Trying to Join MapleTrader

[Andy VT]

Hi folks!
It took me months to get activated here in mapletrader, and it only happened because I finally found the right person in a facebook forum to find the right person to find the right person to activate me. I think Tim Perkins was somewhere in the chain of people who helped me get to the right person, thanks Tim!

Now someone from that Facebook group is similarly desperate to find someone who knows someone who can activate him here.
I haven't found out his login name yet, but his name is Chris Pfeil, and his facebook page looks real, and has quite a bit of maple content, so I have pretty good reason to believe he's not just here to spam us. Since strangers helped me get in, I'm paying it forward since he had the determination to find that I was someone who had trouble getting in, and eventually got in. So, maybe this post will help him get activated.

P.S., it says on my posts that I joined in February, which is true, but my activation was in May. I'm curious, is there anyone here who has been activated more recently than that? If so, I admire your determination!

Andy

[Pdiamond]

Welcome Andy. Good that you finally were able to get on. What kind of an operation do you have.

[Andy VT]

Thank you! On one hand it was frustrating that that is the required journey to get here, but on the other hand sort of cool in a way that's been growing on me. Like, you've gotta really mean it. Like finding Yoda. (Except finding Yoda was way too easy. This process should have been difficult enough to warrant an extra movie, but it was more like, oops, I just accidentally crash landed almost on top of him). Now I wonder, will I be the last jedi? In 40 years, or even 20, will I be the only one posting; arguing with myself about how wood combustion works? There could be a certain appeal....

I've been meaning to write up something in the "introduction" thread. I'll take this as my nudge to get that done! It'll take me a bit... gotta figure out how to make 9 taps boiled down on liquid-fuel camp stoves sound impressive.

[Andy VT]

P.S., admins of this site, I'm not so sure about the Chris guy anymore. Haven't heard back from him. Possibly was hacked.

[Pdiamond]

It doesn't matter whether you have 9 or 9000 as long as you have fun doing it, and try to include someone else to help that's always a big plus.

[Andy VT]

That's true! This would be a good time for me to mention something I've been thinking about, which is how amazed I've been as a new guy in the hobby at how much respect the little guys get from the big guys. Not just on this forum but in the maple world. An enterprise owner will look at some homemade setup and be like "hey, that's pretty cool", or have suggestions for it. Treating it as a worthwhile endeavor. Its neat.

On this forum specifically, what a privilege and treat to have a leading maple researcher active in discussions.

[darkmachine]

Every drop of syrup is a worthwhile endeavor!

[Pdiamond]

There are always ways to learns and grow from each other. If you get into another conversation with a maple producer big or small you can talk for a long time.

[GWebb]

Hey Andy VT, you have to be very careful in this maple business: it becomes very addictive. I started with a rock pile and pan on top over wood and 7 taps, made a barrel stove with a couple pans and about 20 taps. I just ordered a Badgerland 2x3 divided pan and hopefully have over 50 taps this year. My neigbor let me tap 15+ trees they had (when I told them I'd give them 1/4 the syrup from them. GW

[Pdiamond]

You are going to love having the pan you just ordered. I can already see a 2 x 4 arch and pan set in your future.