January Journal

[jrthe3]

been hitting the sugar house pritty hard last few days making way for the new pans and getting everthing ready for the season had to give up on the double releaser project for now just have to much going on right hope to finish up the tubing this week and haed to canada friday to pick up new pans

[vtsnowedin]

I went up to Swanton and picked up my new stack at Leader's. While I was there I picked up a two handed tool, a pair of expanding pliers, an inside flue brush, spare rubbers for the Grimm floats and some pipe and tubing fittings and saddles. They were out of end line rings . I should have bought them when I was looking right at them at Bascom's the other day. The local store has everything but them. On the ride home the boss called and wanted to know when I could start this spring? I told her I wanted to sugar but for the price she is paying if she needs me I'm there. Just my luck the first good run some fool will want to start putting in a temporary bridge.

[mapleman3]

Sorry everyone, been so busy with spammers and other things I forgot to change all the tapping for states to 2010... Thanks Westvirginiamapler for picking up on it and sending me the PM... sometimes I need a kick in the A$%

Hope everyone is getting ready, I haven't even started except putting in a nice shiny stainless 8'leg sink in the SH.

Still have to pay for this years Lease so I can get in the woods... that will get done tomorrow then Saturday is the Mass Maple Annual Mtg and trade show... Who wants to go???

[red maples]

man I can't wait to tap I just wanna make syrup!!! he heck with all the legal stuff it will drive you crazy...I have say one thing though this country was based on small business and government feds and local push for small business they say its the backbone of the USA...well then why is there so much red tape I know you have to go through the process and there has to be rule and stuff but they could make it a little easier.

I guess thats part of the reason everything is made in china before you know it we are going to have to learn to speek mandarine!!!!

[Sugarmaker]

Boyd, glad to here those pans are in your future should see a nice improvement in boiling rate too.

Keith and I worked on the 11 drip channels for his preheater tonight. Found out I need to rebuild the hand break pivot joint, so that we can bend some 90's in stainless again. I was using a 3/8 bolt as the pivot and will move up to a 1/2 inch bolt. I might go all out and get hardened ones! Should be good for another 100,000 miles

Regards,
Chris

[KenWP]

I am unpateint doing nothing I tried to make maple cream tonight. Have no idea what it's supposed to really be like but I got a light beige coloured spead out of it after a few million minutes of stiring. I have to see if it goes with peanut butter tomorrow. That and pawn some off on the teacher at school.
I spent all afternoon trying to find some kind of arch board. I even found the company that used to supply Les Enterprisie Denis Darveav. They stopped actually makeing it and just develop new products but they gave me his number and told me to ask him where he get's it now. About to pull my hair out or just use ceramic blanket instead. Story of my life.

[Rhino]

Last 2 days we took time off of our logging pulp/logs to enter a 20 acre part of our woods that the cedar and tamarak are all standing dead and dry. Got 16 cords out. will have a pulp truck haul them to our sugar shack next week. Only a 4 mile haul and on woods roads so we cut them all at 9.5 feet so there should be better then 16 cord. Never used tamarak but heard it burns hot. Brothers and i have our "work weekend" planned for Jan 30th @ 31st. We will cut and split the pulp load/ cut pallets and put 1000 bags on the holders. Our sugar shack is by our hunting cabin so it should be a good time. Hope the weather dosn't turn below zero.

[farmall h]

March seems like a long...long....loooong way from now.

[steam maker]

sitting here in pittsburg new hampshire. should be thinkin of snowmobilin but my heads in the sugarhouse. its way to early for this warm weather at home. but on the brite side any thing thats under the snow at home wont be after monday

[red maples]

March seems like a long...long....loooong way from now.

boy you got that one right...the anticipation is killing me...all this stuff going through my head...especially because this is my first year trying to get as much right as I can. I will make mistakes but the more I get right the better.

is it going to be a good year with all the rain this year?
hopefully it will be a good year for gravity tubing?
will this happen will that happen?
what else do I need to get done?

just get here already!!!!