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This time of the year this is one of the things I do to compensate for the lack of biking. Its the sugar shack of a friend of mine. Its amazing how relaxing it is to sit with a couple of friends and watching sap boil. Of course, there is the occasional foray into the woods to collect sap as well as the sitting and watching part. Usually we have about 100 trees tapped but tempered it a bit this year and only have about 80. All ready have collected about 250 gallons of sap and lets face it, real maple syrup is nothing short of wonderful. Anyone who doesn't agree is just sick!:p

About 2 hours after I took this picture it started snowing and we ended up with about 8 inches with more on the way next week.

Sounds like fun. :rolleyes: ;)
If you're sending out samples, send me a PM and I'll give you my mailing address. :)

+1

All you need is a frozen-over lake so you can do some ice-fishing.

Living in California in my youth, I never got to taste real maple syrup until I moved to Canada. There, the grade A stuff is pretty common. In California, you mostly get "Vermont Maid," and there's a tendency to think that good maple syrup is really thick, because of all the cheap corn syrup they put in as filler. It isn't. I found out that the best maple syrup is very runny, almost like water. On my travels out of Canada, I like to buy the metal tins of real Canadian maple syrup to give as gifts. It really is remarkable stuff!

Luis

Now that's a man cave!

During most of my teen years my father would take my brothers and me with him to get firewood. We'd clear downed trees from land after owners gave us permission. At day's end we sit in front of the wood burning stove with a tea kettle on top and tell jokes. I always thought he did it to save on heating bills. It wasn't until recently that I discovered he did it to stay in shape during the winter months.

I am sure glad people want to live where you are and do the sap collecting thing cause It wouldn't be me. Ain't it great we don't all like the same things.

D****! YOU!!!

I can't have real Maple Syrup. I'm diabetic! I really miss using the real stuff.

Nice sugar house.

During my post retirement "career" as a Historic Interpreter I had the pleasure of "making syrup" for four seasons. We used a wood fired evaporator and collecting sap was done by tractor; occasionally oxen were used to give the visitors their money's worth. Naturally we used the old type spiles and tin buckets etc. (no plastic hose:eek:).

Very hard work but quite rewarding.

Ok-that is really tragic!:(

In the rural area of Ontario where I grew up, sugar shacks were everywhere. Years ago, they used to burn tires under the evaporators, so the smell I associate with sugar shacks is not as pleasant as you might expect.
In more recent times, tire burning was outlawed and the aroma became much more enjoyable.
Still get a gallon straight from the farm every year. Should be getting a fresh batch very shortly.

Brings back some memories and I had maple syrup on my pancakes this morning. Lived in northern Ohio in the 70's and there was maple shacks throughout the woods that we use to explore. We even had the Chardon Maple Festival. Great time to be a kid.

I love the real syrup, and I'd love to be there while it was being collected and boiled. I wonder if the wife would miss me if I slipped out for a couple of weeks? Never mind, the dogs wouldn't let me go.

Sadly avoiding pancakes and waffles is a good idea as well.

I rarely eat waffles or pancakes...eat them maybe once or twice a year. But, I really do miss putting REAL syrup, I mean REAL maple syrup, on them when I do. Told the wife about this post and her mouth watered. She can have the real stuff and as a kid she remembers visiting a farm and having some that was freshly made.

Hey Bikey, in your honor I went out this am and had some french toast under my maple syrup!

I agree when you do things best not done they must be done properly so the enjoyment is worth the transgression.