Our rural county roads are lined with sights like this right now. Many people are tapping the maple trees this time of year. I'm almost jealous of the tree-tappers. I could easily live my life in the old-fashioned, homesteading, country manner. Problem is, no one else in the family is all that excited about such an endeavor and that lifestyle takes the cooperation of a whole household. When I hear of someone who is raising goats or sheep, I dream of my own flock. I've only been able to raise the chickens so far--a job not requiring the help of more than one person.
Every year when I see the trees tapped it reminds me of my childhood when one year my parents decided to tap our maple trees and boil the syrup down for a science project for me. I will never forget all the work (mostly on their part!). But I'd love to try it again!
My favorite reading often consists of homesteading magazines and historical non-fiction. This time of year I'm beginning to miss my garden and long for the satisfaction of new green sprouts coming up in neat rows. I just thought this picture typified spring and after the snowfall this week--we could use some thoughts of spring! Blessings, LORI
Yes...this IS that season already, isn't it? I was surprised to hear that you AREN'T living this lifestyle, Lori. Somehow I pictured your family enjoying the homesteading, country life....
ReplyDeleteThe sun is shining here today (FINALLY!); the snow is melting and the birds are going crazy with joy!
Well, maybe I am about half way! What it amounts to is that I do what I can in the way of making the occasional butter, cheese (see recent posts) and sewing, keeping chickens, etc. But the rest of the family isn't too excited about all that extra stuff! I'd like to have a milk cow and some sheep and a goat.....you get the idea!
DeleteI've never actually seen anyone tapping syrup before other than my kids trying when they were young. I guess we don't have the right kind of trees. I'd love to try that someday.
ReplyDeleteWe were out and about today and I saw some roads where trees on both sides were tapped with long lines running to multiple buckets, etc. Very interesting!
DeleteI remember seeing the buckets on the trees. Wish I could live that way too Lori. We should be neighbors so we could help each other. :) I'm in a subdivision...no tapping going on here. The cheese post and this one remind me so much of the things Mom told us about Grandpa Schwartz. She made that same cheese a few times and said he used to make it often. Love seeing the kids helping.
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