february Journal

[dano2840]

kind of a blaaahhhh weekend, starting to get sick of tubing, had the logger whos logging the property next to the sugar woods winch a couple logs i couldnt get to, finished the lats, on the 3/4 lines, now i only have to do the lats on the 1/2, about 100 taps left to go, ran out of lateral line today, gunna have to get some, need to go get the tanks from my uncles, gotta go see if i cant get a 300 gal tank from a guy i know, need to poor a slab for the evap, need to get an evap, need to go fix the wind damaged lines in my little bush, need to finish my tank shed in the big bush, need to run a line from the tank to the drive way of the nieghboring piece of land, need to go take some wire and tighten up any sagging lats, or mains, money is running out fast and i still dont have an evap.
sugar house is all built and done with, the only thing i dont like about it is how the guy did the coupala he didnt put any over hang on the roof so it just looks like a freakin box on the roof........... too much to do, i dont think im gunna make it, i might just have to miss the once in a life time opportunity to go to florida and disney world, and all that, maybe i will go any way and just skip a day or two of school, i really hate to because i would rather use those skip days for staying home when ive got BIGSAP to boil in, idk guys, it might not come together,

[Russell Lampron]

Went over to Acer's place today to help him get the stack up on his new evaporator. We walked a small section of his woods and found about 200 or so taps for a mainline that he wants to run and also found some other spots that could be tapped and run into totes to get that number up to 300 or so.


Acer helped me figure out how to swap my vacuum pump motor over from 115v to 230v. I tried it out when I got home, it runs great and still has all of the smoke in it. Thank you Dean.

Don't give up DanO it will all come together. You've worked too hard to give up now.

[Sugarmaker]

Maple guys and girls,
Couldn't take it any longer ( 40+ deg outside) had to hang some tubing; only got about 40 taps strung, (two locations) but its a good start. Making adjustments as I go to fine tune the system. and add in the adjusting LOOPs at the upper end of each short run too. This will allow me to stretch from both ends and keep the taps on the center trees in a more central location.

Cheryl and I went out for a nice steak and when we got home I went out to put up another 20 taps but found that the folks across the road from these trees has piled snow 8 feet up 3 of the trees.

So instead I went and visited Keith to see his new 10 inch smoke stack and roof jack installation on the 3 x 7. He may need another length of stack to get just a little higher above the roof peak. He just needs his pans and a storage tank and he will be all set.
The weather lady (Cheryl) says next weekend is going to have the potential for BIG SSSAAAPPP!! I may have to get some more tubing up!

Chris

[Dennis H.]

Well I did it, I pulled the trigger and put in a few of my buckets to see how everything goes. With temps today right at 50 amd tomarrow in the high 30's I just couldn't wait any longer.

It looks like after a 2 day cool down Tues and Wed the temps are to just go back up.

I got my self one of those fancy drill bits this year and I have to say that they are worth every penny. Quick and clean hole.

[Sugarmaker]

Dennis,
You just reminded me that I have not found my fancy drill bit from last year yet

Chris

[dano2840]

i bought one at the hard ware store, it is a metal drilling bit, and it has a "self starting tip" so it wont draw on the metal, i used that and its fast and clean, i paid 20 for it and am satisfied

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

DanO,
Heads up man! We all have those days. Just ask Theron or Royal Maple or 3% or anyone else who hangs out here. When I make a list of the things I need to do, it scares the bejesus out of me but somehow, every year I make syrup. You will too. Look at the stuff to do and prioritize. What are the must do's vs the should do's. I'd get a line on an evaporator real quick. Just do something maple everyday. If you are sick of tubing, set up some tanks. The days are getting longer so you will have more time after school. I came out of the woods tonight at 5:45. I only headed out at 4:15 but had to do something maple today. I'd been plowing snow and doing things for my folks. Like you I started listing the things to do this morning but hey, we aren't in Pa. We have a month yet at least. Maybe closer to 6 weeks.
Doug

[Clan Delaney]

Temps got up into the 50's here today. Couldn't help thinking that if I had taps in, I'd be collecting sap. But I don't want to jump the gun.

Whadda ya think Jim? Here's the 10 day forcast for B-town. Looks like some real nice weather next week....

[Sugarmaker]

Dano,
As last resort do you have some one that would boil your sap on shares? Good way to get your collection systems working the first year. We hauled sap for several years when or evaporator was toast.

Yea try not to look at the list. concentrate on these.
1. get the evaporator.
2. tap the trees
3. collect the sap
4. the rest will just seem to happen.

Chris

[mapleman3]

Nope. Not yet Clan! Too early if we go till april that means taps in for 8 weeks. I'll wait till the end of the month. Wait...and it will come !!


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