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!)

Ten Things I'm Thankful For ~ Early Fall rewind...

Ten things seems so small, so frivolous in the grand scheme of life. 

It's been interesting hearing from friends recently, sharing how tough it's been to find up to ten things to be thankful for this time of year, crashing after all the feasting and festivities from the past month or more.

Heh, I have news for you!

If there are crushing clouds blinding your vision at this time of year, take heart, and go backwards. Yes, rewind to a calmer time, when life was peaceful in your home and heart, when thoughts of thanksgiving were plentiful, and a smile graced your face each day.

Think of ten from a while back, just ten, and that will be enough for you today. Maybe write them down for a splendid visual reminder, cherish each vivid memory of a better time for you, and let your heart sing!

I'm cheering for you. Let me know how you do.

Hugs;

Renee

Here's my ten things from a rewind of months past, as a continuation of a past blog promise.

- 1 - I'm thankful for fields of bright fields of yellow canola beans, located throughout our province of Ontario.These gloriously bright yellow blooms make me smile, every time I pass by a full field of them shortly before harvest time.

I'm fairly sure I've posted photos of canola fields before here, but as I sit here yet again gazing at this particular photo, the one where I found so breathtakingly beautiful, the urge to pull over and snap this photo was an urgent desire. I am still smiling over how beautiful the landscape was in the lovely drive-by find this day. 

- 2 - I'm thankful for great big delicious blueberries from British Columbia, our former home province! 

We are thrilled to know summertime in Ontario includes the world's best imported blueberries, found locally at both Costco, and our grocery stores. 

There's nothing quite so fine as a heaping bowl of these rich antioxidant fruits first thing in the morning. Yum! 

 - 3 - I'm thankful for the barnyard beehive of activity for our girls all summer long, in the wee hours of the morning before heading to a horse show, during a day-long summer camp helper/rider week, or at dusk when the skies wink to those below, tucking horses away and cleaning up for yet another night. 

What a great place for young ladies to be able to hang out with their beastly horse pals.

 - 4 - I'm thankful for an adult son who had to remain behind due to work commitments, when the rest of the family traveled west. He offered to tend to the home front, and ensure this mother that her flowers would remain watered. 

Yes, he could attest to watering all florals, and gardens while we were gone, at least he says he did so.....(confession time) - "when he remembered". 

Honest efforts have a pay off in the end, as a mother forgives losing her many summer plants and florals when an admission comes from the heart, that it wasn't an easy task to complete the watering on a daily basis, both in summer's very high heat, and trying to cope with balancing shift work and sleep. 

Thank you for trying son. I'm sure happy you were able to complete the task as best you can, when able. And besides, it's fairly simple to slip the planter bucket out of my cast iron urns, and slip in another to replace it when the first one dies...like I ended up doing later on. xox

 - 5 - I'm thankful for the popularity of "beaver tails" around these parts, whole businesses dedicated to maintaining their good reputations. Like the summertime "fry guys", these are associated with providing a rare, traditional summer treat that make my children smile, and show gratitude for being able to try another upon occasion.

Our kids are specially fond of the ones made by melting peanut butter and chocolate over top, and then sprinkling them with a few mini reeses pieces bits, all atop of  warmly heated pastry bottoms. Sounds so rich doesn't it? It is. It's a treat, meant to share, and everyone appreciates their summer revisit "tasting" for this dessert fare. 

- 6 - I'm thankful for dear friends who have been so thoughtful towards our youngest grandbaby, sending along love packages sealed with kisses and hugs.  

These adorable summer outfits graced our little missie during our high summer temperatures, and she looked so sweet and cuddly wearing them. Thank you again K. xox

 - 7 - I'm thankful for warm, early fall evenings when ice hockey beginnings offer longer sunlight evenings, though this year's Midget division plays later and it becomes dark by ice time's ending. 

Being a hockey dad to four boys, this one the youngest of them all, my husband still very much enjoys the promise of a new hockey season.

 

Without the NHL this year, we've all been enjoying our son's hockey games, our local OHL team's great winning lead in their divisional play, and the worldwide Junior hockey games, in the wee hours of the morning on television . 

 

I hope you too have been out supporting the little guys this year. Why not... for they too can offer great hockey at a fraction of the cost, if not for free.

 

 - 8 - I'm thankful for our continual efforts and strong desires to get out and observe nature in its truest form, season to season, with our young naturalist group, or on our own, only to keep discovering new (cool) things. 

This was one of my finds while out participating in a morning hike with my lady friends. I was delighted to have a show and tell from one of our naturalist savvy guides, the one who encouraged all of us to pull one out, open it up and discover the silk within this common milkweed Asclepias syriaca pod. 

There was an abundance of them growing wild along our hiking trails. I'm pleased that we stopped to (smell the roses) observe these. 

I was able to easily crack mine open and noticed the milky substance quickly running down my hand. We all remarked on the delicate seeds and soft silky material curled up inside. It's no wonder butterflies and bees are attracted to these plants. 

