november journal

[Brian Ryther]

Maplewalnut,
Are you using the bottom most port for the drain on your wash tank?

[tuckermtn]

put up 1000 ft of mainline on thursday and saturday- then started running some lats this morning- hope to have over 200 taps in that bush...some nice field-side trees.

been trying out the new lapierre slide fittings- the ones I have do not have the big hook- you have to use the available strap. after some trial and error I think I have them figured out. like the no cut-removable idea but I think it was Thad that mentioned about the chewing- so might try something else.

will try a section of clear seasonal spouts in there also...

hoping for a visit from the sap goddess

[3rdgen.maple]

Okay this is off maple topic but I just want to share a little common sense with some fellow hunters. This weekend was opening gun season in southern tier NY. Like all the other years someone down there gets shot and worse yet killed. Well this year it happened on state land that borders my camp. Guy sets up a camo ground blind and sits in it opening morning, story is he was wearing all camo as well and was inside this think rattling and blowing on a grunt call. Low and behold some moron sees some movement and blast a round without being sure of his target. 2 problems I have with this are. 1 sitting in a camo ground blind during gun season without any sort of blaze orange and acting like a deer is trouble when you got a woods full of novice or uneducated hunters all around you. 2 the lack of identifying your target and surroundings from the guy who pulled the trigger. So after all this takes place the very next afternoon Im sitting on watch ( with blaze orange on) and I hear movement from behind me. Picture the thickest nastiest patch of woods you have seen and this is where the noise was coming from. Im getting all excited that a deer is coming my way though this thick crap. Im all ready to shoulder my gun and click the safety off as soon as this deer steps out. Well lucky for the deer in full dress camo walking on 2 legs carrying a gun didnt walk in front of the guy who shot the hunter the morning before cause there might have been 2 dead hunters. So my story ends with this WEAR BLAZE ORANGE AND IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AND BEYOND BEFORE YOU PULL THE TRIGGER. Sorry to rant I just dont want to see any sugarmakers getting hurt or killed. Heck anyone for that matter. Be smart and be safe please.

[backyardsugarer]

Got the RO plumbed in an ran about 300 gallons of clean water through it as a test. Went smooth. Fired up the evap for about an hour and boiled some water while scrubbing down the inside of the pans. Now into the woods over the weekend to fix lines and add taps (sap ladder).

Chris

[Dennis H.]

The list is getting shorter!

I am working on routing the cable for the stack cover then I will be done with the evap.
I need to make a small sap hauling tank for the back of my kubota RTV.

[Sugarmaker]

Dennis,
Glad your list is getting shorter. Mine seems to grow

Weather was very warm today. I took a vacation day and after the rain stopped around 3:00 I took the '06 for a walk in the woods.
Rest of the day was spent monkeying with maple stuff. Hope to have my evaporator put back together by spring! Not sure what year

Regards,
Chris

[parkerfamilymaple]

Does anybody know where the classifieds went?

[chipa]

Does anybody know where the classifieds went?

Out of service for now I guess

[Parker]

I have to say I love those end of line hook connectors (I call them thumbs up),,was at sanborns and all kinds of new limbs on the lines and me without a saw...simply uphook the end of the line and pull the whole mess under the limbs,,,try that with an end ring!!!
Got that old mainline replaced finally,,littel longer that I thought it was,,wound up being 1100',(thought it was around 750'),,really wishing I had used 1" instead of 3/4's now,,,but its fairly steep...might put a booster in it 1/2 way,,Someone peppered a 1000' roll of 1 inch I had out there with birdshot...(BUMMER),,want to get that woods done and ready to tap (like rte11) then concentrate in Hill,,,if I get hill done I can add more in all 3 orchards later...just want to get ready to drill...dont want to loose barrels and barrels of syrup at the start of the season like I did last year!!! I work in the RO room (heated and well lit) when it gets cold out.....

[Revi]

I got the walkin' pneumonia and the boogie woogie flu, so I haven't been out much lately, but I am going to try to get some stuff done next weekend, after the holiday. I got a .22, so I may try to get a few of those little grey squirrely beasts who have been chewing on the lines before the hunting season ends.

Meawhile there is a lot to do before the season starts. I think I'll finish up all the carpentry in the shack, with the woodstove to warm me and keep the chill at bay.