Woohoo…it’s only 28 days (and counting down) until the first day of spring. And only 21 days until Daylight Savings Time begins.
Yesterday we got new bulbs for the grow light (which hasn’t been used for several years), bought a bunch of seeds and starting mix, and hauled out all of the peat pots and starter flats from the shed.
And we also did something we’ve never done before: We tapped our maple trees for syrup! There are only 2 sugar maples in our yard, but they’re big guys. We got the taps (called “splines”) from the local Agway store and used paint buckets from Lowe’s. When David put the splines in yesterday, nothing came out and we realized he needed to drill a bit deeper. This morning, he drilled again, got the taps in place, and within seconds the sap started dripping. It’s so cool! Here are some pix of the process:
Sugar maple #1
Sugar maple #2
David drills the first hole with 3/8" bit
Putting the second tap in place
Our first drops of sap!
kate
Pretty cool! You’re livin’ off the fat of the land. Next, you’ll be spinning yarn with the cat and dog fur you gather from around the house.
By: Terry on February 21, 2010
at 2:30 pm
Actually, I think Susie is the one who’s going to do the spinning. She already has a wheel, and she told me the other day there is a guild that meets at Jackson’s Mill on Tuesdays and she is hoping to attend.
What homesteading chore can we assign to you? I like the idea of you taking on the job of being “Lady Marmalade.”
By: broughtonfamily on February 21, 2010
at 3:07 pm