Spring may actually arrive this weekend and we are looking forward to a big run of sap as the trees in our cold gullies finally thaw out. The hillsides are free of snow and the trees there may start to bud as soon as the temperature rises next week as forecast. This will bring a quick end to the season as “buddy” syrup has a very unpleasant taste. In the meantime the sap keeps running and there was a significant run from 5 pm yesterday until the temperature dropped to zero around 2 am. Our tanks were more than half full this morning.

It should be a good weekend to visit a sugar bush. Lots of syrup and maple products are now available at the camps and birdlife on the trails is picking up as the migrants return.There is still snow available for taffy on the snow for that special taste of spring.

We will be open as usual from 10 to 5 daily on the weekend.

We were very pleased to see the bluebirds checking out their nesting box yesterday. It’s always a pleasure to see these beautiful birds and watch them as they go about raising a new family. Sometimes we get to see the fledglings take their first flight. We know the maple season is near the end when these birds appear. The next sign that the season is over is when the frogs begin to sing.

There will be no frogs singing today. We have about 4 cm of fresh snow and freezing rain in the forecast for this evening and tomorrow. We expect one more run of sap when warmer weather returns on Tuesday or Wednesday. So far no Very Dark syrup which some people  prefer It may come this week.

In spite of the winter like weather we had several visitors at the sugar bush yesterday including some overseas people making their first trip to a sugar bush. We will be open again today as usual.

With somewhat warmer temperatures and with the help of a low pressure system that moved in on Thursday we had an excellent sap runs this week . However, for the next two or three days winter returns and we will have another break. We think the sap runs will taper off next week and the season will come to an end after nine weeks of almost continuous action.

In spite of the possibility of snow showers the Shanty Men will operate their small wood fired evaporator and provide an educational experience for visitors. The Kettle Boys have closed for the season.

A robin appeared this morning singing aggressively to claim his territory. I hope he finds something to eat during the next three days of below season temperatures.

We will be open as usual from 10 t0 5.

We are now in our eighth week of making syrup and it looks like it will continue for at least another week. We have made only a small quantity of Dark syrup and as yet no Very Dark syrup. Unless the weather warms up the syrup we make will most likely to be Amber. We cannot control the colour or flavour of syrup as it is dictated by the quality of the sap. With warmer weather some of the glucose sugar in the snap converts to fructose and glucose. The fructose sugar breaks down during boiling to produce caramel and other byproducts which is the main reason for the darker colour and stronger flavoured syrup towards the end of the season.

Still very few migrating birds have put in an appearance. They must be waiting south of the Great Lakes . The red shouldered hawks continue to call, particularly in the morning, and a large flock of crows made a real racket this week  harassing an owl. The chickadees and woodpeckers continue to come to the feeder as food is scarce after such a long winter. Hopefully next week we will see some robins, song sparrows and maybe bluebirds.

The weekend does not look promising with more  cold weather and possibly snow in the forecast. We will be open as usual and who knows the weatherman may be wrong. Lets hope so.

Lots of sunshine today and our visitors enjoyed a walk around and some taffy on the snow. Tomorrow will be about the same and we will have the lambs here to entertain the children. The Kettle Boys and Shanty Men have used up most of the wood for their fires and as they have made all the syrup they can use tomorrow will be their last day of operation for this year.

There was no sap today so the time was spent checking for possible wind damage in the sugar bush after the very strong winds earlier this week. One tree had fallen on pipe lines, which always makes a mess, and  some repairs  were necessary.

It’s not all work at our sugar bush. On weekends we have 12 to 16 people doing various tasks from making syrup to entertaining visitors. At lunch time the crew gets a chance for a welcome break and to enjoy delicious meals made by Eva Couturier. Today we had lasagne with homemade buns or garlic bread followed by pineapple upside down cake or white cake  with pecan icing. With lots to talk about on all our activities and the interesting visitors who come to our operation we have a  pleasant time before we dash off for our afternoon duties.

Tomorrow is the last day of Maple Weekend when sugar makers put on an extra effort to entertain their visitors. It’s a good time to visit a sugar bush and I am sure you will receive a warm welcome.

We will be open as usual from 10 t0 5.

