The 2009 Maplecreek Experiance

[Parker]

Well,,,that sun is getting stronger everyday,,thawing out my inner sugarmaker,,I have not been in any of my woods since august,,I am sure there is alot to do to get ready,,looks like Steve will be back helping this year which will make a world of diffrance,,,Got my head tanks and sugarhouse plowed out monday,,need to build covers for my head tanks and crib them up-connect them to the truck dumping line and the sugarhouse,,the airtight front is almost done-need to change over to the BIG blower,only have about 24 cords in the shed but about 30 outside in the snow, thinking I might be able to burn the frozen wet stuff with the new airtight front-blower set up? gotta reset the tank in Hill (which floated down the brook a littel),a whole lot to do,,,looking forward to it , gonna get going on the tanks on sat. then its off to the woods for repairs,,,add some in Hill hopefully,,,,,Good luck to everyone

[Mark-NH]

Parker,

Great to see you are back at it. I love reading your posts, probably because you run under the gun like me. Too much other crap going on to get everything ready and sit back and wait for the season to start.

Should be a perfect weekend to get a bunch of loose ends tied up. Get the snowshoes out.

[Uncle Tucker]

Parker,
Sounds like you are hitting the ground running, only about three weeks until we pull out the drills. Glad to hear the airtight front is almost finished. Did you ever get power at the sap house? If not prices of copper have come way down. I got a bobby releaser for the bb4 and it is all hooked up,,,, just weighting,,,,. I hope the timing of our baby won’t shorten my season to much (due April 12). The extra syrup $ will help.

[markcasper]

Uncle Tucker, Is a bb4 the same as a sp-22?

[Parker]

Tucker- No power to the sugarhouse this year-still the welder and generator,definatly lloking for some wire to run 220 down there ,I think your pump is a BB-2 ? and the one I have in Hill is a BB-4? But I could be wrong on that,,
Mark-got the snow shoes out last night,gonna try them out later today,,,

[PATheron]

Parker-

It's matt in disguise. Hey how far is your sh from the house? I got some #4 Triplex that would work. I think I have about 190 feet strands.

[Parker]

I would have to measure,,,I would guess around 150 feet,,how is it running in P.A.?

[Parker]

Made arangments to get all my tanks plowed out yesterday (way ahead of last year),,broke trail to the last booster in Hill (on snowshoes) snow is about 3 feet deep up there,,hopefully it wont be so deep everywhere ealse,some minor repairs to do up there from what I have seen,,weather radio says we might get a couple of days the end of this week,,,if I hear of 4 good days in a row I am tapping in my south facing orchards.............I think I could have that done and be ready to boil in 3 days,,,well,,,this is sugaring,,,so useing the "Parkers equation" (How long you think it will take X 2 = how long it will really take),,,,,,, 3X2=6 days or so,,,,,do want to get all the lines up befor it rains and freezes,,,we have no crust here,,,,,,

[TapME]

sounds like you are well on the way to making sugar Parker. You have done a lot in the sugar house and it should pay off you know that 80 gallon day that you wanted. keep on trucking.

[Parker]

TapMe-it would take a whole lot more taps and that air tight front to REALLY make a big diffrance for me to make 80 gal. a day,(41 is my best so far),,but next year,, if I make the right moves, it think it is possibel,,the taps are around,,,would need an R.O. and a winning megabucks ticket though,,tubing is so expensive now,,,\
Steve came over and we got the tank crib built above the sugarhouse,,,,I dump my sap into these tanks (3 600 gallons and a 1000 gallon) tanks are on the crib ready to have covers built,,then plumb them all together,,,with the headtank in the sugarhouse I have 3400 gallons of storage here,,1500 gallons on the trucks,,,3300 gallons in the woods,,,Unlike in the past I will need to hold some sap when I am wacthing the littel sugarmakers (got diviorced this fall-a good thing),,,,,I do have another 1500 gal. in tanks that I was going to sell,,but after thinking about it today,,think Ill keep them just in case.
Need to start working up some more wood- got the splitter plowed out and the big yard crane is sitting next to the wood pile,,,we will get it!!!
Hit 38 here today,,,for about 1 hour,,felt good though,,,