the Sugar House at Morningstar Farm 2013

well, the magical drill made its appearance last night under my pillow when i went to bed...I must be getting a bit obsessive again...the boys thought it was pretty funny.

With that happening again I guess it is time to kick this off for the season again...

have been scrambling every waking moment for months now. both sugarbushes are roughed in with all the wire and pipe up. one is down to cutting in drops...did 650 over the last couple days...about 500 left to do on that one...the other has most of the pipe hung, and my 12 yo son (my twisty buddy) is raring to go back out and twist tie lines up..half the lats are run and about 250 drops cut in. have about 1300 left to go on that one. talked to the maple guys about a new RO..have decided on the h2o innovations 600 gph...hoping to get it in the next 2 weeks.
my Wife had a new sign made for the sugarhouse..if I can figure out how to do photos I will post some..put in the first of 6 sap ladders tonight..I cant wait to see it work..am Hoping to open the doors and poke holes around feb 1...so much running through my mind to bring up to speed...will probably post more later...

Bless, Chris

what difference a few days can make..financing came through finally...got to go on a little shopping trip...2 new lapierre double releasers and a new reverse slope releaser...a new h2o innovations 600gph ro being delivered next week (hopefully) got the rest of the other supplies we needed to hopefully be ready to tap 2/1...
the whole place has a different feeling with all that blingy plastic sitting in the sugarhouse...now if I can only get everything put together and installed...oh and the drill is still making its "magical" appearances daily..was in the bathroom this morning...kids..lol

Plumbed in the pipe to the reverse slope releaser today...had to put a nail into one of my maples...22deg out...tree ran....was amazed...and I have to admit...my palms were a bit twitchy...soon...
O

Looking at the 10 day forecast...if the stars align and everything gets done...we will be tapping weds...I swear the drill is dancing on the counter...

Ok so this is soo not fair..lforecast looked great this morning..land now they are talking possibly a foot of snow fri?...am still all set to tap thurs...just in case they hold true And we don't get snow...and it's 40...wouldn't suprise me...

well, once again mother nature has felt the need to put her .02 in...was all set to start tapping in tomorrow...forecast was for low 40's and sun...got the kids at my sons school all hyped up...then wham!!...temps tonight around 0...highs tomorrow around 15...then there is the storm coming...forecast is for around 30" (at this moment)...I do blame all this on my wife...she just had to go and complain that i hadnt used the new snowshoes she bought me for christmas...oh well...it'll give me a couple more nights to finish up odds and ends...right now am hoping t start tapping sat afternoon or at worst case sun mrning...next week looks pretty good...good luck to all you who venture out...

Just one word needed to describe last night...****...was planning to tap in tomorrow but I didn't even make it into the sugar house until 3 ...still have a bunch of cleanup for tomorrow ...couldn't wait to try my snowshoes...either my butt is too big or the snow is too fluffy...I sank like a stone lol...

I don't know what you got for snow amounts there but we are at around 6". Not much of a storm here. Next week looks like it will be somewhat warm to start but it will be cold again after Tuesday. I would say that you won't see much for a run of sap for awhile. Is this your first year with 3,600 taps?

Hard to say exactly how much...was very windy...but I think it was around 28"...and yes this is our first year this big..and for us it looks good for at least the next week...its much warmer down here...

Putting all my gear together tonight...think I am going to pull the trigger tomorrow morning...at least for part of them...need to set the releaser and vac pump up at my smaller bush first...then if I am lucky I will tap in a couple hundred...that bush has right around 900 taps ...I'm hoping to get it all in and up tues...as always tomorrow mornings weather may change everything lol...good luck everyone...