(from a page in a book David is sending me)

The cats absolutely love to go outside and roll back and forth back and forth in the dirt.  Bagheera was at the window wanting to come in (we have low porch windows that they can easily jump through) and when I walked over to open up the window he jumped through with his shiny black fur just as dusty and dirty as can be, I had to laugh!

I was gone for a few hours this morning.  After I got Seth and Sarah on the bus and wrote a long long letter to a penpal, I received a text from a friend wondering if we could go walking together.  I’m finally feeling better and energetic after the awful cold I had so I happily said “yes!” and off I went to her house.  We walked over 2.5 miles together in a bright and cold New England morning, with the sky as clear and blue as the deep blue sea.

We walked past a wooded lot that had maple trees tapped for sap.  The sap was dripping from the trees into long thin plastic tubes, which led to clean white plastic containers but I like the looks of the old fashioned way the best (although I admit for large operations it’s much better to use tubing and tubs!).

My Mom and Dad boil sap in the spring and collect it using hooded metal buckets.

I’ve never been able to be home on a boiling day, but my brother David took some wonderful photos on Saturday (full of freshly fallen March snow!) and sent them to me and I wanted to share them here.

Mom was talking about how to make Pesto while Dave took this video.  I asked Dave why there was a big pot in the middle of the pan of sap and he said that they add the cold sap to the pot to start warming up so that they can add it warm and keep main tray of sap at a constant good boil.

Mom and Dad in their open shed, with their dog and wood and small homesteading maple syrup operation!  So satisfying.

This is how they do the final straining of the syrup.

They make jars and jars of syrup and can use it all year long.

Leave a comment on this post or on my FB page and I’ll draw a name tomorrow and send this book to the lucky winner!   As you know I’ve been reading through all the Newbery books and this 1957 winner was so charming and perfect to read at this time of year.   I will order the book for you on amazon and have it mailed, so you will have to give me your mailing address.  I’ll post the winner tomorrow at this time!

One of my little pleasures is warming up the children’s pancake syrup.  Rich’s Dad also boils sap for syrup and he gives us lots and lots of it every year.  Later on, after breakfast is over and done and I’m cleaning up, I like to stand and dip my finger way down into the leftover syrup and then pop my finger into my mouth for a nice clean mouthful of pure, sweet NY maple syrup goodness!  What a blessing!

‘”The sap running gives me a feeling I can’t describe,” Mr Chris said.  “Like it’s the blood of the earth moving.”‘  Miracles on Maple Hill, by Virginia Sorensen