Sugar & Rainbows

  Specifically - Sugar water - from This Old House's ancient maples.

   Our good friend, Tim, has been on a quest in recent years - He learned and honed the art of Maple Syruping here in New England and put forth a community campaign to raise funds and build a Sugar House at Parmelee Farm, a town owned community gathering place rebuild after abandonment by local volunteers and businesses.   This is also were myself and my market partner hold our annual Artisan Market. 

 Drilling a hole for the tap 

     The Sugar House has just been completed and Tim plans to teach the art of maple syruping along with a handful of other volunteers of the farm.  Residents will eventually  join in the fun by collecting sap from their own maples to  add to the many many gallons of sap used to make that beautiful golden syrup.  

   Funny thing - my husband loves the idea of the wholesome manufacture of the stuff - but Aunt Jemima forever holds a place in his heart, and on his pancakes.   I'm a purist - I love the real deal. Below is a label we created with the new Sugar House on it, and the real deal in the bottle. 

    We've got a few trees tapped here at the farm.  One of my morning chores is to check the bags to see if they need emptying into the white buckets, which Tim will pick up to contribute to the stash at Parmelee Farm.  When the sap is running, and there are specific weather conditions that make this happen - it's a steady drip drip drip. a bag can fill in a day. 

   If you look real close in the picture below, you'll see my chickens in the background.  The Polar Vortex lasted only a few days, thankfully - and we've seen temps in the 40's since.  So, when we're out working around the property, I let the girls roam. 

    The free range is healthy for them - bugs, grasses, all contribute to a balanced diet for the hens, mentally and physically.  The downside is we have plenty of predators such as coyotes, fox and hawks, so I have to be careful. 

     The accumulation of maple sap water  looks like this  at about 1/2 day.  and each tree can have several taps - it's amazing how much sap runs through a tree.  Also - and what's important to me - is tapping those trees does not harm them. 

    

    Yesterday morning at this time, the frost made a beautiful blanket across every outdoor surface - 

     This morning, currently  outside my office door and looking out to the road,  the warmer air has created fog, which  is beginning to lift as the sun struggles to break through.   

      It's time for me to get out there and check the  sugar water bags and feed the horses and chickens and do coop and stall clean up.  I was told putting some of that maple water in coffee is a delicious treat - I'll give it a go and let you know.

****  Update - I just returned from morning chores and wanted to share a few things...

The overnight collection of sap, poured from the bags into this bucket. It's clear, with a texture of water, taste like water with a hint of maple sugar.

The girls don't lay as often in winter, so we're lucky if we receive a few gifts each morning.  This is today's gift.. 

    And no sooner had I turned from the chicken coop to head up to the barn to feed, when I saw this...

   A rainbow... that begins on the left, right at the point mid-barn where Opie's stall is located... and he's buried directly underneath the arc of the rainbow.  I choose to believe he's sent me a sign this morning, that all is well and he is at peace.   I don't know what becomes of a soul once we depart this life, and I'm surely not religious in the traditional sense of the word.  That being said, we are clearly more than the sum of our parts, because we think and feel and reason.  So I'll continue to hope that when my time comes, I will reunite with those who passed before me - my relatives, my friends, and especially the animals I have loved - my dogs, my horses, even Henrietta the chicken.

     Till soon, friends -