It looks like a sunny but cool Maple Weekend. The Kettle Boys will be operating as usual and the Shanty Men will also operate if there is enough sap. It is unlikely we will be boiling on the big evaporator

Because of the continuing cold weather we still have lots of snow for taffy on the snow. We have several batches of syrup from light to dark for a tasting opportunity as well as  an array of other maple products. Some parts of our trails are still snow covered but there is no problem going a walk  in the sugar bush.  On Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting, we will have a treasure hunt for small children. On Sunday, once again weather permitting, a local farmer will bring some small lambs for a petting opportunity. We will have a warm up fire at our picnic tables for anyone wishing to bring their lunch.

Maple Weekend is an opportunity for visiting more than one sugar bush. Look for the road side signs which  identify those operators open for visitors or refer to the Maple Weekend web site for directions.

maple wee

Yesterday and today we made Dark syrup, formerly called Amber. It has a good flavour which should please those people who prefer the stronger flavour of the darker syrup.. The sap continues to run well and we are having an excellent season. All the equipment is also running well but the people are getting a little tired as we have been going almost non stop for six weeks. With snow in the forecast later this week spring will be delayed for some time.

My son Jamie spotted the new nest of the red shouldered hawk and we hear the hawk calling frequently. These hawks are quite secretive and their nest is well away from our main trail. Other birds are showing up but we have yet to see a bluebird.

We are making plans for Maple Weekend on Saturday and Sunday and will post more details later this week.

We are still catching up after a very large run of sap on Saturday and more yesterday. Saturday was a perfect sap day with frost the night before and  sunshine all day. At its peak the sap was running at the rate of about 1 litre per hour at each tap hole. So our 7000 taps were producing  about 7000 litres of sap an hour. We can process sap syrup at 4000 litres per hour and can store about 8000 litres so we did not lose any sap but it was a close call. It looks like the season will continue for two weeks based on the weather forecast of cold weather and possible snow on Friday.

Next weekend is Maple Weekend and we are hoping the weather warms up a bit. We will of course be open as usual from 10 to 5 daily.

The rainy weather and the lower atmospheric pressure has helped keep the sap running for two days. Last night the sap ran slowly but steadily and our tanks were full this morning.It will take a night of frost to reset the trees for a big sap run.The season has been going for five weeks and it looks like another two weeks based on the long range weather forecast. So far the syrup has all been light in colour. We need some warmer weather for the darker syrup.

Between sap runs we have taken some time to measure our biggest trees. Our largest tree is a white pine 108 feet tall (33 m) and 43 inches (110 cm) in diameter. This is a big tree and comparable to trees found in old growth areas of Algonquin Park. However, it is a dwarf compared to the original forest with white pines 150 feet tall (45 m) and 67 inches (170 cm) in diameter.The twin pines along our walking trail are 105 feet tall (32 m) and 38 nches (98 cm) in diameter. Our largest maple is 93 feet tall (28 m) and 42  inches (107 cm) in diameter. We are very fortunate to have these large trees and we are doing our best to preserve them. Without doing a bore hole measurement we estimate these trees to be 300 years old which takes us back to the 1700 hundreds. We wish these trees could talk and share with us all the events that have taken place in and around our farm.

We are getting ready for Easter Weekend. The Kettle Boys and Shanty Men will be operating as usual and looking forward to sharing their stories with you. The trails are still snowy and good boots are needed for a hike in the woods.There is still snow available for taffy on the snow and lots of fresh syrup to taste. We are open from 10:00 to 5:00 daily.

Today with the bright sunshine and warmer temperature the sap started to run about 11.00am. Late this afternoon the atmospheric pressure began to drop and the sap flow increased and it will continue to run until it freezes tonight about 9.00pm. This is  typical syrup making weather so we are looking forward to a productive week.  Rain is in the forecast for Tuesday night which is also good news as the atmospheric pressure with drop even lower and some extra moisture will help thaw the roots which will release more sap.

Today we heard the red shouldered hawk so they have arrived again right on schedule. We are very pleased to have this very useful bird nesting in our woods. So far no robins or bluebirds but they have been sighted  in the area and we may have missed them.

Its a bit early to confirm our plans for the weekend but at the moment we expect all our facilities will be in operation.We will be open all Easter weekend from 10:00 to 5:00 daily.