Our maple syrup efforts...

Maple sugaring is;

 

It's a  hobby with a mandatory time and effort commitment attached, a whole specific and precise process tagged to it to be sure...

Daily checks to empty all the sap buckets continue.

On any given day, as soon as one bucket is emptied and returned to the spiget's hook, one can hear the dripping chorus repeating itself again. 

Drip, drip, drip...

 

 

Just as soon as we have boiled and evaporated up all of our collected reserves, it seems it's once again time to repeat all over again. 

 

Observing the clear sap over several hours, finds everyone getting excited once we (finally) begin to notice a color change. An amber brown color quickly becomes a favorite around here. Now for it to begin to darken even more, and thicken up.

 

When it's all ready to strain, I've been placing the remaining boiled down maple syrup contents into this glass pitcher. 

With my syrup jars all hot and ready for the big pour, lids are sealed and another batch is complete. And then, after upwards of six to eight hours of boiling and adding, boiling and adding, a few (no names here of course) begin muttering the question of; "Why are we doing this again?"....so much work for so little syrup. No wonder it's nicknamed "black gold". Now, I know why. 

Will we do it again next year? Ask me later, but likely the answer would be "yes"...

Meanwhile, we have a winter storm warning over a period of the next two days, just when all the snow has finally been disappearing. Collecting sap, it would seem, will continue instead of cease. 

No matter, it'll melt, but for  now, more syrup to come for us.

 

 

OUR new horse!

All of the boarders and their horses have now gone. They've left for other pastures, and the fields are beginning to be tilled and tended to by the new owners. 

As for the barn happenings, there are only nine horses out of thirty remaining, two of whom are still for sale.

A surprise happened last month. Yes, a HUGE surprise. I'm sure you know what I'm about to announce, the title of this post an obvious leak to the news.

 

WE, my husband and I, are now owners of a horse of our own! Long story short, with all of the barn horses now mostly sold, and if our daughter wants to remain as a rider over summer there, or show at all this upcoming show season, the horse she had bonded to for it all to happen (Aussie), became available for sale. 

Actually, he belonged to the coach's daughter. While expecting her first baby and birthing her last December, our daughter was offered to train and bond with this horse for the show season. What a HUGE surprise to us when she decided to sell!

As each of the owner's other horses at the barn were sold, many of them meant for a more beginner rider anyway, once the news this particular horse's upcoming sale was announced, there was only one rider to offer it to who would/could be a perfect match, before placing an actual advertisement in the online horse sale section. 

Guess who that was?  

With a whole lot of discussion, promises aplenty, and a great big wince, we decided to bite the bullet and purchase the horse.

Yes, our girls are like cowboys. 

They have spurs on their winter riding boots.

Buyers remorse has rolled through my mind at least a dozen times ever since we committed to the sale, but now here we are still pinching ourselves, the new owners of a horse!  

Let's hope for many ribbons this summer, to increase the value of this horse. (winking)

 The white marking on Aussie's forelock resembles 

the outline map of Australia, thus the name "Aussie". 

Since our older daughter also owns her own horse, one she purchased recently this past December, it's quite handy for both of our girls to buddy up when making their daily visits down the road to the barn, to tend to, and ride their horses freely as they choose. 

For the most part, yes, I'm babysitting while they are present at the barn, but their dedication and camaraderie so far is working out quite well.

So far, so good. And what an opportunity!

A few warmer days have allowed me to attend and observe where they are advancing in their abilities, grandbaby along with me. 

At least the horses are friendly and seem to love having a baby squealing with glee and watching their every movement. 

And, Aussie is such a great sport too! He was all dressed up for a costume show last fall. I'm afraid this photo below was the only one I was able to snap from such a distance that turned out. I'm sure you get the picture though. His tolerance level is very high for things like this. :)

Here's to Aussie, the thoroughbred horse we now own! And here's hoping for a fantastic upcoming show season for both of our girls. Oh, and a wedding too for one of them... Whew!

Maple syrup sugaring on our property

~ We've lived on this three acre property for four years now, and not once had we thought of tapping our maple sugar trees. 

Well, not really. 

 (this week)

 Shortly after we moved in, my parents came for a visit. 

