March Snow and Sap

 It's March 9th and two things are happening right now.  

It's snowing.

Maple sap is boiling.

The snow is slushy and will melt by mid-day tomorrow.  Yay for not having to shovel or snow-blow.

The maple sap is flowing well and I already have almost a half-gallon of syrup.  I'm boiling outside and inside, and have several gallons of sap still to go and taps still in the trees, collecting.  I expect I'll get a full gallon of good stuff this year.

Since we were expecting rain yesterday, I bought two cement blocks and set up in the front of the garage.  I got the old grill firebox from my family in Texas and carted it home on top of the little tiny trailer.  I cut two pieces of flat cold rolled steel stock to support the grill and the roasting pan to boil down the sap. 

Notice the THREE 5 gallon buckets?  They're full of sap.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen...  I was boiling the in the old white enamel pot and the smaller stainless stock pot all day.  I had to run the exhaust fan to get the steam OUT.  As the roasting pan boiled down, I moved it inside, too.  It's easier to control the heat on the stove.  Eventually, all three pots were combined into the steel pot as the candy thermometer works well in there.

It took another 4 hours from this point.  We got about 60 ounces syrup from all this, around 15 to 20 gallons of sap.

okay, now for something sweet

Several blogs ago I promised pictures of the puppies in Texas.  They are growing like weeds and my sister/friend is run ragged taking care of them.  She did send me a few pictures and I've stolen them for this.

We need something good and innocent to admire.

 

at about 4 weeks old...  weighing in at 6 lbs., 

after supper, food coma!  they're about 6 weeks old and between 11 and 12 lbs.  Getting so big!

Then they wake up and start stalking the kitchen floor for more food!  Look at how long their legs are!  

go back a few weeks, and here's one little baby...  wow, how big they've gotten!

this is their dad, Moon.  he's gorgeous!

Our World

 I belong to a UCONN Women's Basketball forum.  I love it, we're all fans, we love our team, and some of the members are very knowledgeable re: the game.  I've learnt a lot from reading it.  It's also a joyful place that doesn't put up with any politics.  Since I'm in such a liberal state, it's refreshing to not have any of that shite being spit out.

 There is a separate area of the forum where we can talk about off topic (non UCONN WBB) topics.  I don't often post there, but the last few days drove me to post the following:

 

"I've been watching the news far too much and this what I have to say:

Now that I am older, I wish to go and fight with the Ukrainian people.  (I am Irish-American, no blood ties)

Sadly for me, I am too feeble to be a decent or any kind of a fighter.  I would be a detriment to a fighting force. 

Putin scares the sh1t out of me.  I've always thought he's a nutcase with his finger on the trigger. 

The only thing I can do is pray for them, the Ukrainians.  Please join me."

So I ask you too, Please Pray for the Ukrainians.