Earth Day 2015

" A thing is right when it tends to preserve the
integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic
community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise."

- Aldo Leopold, author, scientist, forester, ecologist, conservationist and environmentalist. Born in Iowa, he spend most of his life in Wisconsin.

recycle. conserve. don't litter, take a walk or

hike. swim in the ocean. enjoy the outdoors. turn

the lights off. plant a tree. or a vegetable garden.

or a flower garden. carpool. start a compost pile.

buy local. go "green". tell the kids to get off the

internet/stop watching so much TV and get off their

asses. reduce water consumption. check your tire

pressure. drive slower. go camping and sleep out

under the stars. go with compact fluorescent bulbs.

stop taking up space. do something.

Earth Day was founded by Gaylord Nelson, Wisconsin senator and governor. This video was shot in Avoca, WI 2015.

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"Sugarin' 2014"! Burnin' Sap!

 

These pictures cover two weekends - setting up the evaporator and burning maple sap. It was an odd year - harsh winter, late start to sugaring, not as many trees tapped. We ended up with only two gallons of syrup (compared to 20 gallons last year) but "the syrup" is really second to "the journey".



 

Click on READ MORE! for more pictures of Brother Jason and I doing what we do this time of year.

 

 

Brother Jas and his "still".

 

 

Lumberjack Jeff.

 

Brother Jas and Bruce - owner of this wondrous property which allows us to harvest what God has graciously placed on this earth.

 

Sap flowing.

 

Brother Jas and I target shooting.

 

When that dial hits 7, we draw syrup from the sap burning in the evaporator.

This is what happens when you grab something you didn't know was very hot.

Brother Jas with Molly & Zol.

 

Old timer's trick - bacon grease keeps the syrup from foaming over.

 

Bluebird of happiness gracing our syrup operation.

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"Sugarin' 2014"! Tappin' maples!

Spent the long weekend tapping trees, sorting through equipment (what we have & what we can't find), putting up additional lines, chopping wood....the set-up before burning sap into syrup is labor intensive. As we got a later start than usual this year, we were glad to see the sap is still running. My guess is our take won't match 800 gallons like last year, but as we tell our father - it's all about the journey. Back we go next weekend to burn that sap into syrup!

 

Brother Jas checking lines.

 

Zol.

 

View from the cabin.

 

Me - with tubing. I know - the beard. Never had it that long. It's for a Shakespeare play I'm doing in Milwaukee this June.

Molly.

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"Sugarin' 2014"! Laying lines!

Laying out the tubing to collect maple sap is a bitch. It does make our job easier once we start collecting maple sap and burning it. It's this - or going up to each tree and grabbing a bag or bucket and hauling that all the way back to our burner. I'll take the lines.

The snow came half-way up our calves and was crusty on top, making the trek up the hills slow going. About 3,000 feet of tubing later, we're finished! Next trip:  tappin' maples!

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Brother Jas by the fire.

 

Me & my coffee.

 

Zol #1 shot.

 

Zol #2 shot.

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Happy Birthday, Brother!

Jason and I are up north "sugaring". You know - the maple sap into syrup thing. Can't think of a more pleasant way to spend time with Jas then on his birthday...in the woods....creating something from Nature with our own hands.

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3,000 feet of hosing.

That's basically what my brother and I strung out in the Northwoods in anticipation of sugaring time late March, early April. It's a more efficient way of collecting maple sap which we then burn into maple syrup. Compared to collecting sap in buckets, we increased production over 3x. It's more work now - less work later on and more syrup.

Click on READ MORE and take a look at that pictures I snapped.

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Acer saccharum...a living memorial.

I finally got a print made of this grand sugar maple in Western Wisconsin where my brother and I tap and make maple syrup. Below is a better look at the photograph. Trying to think of a title for this...maybe Acer saccharum? I have a number of original photographs I want to frame and hang in my house, as well as matte and sell. Whatdaya think?

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Have you had your maple syrup this morning?

I did. Let me know if you want some pure, organic Wisconsin maple syrup - made by my brother and I. Delish.

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