Out of the blue one afternoon, I remember my father looking out the back windows, just relaxing in our family room, and suddenly mentioning how it would be interesting some day to "try" and tap a couple of trees, just to see what happened. 

That whole notion since, had admittedly never left me, though to be fair, I really didn't think it would ever be something we'd even attempt. Nope, neither myself, nor my husband, even after attending all those maple syrup festivals in our little town, did we ever think we'd ever "really" do it. 

 (last week)

But, it was sugaring time now, a mere six weeks is the open window, at best to tap and await when the days grow warmer, and nightfall nightfall temperatures continue to plummet to freezing levels on the thermometer. Of that entire six weeks calendar opening, only three of those weeks will offer a truly productive sappy syrup yield. 

I wanted some of that, syrup yield that is. 

My husband and I began to talk before Christmastime, to dream, to wonder if we could, if we dared, and if we even wanted to pursue the adventure in the first place.  Maybe the whole project was too big for us, maybe not.

He went into respiratory rehabilitation in hospital, and the topic kept creeping in to our conversations. 

The trick was to remember how much snow continued to fall; where could we tap trees so we could trek out to them in deep snow, how far apart the tapping couldn't be for crisscrossing, collecting and tromping around to deposit the yield into containers for temporary storage, and so forth. 

After exploring our options by reading, watching and learning all about maple sugaring, at first we thought there would be no way.  

On the down side, everything we'd seen looked too much like a huge commercial affair; sugar shacks, 25 gallon sap barrels on tractors, boiling the sap in huge bins over an open fire, and dozens of helpers moving about assisting in the process.  

Right. Uh-huh. Right.

No, no, that wasn't what we thought we could do, certainly we required something more ma and pa on a much smaller scale than that.

And then, I found some information for rookie sugaring folks like us, and I'm still smiling over that. 

Confidence grew, WE COULD DO THIS, and soon my husband assigned me the task of finding local suppliers, and sugar shack folks near to us. It seemed in so many blogs I read two weeks ago, someone was featuring their sugaring attempts. And so, the idea was not only born, but it was time, yes it was TIME! So, with rolled-sleeves-way-up, the adventure was about to be enthusiastically executed. 

We found a famous Canadian supplier located about half an hour from our home, very handy. And, what a GREAT store it was! They were fantastic for an information highway, ideas were gobbled up for when we get bigger, ha!

We left with our purchased humble load of supplies; a few 2 gallon buckets, spigets and hangers, lids with steel rods, and our maple sugaring drill bit, (sized to accommodate our spigets).

Without a word of a lie, oh my, after our very first drilling attempt rendered immediate dripping of maple tree sugar sap, everyone was peaked, and all bolted to dip fingers into the dripping sweetness. Wow, that was quick! 

Already our little project became enhanced from - the "do-we-have-to" attitude bit from kids" into "standing upright and suddenly energetic kind of kids", right into almost "taking over the project kind of kids".... truthfully. In fact, they did! I have photos to prove it! :)

Surprise, surprise, we already have some sugaring going on here. Woohooooooooo! 

As this blog is uploading, our eager children have been checking the buckets three times a day, and our first gathered batch of sugar sap is boiling away, and tonight we will have our very first home grown, homemade, Canadian maple syrup. Now, that's very, very exciting! 

Maybe the breakfast menu will change for tomorrow. Pancakes sound just perfect to me. 


...definitely to be continued...

(PS Is anyone else having issues with how Blogger is changing font sizes when posting a draft? Sheesh!)

Snowy ATV riding adventures.

Our roads were tough to maneuver over after a foot and half of snow fell from the skies. Instead of driving over, our daughter's fiancee decided instead, to use his ATV to get here. 

  
These two were outdoors for some winter fun, zooming about in the depths of snow covering the grounds near and far. 

While seeking out the trails in our back forest area, all was thrilling, that is until they go stuck, stuck, stuck, and getting out wasn't going to happen unless they drove back the way they came in. 

After settling down and deciding to skip more thrilling adventures, out came the GT sled, and a neighborhood of children wanting rides up and down an adjacent road to our home. 

Fun was had by all. That's for sure, and all thanks to these two for including everyone else in that great activity for the day. Too bad one child broke the helmet clasp though...boohoo.

