Dear folks, I'm writing this late at night but I've been thinking about the whole subject ever since I got up at whatever late hour I got up. It has to do with this time of year here in Niagara County when the temperatures are finally creeping up above freezing, the snow piles are melting and then overnight everything freezes over again. Of course for the majority of us are pleased with the melting of the huge amount of snow but over years of experience we know what to face the next morning after overnight temperatures dip below freezing. The melted snow turns to shear ice. OK, so we have our ice salt at hand and we can handle it. But what makes this time of year a joy for other local people is the change of weather I just mentioned. In other words, when the daytime temperature is steady above freezing and the night time temperature dips below freezing, it's THE time to tap the maple sugar trees around here. The sap is running and the taps have to be hammered into place. So I still picture my friend Fred and our friend Dick and their dogfriends, Moose and Lady huddled around the wood fire in the middle of the woods and just staring at the huge kettle of maple sap slowly boiling away until it reaches maple syrup consistency. Fred and Dick talk about all sorts of things and the two dogs take it all in. The dogs are happy and between the four of them they're in seventh heaven. Where more would you ever want to be in early February but in the woods staring into a boiling pot of maple sap together and telling stories with your dogfriends at hand? vee

Vee, Not quite yet, not quite yet, patience my friend. Give it another couple of weeks and we'll be tapping out here. Not the kettle in the woods but my bro and a friend of his have been sugaring here since high school days and I expect they will again this year. Need to wait till the warm days are more consistent and the sun has a bit more warmth to it. Maple trees are very fussy about releasing their sap, even a slight wind will keep the sap from rising. During the war my Grandfather did a brisk business in maple syrup I suspect due to the rationing of sugar. I can remember he and the hired man doing the sugaring and my Mom sitting in the car with the canned syrup selling it most as fast as it was drawn off. Ruth At 12:57 AM -0500 2/8/04, Vee L. Housman wrote: >Dear folks, > >I'm writing this late at night but I've been thinking about the whole >subject ever since I got up at whatever late hour I got up. > >It has to do with this time of year here in Niagara County when the >temperatures are finally creeping up above freezing, the snow piles are >melting and then overnight everything freezes over again. Of course for >the majority of us are pleased with the melting of the huge amount of snow >but over years of experience we know what to face the next morning after >overnight temperatures dip below freezing. The melted snow turns to shear >ice. OK, so we have our ice salt at hand and we can handle it. > >But what makes this time of year a joy for other local people is the >change of weather I just mentioned. In other words, when the daytime >temperature is steady above freezing and the night time temperature dips >below freezing, it's THE time to tap the maple sugar trees around here. >The sap is running and the taps have to be hammered into place. > >So I still picture my friend Fred and our friend Dick and their >dogfriends, Moose and Lady huddled around the wood fire in the middle of >the woods and just staring at the huge kettle of maple sap slowly boiling >away until it reaches maple syrup consistency. Fred and Dick talk about >all sorts of things and the two dogs take it all in. The dogs are happy >and between the four of them they're in seventh heaven. Where more would >you ever want to be in early February but in the woods staring into a >boiling pot of maple sap together and telling stories with your dogfriends >at hand? >vee -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT