November Journal

Jrthe- They look just like the icing buckets Im finding. Id think they would work good. Just drill a hole or set them on the ground and run the tube down in them. I think the smaller buckets might be better off hanging. Im just going to set the big ones on the ground. 3%- One of the guys I work with loves beer and he says that the alcohol only kills off the weak braincells. Well with me I may have got into some good ones. Im pretty much running on instinct I think. Im good with that though. The kids like me becouse Im crazy. Gravel- You just have to wait till those little guys get a bit older then your in the chips. Just think about all the buckets you can run then. Theron

PATTTHHHEE{BUCKETZAR}RROONN-
GOOD STUFF!!!!!!!!, If I have not sold the 300 buckets,lids,and spiles I have out in the barn Ill bring them down this spring when I come down to help tap,,
I am affriaid I let the team down yesterday,,,went down to start that old piece of %$$#^& Autocar yeasteday and all I got was a click,,,,,AAAAHHHH,,,put the batts on the charger,,and went to work,,,,to make up for it I brought home a big load of ash and dead standing oak,,,getting quite a pile down there now,,,will work it up soon,,mabey sat.,,,the girls (10&7) like slashing wood,,,just hard getting them to share time

Hey jrthe3, they are the same buckets that I got this fall, all 120 of them.

2 gal buckets with lids for around $3.00, way cheaper than and metal buckets that I could find.

I used a propane torch to heat the end of a short length of 1/2" copper pipe to metal a hole in the side. I went through the lower raised lip if you understand what I am saying. I felt melting a hole went quicker and made a cleaner hole.

They hang real nice off a 5/16 tap also.

Last year I went around to local bakeries to find free buckets they worked good if you are going to set them on the ground and use drop lines that run into them. I just thought a 5 gal bucket was way to big to be hanging off a tree, that is why I bought the 2 gals from uline.

Last I knew Matt's computer had the virus, not Matt. I sent him home from here about 3PM Tuesday. Did he get waylaid somewhere in NH or VT? Here's hoping it is just a computer virus.

took the last of the green us maple tubing out today. 100% ipl 4seasons or semi rigid. took three years to get to today. current count 5350 and growing

Gravel- I cant keep up with Jeff. Hes a serious sugarmaker. Im just a bulk hobbiest. Ill keep trying though. Next year Ive got my next 1200 high vac guys all eyed up. Oh yeah, Oh yeah. Give me about 2 years and then your going to see some serious taps going in. I want to find me one with 5 or 10,000 on the same hill. Minimize pickup that way.

Don't worry Snoop Dog/After we sign that memorandum of understanding we'll be conquering the sap world in no time when 2 operations become 1. First though i need to see some serious taps on the big valley tour you been telling me about though. We'll do the tour tomorrow afternoon.

GAME ON

Theron, I have an old barrel evap, Just what the kids need. LOL I must be an Old timer because I do a lot of buckets.

As long as i make enough for my french toast i'll be all set. That means i need to see at least 30-35,000 mininum before i sign any paperwork as going partnership and so forth.

No- You better not let any go. I've got to get (2) 1500 plastics myself to make sure i can handle at least 5,000 gals of sap before i fire up the RO.

Think we will have to do in 2 years is put your ro at the bush and my RO at your sugarhouse and go for it from there OR maybe both RO's at the bush if there is taps like you say there is?

That may be the idea=Right from the Filter Press into a tank and when full jump on I91 and head north. I wouldn't sell nothing until after tomorrows decision.

5X14 Grimm/ But i need a float system for it and a 2X6 oil fired Volcano Waterloo/Small/Lapierre W/welded flue and (2)welded syrup pans and a spare syrup pan.

I personally like the woods if i can get off this **** computer=think that is where the knowledge can excel at :D /just got to get some serious motovation by looking at maple trees as far as i can see in front of me on the ground and i'll straighten right up..