Ten Things I'm Thankful For ~ Winter edition

 I thought about posting a seasonal "Ten Things" for some time now, so why not begin with winter? 

Yes, when one thinks of winter, immediately thoughts of colder temperatures, winter woolens, shoveling snow, and outdoor (freezing type) of sports comes to mind. However, there are other small blessings along the way, which often are not even pulled to the forefront when thoughts of winter come to visit. Like how beautiful it looks with a fresh canvas of fallen snow covered trees, bluer than blue skies offering plenty of vitamin D to a soul, how beautiful and purposeful those handmade winter woolens really are, and how one really can be a four season outdoor person year round.

It's about being prepared for any type of weather, taking it all in stride, always looking to the bright side, and knowing full well that spring is just around the corner, just when everyone gets fed up with more snow covered roadways. 

If you've never read this blog before, then you'll not know just how much I love snow. Yep, bring it on! But, be prepared...that's the key. Trust me. :)

Here's a "Ten Things" post for winter...

 - 1 - I'm thankful for the discovery of foot and hand warmers, even though they only last for a few hours, still they keep me "warm". Ahhhhh.... These offer a fabulous  reprieve from feeling frozen digits and thinking about how they will surely snap off any time soon. 

For me, these are terrific for when I accompany my girls to the barn, and subsequently freeze within minutes after arriving in the arena corners to watch their lessons. Aside from jumping up and down to keep warm, and face spooking horses, these are my best option along with my blanket I remain bundled in on the sidelines. It's just that cold some days, and it used to take me hours to thaw near the fire afterward, but now these babies are my solution to the problem. 

- 2 - I'm thankful for crazy things that shake the ground at 2:30am during a ferocious wintry storm, the ones that never hit our home!

Yes, the American Beech tree above was very tall alright, and we were already aware that it appeared to be dying. Perhaps it was hit by lightning? Perhaps not? Either way, the lower trunk was really looking sorry, and we alerted our tree faller to take a look at it last September. 

We thought we'd have until the spring to figure out how it could be safely removed without ripping up our yard. Alas, just a few weeks ago, with whipping winds going crazy, we awoke to the ground shaking, branches breaking, and an "oh,oh" for which tree might have fallen. It was dark, vision was poor, so the hours ticked by until dusk when we could peer outside to learn it was this tree that had toppled over. 

It was approximately 160feet tall, and it's base about 8 feet wide with roots pulled up from the sheer weight of the fall. It's now sprawled from one woodsy path to touching another out back, but it will just have to wait until spring now to be removed. Looking to the bright side, it didn't cost a thing for us to have it chopped down, it fell for free. Free is good. However, tree loggers we are not, so we'll have to call the big guys in to get it out of here. In spring. I'll think about it then, and not now.

- 3 - I'm thankful for owning a snow blower! Yes, this machine gadget is about as wonderful as it gets when snow begins to build up on the ground. Okay, okay, I'll admit, coming from the west coast, I thought machines like this were complete nonsense and a poor investment, just a big boy's toy, you know? I now willingly stand corrected. Since we've now grown accustomed to having a foot or more of snow fall at one time, this little baby has been very helpful for clearing the driveway and pathways to our home. 

It's a little intimidating I know, but I was determined to learn how to use this machine by myself this year. as my big boys are not always around when the earth gets covered by a passing snow storm, and vehicles need to drive in and out of our long driveway.

I'm happy to report that indeed, I can start it, run it and carve artistically patterned rows all by myself now. It's just like mowing a lawn, or vacuuming. Right? Row by row, and inch by inch, within a few hours this duty feels great to be complete. :)

- 4 - I'm thankful for summer-like blue skies in winter, providing (as mentioned above) loads of vitamin D for winter people to keep healthy and happy. 

There is something to say about these types of days, when temptations to thrust open windows and doors is the only activity to be mindful of not doing. 

It makes me happy to have these lovely winter days upon us, it gives me incredibly energy, and sings merrily to me when waking up to these types of mornings. 

- 5 - I'm thankful for the opening of our local outdoor arena again this year. Last year, there weren't enough volunteers, nor was our winter as cold for as long as the year previous, resulting in a closed arena for the season. 