Interesting facts about this perenial herb; 

"In World War II, schoolchildren across the Midwest collected thousands of pounds of milkweed fluff to stuff life preservers for the armed forces in the Pacific, because kapok, the normal material used for this purpose, came from Japanese-occupied Indonesia and was unavailable. Today, you can buy pillows, jackets, and comforters stuffed with this material, which is wonderfully soft and has a higher insulative value than goose down, from a company called Ogallala Down, in Ogallala, Nebraska. Some people believe that milkweed will become an important fiber crop, as one of its attributes is that it is perennial and therefore does not need to be replanted every year. Milkweed stalks also produce a coarse, sisal-like fiber that can be used for twine, which varies in strength from one plant to the next. This possibility has been little explored commercially, but it was well known to Native Americans."

- 9 - I'm thankful for September, and even October beach days, where the water's edge is most definitely still the best place to be on a warm fall day.  

Everyone loves an afternoon, or early evening break from the usual routines of the day, when walking the shore and keeping it simple please all human senses, where the fresh air and breezes from the water's beyond, seem to carry us into another realm of time and space. None here ever tire of these precious days at the water's edge of summer's end, and none, once settled in, are in any hurry to leave. 

 

- 10 - I'm thankful for friends who humor me, and keep me laughing. This friend was running late in getting her daughter to the barn for horse riding lessons this night. With food in hand, everyone from a distance noticed her nutritious and most colorful salad. 

I could sense everyone suddenly salivating from the freshness on that plate, until she got closer and then I began to giggle. 

Freshness included fruits and veggies alright, but not everyone noticed what I saw from my angle. This friend likes her sweets you see, maybe you've already noticed the m&ms and the handful of trail mix thrown to one side? 

What a great salad huh?   

And here again are a list highlighting "ten things" in a rewind mode once more. As we are in the dead of winter here, just browsing through these photos above made me think of bare feet in the sand, sunset evenings, fresh summer's produce, sweet friends, warm memories, and nature's blessings in every season. 

Maybe allow yourself a stroll through your photo archives to a warmer time, and think of ten things yourself today that have blessed you abundantly. 

Have a great day everyone!

Catching "Autumn" with a nature craft

When it comes to all this Autumn season's color, 

how will YOU capture the beauty of nature?

While out on a hike with our nature study homeschool group, everyone was assigned the task to first find a branch shaped like a "Y". It is the best shape for the purpose of capturing autumn, with a built in handle to hold the end product, and two arms to weave simple household string back and forth around. 

Once the weaving is complete, get yourselves in the great outdoors, and have a fun scavenger hunt to find all the colorful goodies around you to savor the season for a time. 

Here's mine! I loved this simple nature craft, so easy peasy, and so very naturally colorful.

A plethora of springtime this and that...

Bunches of this and that.

It's a springtime photo blitz, a roll back plethora of photos somehow forgotten in a file folder hidden in my Picasa files. These have been beckoning me move on and get them posted, to finally publish them here on the blog. 

Therefore, without too much ado, here are a whole lot of "this and that", nothing in any particular order, just a bunch of fun springtime photos I wanted to clear from my files. 

Maybe a few of them will make you smile, perhaps some will make you wonder, but all are memories from 2012's springtime already gone.

She was having a sweet tooth craving, wanted to purchase something in the dessert department, and couldn't decide which was better - cookies or ice cream. Naturally, they do go together, so she chose both, and then made me pay. :)

Of course one snaps a photo of this when buying a new guitar. 
Right? Apparently, all the intricate details really matter. 

Our new Canadian 50 and 100 dollar bills are now made of plastic materials, filled with holograms, so they are no longer prone to copying or ripping. 

Take a look folks, it's here in my hand, and long gone. 
One photo, one hundred dollars gone. 

Our third ten-session homeschool group swim lessons, along with extra special blocks of time for plenty of lap endurance testings. I love to keep them swimming, just to swim. We are currently in swim lessons again now, each and every Monday afternoon for another eight weeks yet. Keep them working out!

Oh hello! You're supposed to be my Great-Uncle, right? 

Thank you to our niece for making the long drive to introduce all of us to her sweet little boy. 

Yes, and here's another babe. Wasn't she just a lovely petite thing? 
Born March 1, she is now almost eight months old, but this was one spontaneous photo of baby-grandpa conversational talking. 

Mommy felt up to going out to the barn. 
This was baby's first visit to her mama's special spot. 
She won't remember this visit, thus I was quite excited to capture this photo for her to have in the future when it all makes sense.

How to put together a basketball net? 

Well let's see.... seems both had trouble with the assembly part, as it was so very complicated!

After quite some time, they had to enlist others to help complete the assembly, with some 4 hours invested in this project!

Never again we all said! 
But, it's very sturdy, has been extremely well used, and all think it's pretty terrific.

Big sister was always along cheering heartily, and helping out her little sis. Special bonds have been formed, as these two know well the expectations of horse show day festivities. 

She's been such a fabulous coach for both our girls, there with them 
at every step of the way.