We want to keep their fingers out of the pie totally so to say.

dennis h thanks alot i was thinking of ordering some till got some bad the wife lost her job (can't tell where she worked cause everone here would hate me) but that just put a huge whole in my plans i don't know if the evaporator will even fire this season everthing is in hold for now

Jrthe- Sorry about the wifes job. Hope things get better before season for you so you can do the syrup. Gravel and Governor- Nice avatar, real nice. Pee on Pa Maple. Very clever. Ive got one thing to say to that. You two genetically defective, tree tappin, sap haulin, lie tellin, corperation mergin, concentrate boilin, syrup eatin, moose callers wouldnt know a sugarmaker if you bumped into one in the woods. Im coming up there in January and I BETTER see some serious blue in the woods up there somewhere. You guys come down here if you want to see what sap line looks like. I think this weekend is going to put me In pretty good shape in the woods. Im starting to see the end in sight. Tomarrow my good buddy Dennis H is going to come help me and were going to run 1200' of 1.25" over to the bush across the road. Also putting in a .75 for a pump line. Then Sunday were putting all the tanks in place. That should be all the big work done. Then its drops and saddles across the road. Saddles up back. Add a couple hundred taps on the pond woods. Couple more weeks and Im ready. Then its nonstop bucket patrol. Oh gotta put in the dumping stations and split some more wood. Zar

There won't be any tubing in the woods---they are too busy filling the trader with bullsh#t!

You can sure tell it is very close to a full moon! The dialogue on here gets nuttier buy the minitue. I cant wait for sugaring time to see if these guys put thier money where thier mouth is. :)
Jrth3 sorry about your wife loosing her job. But you should take this as a sign, a sign to introduce her to sugaring full time!

I've played sports all my life but I never thought I would hear smack talked on the trader!

Theron- its a sign of weakness, now is the time to go in for the kill. If you tell them you found another 3,000 tap bush and your supplies will be here next week they would crumble to their knees and fade into the sunset! LOL

Off from work today...finishing mainline, going to finish laterals and hopefully be ready to start my vacuum set up in a couple weeks. Have a releaser coming from Mapleguys and a pump from a fellow trader.

Been working in the evenings for most of the week got 165 of 500 done. Going to take the afternoon off work and see how many I can get in before rain comes in(then snow) and the skys turn dark today. May have to put some on hold until next year.Main lines are run,drops are made,releaser is here,new sap pump is working to pump sap up out of the valley,vacuum pump is large enough to handle increase taps just need to get them hanging in the woods. May be the last day above 50 degrees we see in a while. 30p runs a little nicer when the weather is warm!

Jim

Snoop- I'm way behind the 8 ball today/just got done mixing up some feed W/Medication for my bees and by the time i get to the SH and loaded and headed north=I might not make Saint J before 12 Noon and i need to hit the bank also as i'm not sure how expensive your lawyer is but i usually got 5-10 Bennys in my wallet all the time and i don't want to say to him yes-I'll sign the contract and find out the bill is $1300 or something?? Then i would look like i was genetically defective.,

Monday is probably the better plan/That way i can get the trailer cleaned off of the old tubing (Just clipping off the 7/16 taps) and the tire pumped up/fixed? check out the wiring as i know the county bent up a tail light moving it on me. Get everything all set and then i can get the Pirates tank while i'm up that way and bring it to Maine and kill the whole day monday in 1 shot. Saves about 80 miles of traveling rather then me go up to your SH and Back up again 2 days later.

I still have to see lots of taps (Should say maple trees available to use) before i'm going to enter into any kind of agreement/just want to make sure it's worth my while. I'll give you a call when i'm in Bradford, VT monday.

Sounds like a lot of us are in the same boat...we will be pulling line in the cold.
Any advice on what is the most efficient method of doing line work? I have been doing the woods in a 'work zone' approach. Meaning I get a wet/dry line system hung, tight and level, and then do 1 wire and mainline, laterals. Then move on to another mainline area. On short work days, I go back and put in drops, manifolds, ladders if needed.

PaCzar, I am pulling for you in the Tzunami Szap wars. It may be because the other 'team' has such an anti-establishment flavor but still has a Governor!:razz:

I just got some hopeful news this morning without asking. The landowner who has said I can tap his sidehill after he cuts about 6 trees marked for removal sent word that he took next week off to cut them. These were originally going to be cut in Aug. Now i will be stringing tubing as soon as hunting season ends, likely a lot over my Christmas vacation which is about a week and a half. Hope the snow isn't too deep then, but I'll do what ever it takes. This sidehill is adjacent to where i have 150 taps now and will add about 400 this year and maybe as much as another 3-500 next. Then Vac on a gas powered pump will be called for. I was beginning to doubt if this would happen for the 09 season. For the 2010 season I will definately need an RO before I can dare the vacuum.

Don't worry about that=I do have a mini Birth Cert. that i carry in my wallet at all times there buddy. It's a quite tattered/but you can at least read all the info and it does say the State of NH at the top=That might be in the Dominican Republic for all i know.

