Where's Mapleman3 and AL and the rest of the gang??????
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Where's Mapleman3 and AL and the rest of the gang??????
They probably have another life, unlike the rest of us.
Mike- Stop in anytime, I like vistors. Ill be here if my wife doesnt log off my sugarmaples while im at work.
Theron, are you going to be ready to tap this weekend? If I were you I would rest up for a week before you tap. That way you will be fresh when it does start. then you will be ready for the all nighter's that are on the horizon.
Is it my imagination or are people tapping earlier and earlier each year. I understand the WV, NJ, S. PA guys, but traditionally isn't late Feb/March traditional sugaring season for the NE?
I'm not knocking it - hey, if the weathers right, go for it. It just seems that more peole are tapping earlier. Is it due to climate change, shock and awe from last season's ridiculous weather or an itchy trigger finger.
I remember reading a book where an old time sugarer from vermont I think had a tapping diary and compared the 1950's to the 1990's or something like that. It seemed way back when - he was generally tapping mid march and sometimes boiling into early May.
DaveY- If Im ready to tap this weekend itll be barely. It wont be after any rest. I probly ought to wait one more week. Ill have to see what I think. Matts coming down so we might tap. Im going to hang 3 buckets this morning and see if the trees thaw next two days. Im still setting up my stuff. It does still seem to be pretty early to me too but the weather is so crazy anymore if it starts running I might go for it. Theeeeron
Theron,
There is not much sap weather out there in the 15 day forecast. I was going to try to tap on sunday but It doesn't look like it will mean much if I wait a few more days.
Big 'ole Jet Airlina, carry me to PA. Wow-o-o.
Givin Theron a hand for a few days.
But for now it's Maine that I want to stay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Guitar solo....
BIG SAP!!
I personally don't think the weather has changed that much up here. The mind set of people now is when we get a thaw in January it has never happened before, but where did the term January thaw come from, it has been around all of my life.If you look at our charts the sap still doesn't start to run for us until the 10th to the 15th of march, and our season still ends for us in late April, which is where it has been for years. Sure we could tap in January and we would get some sap, but the problems it creates is not worth the hassle. I know that there are large sugarmakers in Vermont that have made what seems like a lot of syrup to the small guy, but when you figure in how many trees they have tapped it is only a drop in the bucket as to what they will make, and at the end of the season they won't have anymore syrup then other sugarmakers do that start later. I just looked at the 15 day and there is not a speck of sugaring weather in it, yet there are sugarmakers with 35-40 buckets ( about a hour of tapping) that are afraid they might miss something if they don't start now. I know that it is hard to hold back because you are ready to tap and make steam, heck some of you have been ready for that since the 1st of May last year.
Happy sugaring and do what you have to do to satisfy your urge is what I say.
A lot of the issue with early tapping in my opinion is communication. Many years ago there were not things like maple newspapers, tv, internet/trader, phones and all the other modern conviences and vaccum to keep the holes open longer.
I think this has a lot more to do with it than most other things, and greed too!