Florals in springtime never fail to make me smile. How wonderful they are when blooming right beneath our noses. 

Mr. Tent Caterpillar - what damage you create on all our foliage! 

Here's one of our Happy Birthday boys! 

Results of an ice cream bar set up in the kitchen. Yum! 

When mommy is busy making cookies, my auntie will make certain I can watch too. This is just fascinating to her.

Another birthday boy, sure to dodge the camera every time. 

Our very sweet granddaughter at 6:30am. She's always such a happy little gal. 

And our newest grandson is such a happy boy too. He was all smiles when we met face to face at long last.

Hungry girls awaited our arrival to town, and the entire family went for pizza. Great to be together. 

Our daughter trying to wear in her new horse riding boots. See that pink sticky tab? It's her reading bookmark she placed there, because surely it won't fall off and she can grab it after to bookmark her page again. 

Birthday boy's breakfast outtakes. 

Four photos later, we have a few to make the memory last forever. 

Two blocks from our home, this was the scene one evening after these men were in communication training sessions around central and southern Ontario for several weeks. It was a very cold day, and seeing them all hanging around various parts of the area awaiting instruction at their assigned posts, now that their day was done, I stopped to inquire if I could offer them each a cup of coffee to warm up, or perhaps I could purchase some food for them.

d

The captain of the crew said; "God love you lady, but honestly, we've been up since 2:30am, and coffee has already been flowing all day long. So, no thank you.".. 

After smiling at his reply, I then boldly asked; "Mind if I take your photo?" And, here's what I got. "How about you get in the photo too?"

Yes, folks, I'll proudly stand with our troops! What a great bunch!
Thank you boys for all you do to protect our country!

So thankful for the fun math sessions our gang were privileged to join in with the others. What a great math teacher this woman was!

Hats off as condolences were offered in this memorial service towards those who died during the "Battle of the Atlantic". 
Talk about living history, we were all reminded of it here this day.

Just my beautiful (oldest) granddaughter and I back in May, the two of us together.  
Love you K.

Little babies are fun to play with, and dolly furniture is really funny to find her sitting on. 

After twenty years of owning trucks, this hubby of mine has made the drastic change to size down to a car! With diesel fuel as the gas of choice, we are saving so much money on long drives and commutes. Yay! 

Archery lessons were an impromptu invitation with the abnormally warmth of the early spring season. What fun they had rummaging through the forest to find life sized plastic animals to shoot with their bows. 

Oh Happy Girl!

Another grandson moment, cozy in his little fuzzy suit with bear ears and all.

Very special to me were the folks at Catholic Embroidery who created these memorable and plush blankets for me, commemorating the baptisms of our last two grandbabies, both born in early 2012.

 Initially though, we wanted to gift our little dying parishioner baby with a similar one, something so tremendously beautiful for her parents to have for use with her during her short time here on earth.

This company offers expedited services, and believe me, when certain death was very imminent for our little friend, Mary placed our order at the top of the heap and shipped it out very quickly. I cannot thank her enough for that huge blessing provided for us, and also for the family involved. My only regret is not taking a photo of that specially ordered blanket before giving it away. I would have treasured that photo forever.

Simply Gorgeous! 

These blankets will become a must have item for all future grandchildren to come, and I'm sure you're in agreement they are something to forever cherish. We asked for full names, and baptismal dates, with the selected Ave Maria symbol as our custom embroidered options. Hidden for reasons of privacy, you'll just have to trust me that when in full view, they truly are stunning! 

Okay, mommy took her baby girl to the barn, and then sat her up on a horse for the first time here. She even has her very own pink little cowgirl boots already. I can only imagine what is to come for this youngun. :) 

Teehee! 

He was standing in "just the right spot" to snap this funny photo. 

Just a few weeks old, Uncle came for a work/visit 

and was smitten when meeting his new niece.

Our daughter snapped this photo of us with her children, our three granddaughters in fact, while we were waiting for the restaurant to open at 6:30am. After all, it was our sweet grandgirl's birthday breakfast date, and happened to be the only time we were all able to swing it. Eyes open everyone! 

Happy Birthday, Love you J.

 Spring was in the air, the door wide open to allow fresh air to flow through, and flowers were in abundance in our home. A little happy time before making dinner, with the sun blasting inside to keep everything bright and sunny. 

He was able to get down on the floor, not usually able to perform this body position for a long time. But this day, someone was watching all his movements, following his voice and never taking her eyes off of him. So, together they were able to chit chat for quite some time, right there on the floor. 

And, this gal just completed her very last ten-jump course of that one particular horse show in spring. What a great riding season both our girls were able to participate in together. 

This weekend however, a non-seasonal horse show excitement is in the air, at their own barn with a dress up Halloween theme to boot. Not only are riders to be dressed up in costume, but the horses are also to be donning some sort of themed suiting. 
Mom here is volunteering and looking forward to all the fun!

Okay, that's a wrap on this very long and photo intensive post. Hope you enjoyed that little walk back to a few months ago with me.