June journal

[jimsudz]

Well I hate to be the one always starting the journals,make you think i don't have a life away from the trader.Planed on starting thinning new bush and putting up sugarwood,but instead I'm nursing a bad back:.Lifted a quick-tatch for bobcat at work yesterday an felt sharp pain an Know I can't bend over or twist unless I do it slow and methodically.I was able to get some nuts made and put together a syrup basket for our church chicken barbecue.Going to take it easy today so I'll be able to work on Monday.

[maple flats]

Did some woods work yesterday, added several vacuum gauges. Then I had to get more fittings to add more. When finished, every mainline will have a valve to shut that line off, a vac. gauge just after the valve, and a second one at the end of the line. This should make leak detection much faster.
I walked all of one woods to check for wind damage. Several small and medium branches down, one 6" tree on line. Next time up I'll take a chainsaw to remove that one, the rest I just removed the limb.
For the sugarhouse, I ordered a Lapierre Flue pan washer. Expect to make cleaning the flue pan much faster.

[wnybassman]

Just finished splitting/stacking all my wood for next year (and beyond) this morning. Hopefully sometime in the next few weeks my tree guy will show up to drop a couple large locusts hanging over the house, as well as a few others that are dead in tricky spots, and then I can get a good start on wood for 2017.

On to fishing....... I have never had motivational problems going fishing, but the last couple years I have had to force myself to go.

[sjdoyon]

20 cords of firewood moved under storage for next spring. Need to split and stack another 25 to 30 cords. Next project cleaning out original 3200 tap sugarbush.

[highlandcattle]

Attended a maple seminar at Bruce Frasiers in St. Johnsville. Steve Childs was the speaker. Yeah. Got to see how granulated sugar is made. Going to give it another try. Ron and I needed to get out of the house. Always nice to see demos. Met a few real nice sugar makers. Kind of just on hold here. Not sure when the farm will sell. So just maintaining things. At least getting people looking. Never run out of things to do. Ron has been working on firewood.

[maple flats]

Keep ahead on the firewood. I ran out once many years ago, since I have kept ahead. You wouldn't believe the peace of mind that you get when you have 2+ years ahead, all split and stacked. I'm at a little better than 2 seasons ahead.

[220 maple]

Yesterday when looking at a Red Maple Tree that I need to add to the system I nearly stepped on a Yellow Timber Rattler, a Juvenile since it only had one rattler and a button and about two foot long. If you are a reptile rights activist, don't asked they are not allowed on my farm.

Mark 220 Maple

[maple flats]

I've heard the younger ones are worse than the big ones because they inject all they've got while a big one only injects what it thinks is needed to put the victim down. I also get rid of any in my way.

[RC Maple]

After a pretty dry spring, our last couple weeks have been wet with regular soaking rains. The woods behind the house is a place I like to spend time. I work at cleaning up limbs and dropping the dead trees for wood for the house and sugar wood. It used to look more like a jungle but is steadily improving. It is bottom ground though with a decent size crick at the back of the property. Usually when we have high water only the lowest portions flood leaving much of the area I work in alone. Yesterday though, without a major rain here at home (but a big one upstream) I watched as the water pretty much flowed through the whole woods. It's happened before and will certainly happen again. It always makes a mess of stuff though, with stuff washed up against every tree. It will take a while to get back to normal too. The rest of the week is supposed to be hot and muggy with a chance of showers every day. The water is back in its banks now but many of the low spots will hold water for more than long enough to make for a nice crop of mosquitos I'm sure.

[Parker]

We have been working on filling the woodshed,,18? Cords in....supposed to rain all day today so will be running the hood 2400 yard crane attached to my 4 foot splitter and splitting big pine chunkes,,,,i always feel like i am getting away with something sitting in the cab splitting wood when its raining..........keep after it!