I visited the farm with the sugar house that we've been going to for many years during sugaring season. The weather has been unseasonably cold and the maple syrup makers are hoping that it will run long, given that it's late. This past weekend was Maple Sugar Weekend when the sugar houses are open to the public with special events. I was otherwise occupied, so today I went up to the Ridge to see what I could see. And found a crowd of school children getting a lesson in syrup-making!
The sugar house.
The condenser.
Fuel for the condenser.
The product!
More products!
Truck with sap barrel.
The main reason I visit this farm instead of the multitude of others is, of course, the animals. Sugar season and lambing season coincide!
I love touching sheep. This ewe came right up and begged for a pat!
The cattle.
My favourite cow--black and white, of course. Like my dogs!
Sap collection at a different farm.
And collection system at yet another farm farther along the road.
When I say it's been "unseasonably cold," I mean it has been in the single digits or even below zero overnight, which is highly, highly unusual for late March. Daytime temperatures have bare broken freezing on most days. Fortunately a warm-up is on the forecast. And, in case I doubted that spring would ever come, I actually spotted a sign of summer--a daylily is starting to wake up from its long winter sleep!
