaded it and set it up so I could have one too. As she walked away she tapped me on the shoulder and said "if you need any more help let me know".:)

gator,
Cute but true!:)

Chris

Sugarmaker,
you must be sand bagging only 130 taps. I put about 200 drop lines on today and washed around 500 buckets. Only 700 more to go. It was good to see all of you yesterday.