Good news maple flats! What sort of arrangement will you have with him? I am hoping to approach a neighbor with 10 acres with a few hundred trees on next summer...just wondering how to do this neighborly like!

Jeff E; Start by going over with a quart of syrup under your arm!!

Make that at least 2 gal= if there is a couple hundred taps.

Help, I've fallen and I can't get up.

Hey Matt your back!!!

Look what the cat dragged in... Man wonders never cease to amaze me...

3% Fritz Weatherby was in town filming a segment for News 9 chronical? around 11:30 this morning at Arlington book sample.

You got room on your bumper or hood for me to catch a ride down to the mapleholics meeting tomorrow? Oh probably need room for Matts professional drum dolly too.

Snoop- You reading back through the post about PATHERON made. Now he's stacking the odds in his favor=Enlisting the help from another trader to try and catch the sap team. First he has the "Kids Crew" and then it's pa's himself and now it's looking like trader crew is coming in tow also.

We better get picking up the pace quick like or we'll be needing life perservers rather then our swimmies from all the permeate or maybe that's just P for short. I don't really think his team could keep up do you?

Then i do have second thoughts as it sounds like the "kids crew" is doing all the work down there anyways :p/Whats your idea?

Watch out we're getting swamped by the Kids Crew. Blub Blub Blub under/And never to be heard from again.

1200' of inch and a "quata" in my car trailer tonight. What do you northerners do with all the extra r's anyway? Oh well, I cant hold it against you guys with all moose interbreeding and such goin on up there. That probly accounts for all genetic issues. That tube is goin IN tomarrow morning. Gotta run it through a sluice only pain. Then I think Im going to run the rest of the lats and show Dennis H what Pa syruping is all about. Tanks Sunday. Moving the 1500 to the shed and putting the two smaller across the road. Then all thats left is basically tinker work. Bit of it but pretty easy. Hopin to be about done in a couple weeks. Good luck on Russ's installation. Better keep an eye on them Russ. Remember you want QUALITY product. Zar

OMG- 1 1/4 hope it's warm out?. I layed out close to 3,000' of 1 1/4" mainline one day by myself and i though i was doing good with about 12" of white stuff on the ground. Better take a break and call in the kids and let them finish it after coffee in the morning. :)

Works faster with snow on the ground. Cut off a tree about 5' high and throw the coil over it and start pulling.

I know what you mean governor- I hate that stuff but I need some big suck over there. I cant have inadequate vac levels over there. Gotta get the big sap. Talk to you proud professionals tomarrow. Cant wait to hear about Russ's expansion. You guys need to put your heads down, stop talkin a bunch of smack and make some magic happen for Russ. Guy just wants some sap. Zar

We have came to the conclusion that it's game on=Sinking sap has begun. I have about 2500 taps worth of used tubing at the SH (Not in the woods) got around an extra 3,000 drops and maybe 1/2 don't have taps and i gotta check with snoop and see if he wants me to bring some of that up monday?. Got about 3,000'+ of 3/4+1" mainline and all we would need is some 1 1/4" and there would be no mercy then. Well over 1,000 each of spare taps,T's and Connectors and about a 32 gal. barrel full of mainline fittings/valve's to boot. You don't stand a chance=Wave the white flag right now.

Russ=He should be swamped down there too when we get done tomorrow with his million dollar operation.

Game on. Team sap 2011. Wheres my hard working competition? Looking all over. 0430 and do I see Valley View or Maple Hill on the trader drinking a little coffee and checking on things. Maybe getting ready to bust some hump in the sugarbush. Went thrugh active users no sign anywhere. Dang, must already be out working. I missed the boat again. Zar

See if your on the trader you can't be out in the woods with a coon light on your hat like me. Rock the boat.

OOHHH MMYYYY,,,,,??????,,,,,,LOTS and LOTS of TALK!!!,,,,,I think I remember reading somewhere "listen to what they say,,but believe what they do",,,,,, We will see this spring,,,the talking is the easy part....
Went to slash my woodpile yesterday,,got about a cord cut 4 foot, then KAWOOSHHHH,,,,hydraulic rainbow!!!! Blew a pump seal in the slasher saw,,,,sounds expensive to me,,,will rip it apart this comming week,,,,might have to cut up the pile with the powersaw,,,,,,
Keep up the good work gentlemen.....laugh a minute.

Talked to two owners of bushes today, would equil another 2800 and all looks good... We can all talk the talk zar, I was leaving the diner at 4:30 headed for the woods!! :) I am all game for : GAME ON!!!!!