Friends Maple Syrup

What a great day looking at my friends maple syrup process. I would love to try this one day, but since I don't have maple trees I just have their process to watch and learn. This is their second or third year of making their own. Which looked wonderful and they were having so much fun showing it to me. When I got there I saw the little blue cover tent out the back and wood being added. They are watching this the whole time.

                                              It has blocks under it, getting it off the ground.

On top they cut a hole to hold three big pans.

Two openings at this end to place wood in and create air flow

The pan in the middle has been boiling the longest and they take from the right and add to the middle. It was made out of an old oil tank. In the summer they plan to use it for a grill, take the pans out and place a rack over the hole. I didn't realise how long this process really was. Once they get it to a point they take the pans inside to complete the process and finish it out.

Well we lost our first chicken (Boss) to a wild animal. They were out playing for the afternoon and when I went up at night to lock them up she was gone. The kids and I looked everywhere for her. I then decided to let my Lab out (she always plays with them, not in a good way) and she went right to you.  So my son is checking it all out and telling me what animal did it and my daughter is sitting crying as she loved Boss.

A very sad night as they are my outside babies, I know it goes with living in the country..............I will have to get use to it as I like the fact they can run all over the place.

On a happier note, I'm cleaning up my spice rack and working out what herbs I want to plant this year. I also made home made pretzels that were wonderful. Everyone loved them I had to make more.

Hubby came back from hunting and we are moving onto spring projects, (well the list anyway). So far we have more work in his pole barn. My raised beds, fence in the garden, understand canning better and do more of it. Sewing projects need to be completed. The list goes on