I Can

Last week, Dave and I had the idea to help a friend of ours who started again to make maple syrup. It will be our first time helping in the bush if they need us.The first batch was well under way since one o'clock. It was then three by the time we arrived.
We were told that it will take at least another two hours before the syrup will be done. The first batch takes longer.

At the entrance, we could smell the aroma of the maple syrup in the air. Full speed boiling that's what it takes and a lot of work along the way as you will see.A lot of wood is needed for that little stove.


The wood beside the building will need to be chopped with an ax.
And more for the coming days and maybe more dead trees elsewhere to collect and bring to the barn as it is also cleaning the yard at the same time.


Have to check the temperature and test the different chambers where the syrup is going through these vats until the last chamber where it's done. We can chat but work still has to be done.

This kind of wood was burning pretty quickly. I would say that every 20-25 minutes, we had to put more wood into the stove.
And it was really hot if you stayed there to warm up. You had to move aside pretty quickly.
Then it was time to check the sap.


There was another field with more pails that we will go and collect later.I noticed smaller trees had one bucket, bigger ones three and this size had two.
Some buckets had less maple water and this one is ready to be collected later.
It was time to go into the bush to collect the sap.
Pour the maple water into that bucket from tree to tree.

Dave emptied that container into the big tub as we move along the 50 or 80 other buckets we did. Then we returned back to the sugar shack.
Even if it was so much work for so little syrup, it's the fun of it all really. It was quite an experience which we will repeat again.