Every family around these parts really missed it! Happily there are two other outdoor arenas within a very short drive away for usage, but this one in particular is the best of the best. 

It's a bonus to be the size of a standard arena, complete with all the boards intact. Daily ice hockey players are skating here, always so much fun awaits the avid hockey nut for hours and hours at a time should one desire to be active for that long.  And for a $20.00 yearly family fee (pays for night lights, heated shack, equipment and gas to keep it cleared), how can anyone go wrong having this a stone's throw away from home.

- 6 - I'm thankful for hot cocoa and homemade egg/ham breakfast sandwiches fresh from the oven. In winter, these become hearty food fare to warm up anyone from the inside out. And they are so easy to make too! 

• I always make at least one dozen at a time by breaking an egg into a greased muffin pan, and baking for 15 minutes @ 350 degrees in the oven. If greased properly, they just pop out intact. 
• Because I use a convection oven, I can place all the opened english muffins on a cookie sheet, and toast on another rack, at the same time the eggs are cooking. 
•  Next, I take pieces of ham, enough for each one, and also warm on another rack at the same time. Three trays in the oven at once, talk about time management! 
• Slice pieces of cheese and put aside, use any type you have on hand. Today, I used cheddar. 
• When the eggs are cooked, it's assembly time! 
• If you aren't going to eat all the ones you make at one time, simply pop them in the freezer for a quick breakfast another day. Lately, these have been great accompaniments to bring for snacks to the ski slopes.

- 7 - I'm thankful for good sweeper/scrapers in winter! These photos were snapped at 6:45am. while we were on our way to drive my daughter to her twice weekly, before school babysitting job a short distance away. 

What a surprise to find the incredible amounts of falling snow at that time of day, and not usually parking outside in the first place. Over a foot of snow fell in just two hours that day. 

Our daughter was on the ball, the first one outdoors, and hopped to it clearing off the windows. Luckily she worked quickly because we hadn't factored in a flurry of activity at this early hour. My husband had left for work just an hour before, and his vehicle tracks were already gone.

- 8 - I'm thankful for beautiful night skies in winter, and bright snowy grounds lighting up our way. 

This photo screams winter to me, with a hockey net to one side (used all year long), snowy grounds, and straight ahead two pathways. The one on the left side was from an ATV blasting across the deep snow in the back, the other from the snow blower making the path to the back deck. It sure did look pretty outdoors this night. 

- 9 - I'm thankful for a few decent snow shovels! Winters here require the proper tools of the trade for use outdoors, and I feel we have greatly improved our snow removal stash, especially since the ones we used to own weren't really as good, or even necessary while living in the west. Here, we require "sturdy", and "tough". 

With all the snow falling, it was due time to get out to our back decks and get them all cleared off. What a job that turned out to be for this mama who insisted to do it for "exercise". It was quite powdery still, as it was freshly fallen, however it was heavy to get that deep stuff all removed. 

One wouldn't know from looking at the photo above, noticing the drop down from the doorway, but just to give you an idea of how deep the snow was this day, the snow shovel black area stood 18inches high, plus the drop in height!  

So now you can just imagine how deeply this snow fall had accumulated back there. "Done" though, is my kind of word. 

- 10 - I'm thankful for living in an area, that despite all winter weather odds, fun seasonal activities are not cancelled, or prevented, for they still exist outdoors. 

The usual fun for our gang since living in these parts has included many sporty activities, still we have a few firsts this year already. 

A friend pulled out their skidoos for the first time in two years, finally fixed and ready to blast off. This year our daughter and her friend were instructed on how to use one of them once more, and both were zooming about their property and trails while dragging one another on a GTsled. 

How so fun it was to watch them together, and to cheer them on!

There you have it folks - Ten Things! 

There are many other assorted activities I could feather in this "Ten Things" post, but then it would be only ten now would it? Smiling at that thought ~ only ten? Yes, Renee, only ten for today. 

Checking off some of my thankful notes that are uploaded and included here. Do you have a winter list filled with thankful things too? If not, maybe perusing my photos above will spark a few for you today. 

Offering snowy thoughts your way;
Renee