Not sure when the season really begins, but if you call starting to tap the beginning of the season, then it is underway for us.

Parker and Courtney are doing a bulk of our tapping for us. They started at Hatten's in Salisbury yesterday afternoon (425 taps there) and then from there to Putney (275 there) and finally to Chase Hill (135 taps). Huge thank you to Parker and Courtney for all their help.

Heather and I worked on the RO plumbing today, along with another neighbor Jay. Have only a couple more connections to make there and then installing the membrane when we get enough sap to rinse the preservative out.

Heather and Sophie and Kat are planning on putting up the 75 tap all 5/16th run tomorrow. We will put the extra 210 gal tank there, as last year we had a few overflows with the 150 that was there. Then we will start picking off the smaller tubing runs till we get to buckets last.

Vacuum pump set-up Tuesday and Wednesday, then hope for sap on Thursday-Sunday. Using generator 4.5 gal fuel tanks for the honda vac pumps - no more leaky 5 gallon hydraulic pails for fuel tanks. Mark is going to build some small platforms for the tanks in the shop tomorrow.

It is going to be quite a cast of characters at Tucker Mtn. Maple this season. As my ALS progresses and I have been less able to do the physical work to make it all happen, I have been amazed at all the folks who have chipped in to help make this season a reality. Many, many thanks...

all the best of luck to maplehaulics around the region -

-Eric