We always get a handful of precious, warm and (if we’re lucky) sunny days before the sap begins to flow. And today was one of those days! I didn’t even need gloves, it felt so warm.
Marching out to the woodlot, I quickly got my rhythm down: remove the old dropline, switch tools, install the new one. This is a good task to do before actually tapping, since things are so much busier during maple season. It also just feels nice to get outside, and do something productive on the property.
Eric (we’ll say purposefully) got black taps this year when he ran over to the D&G supplier, which is great, since all our old taps are either white or green. I got a little over halfway through replacing all the droplines, so when I go back out, it’ll be very easy to tell which droplines still need to be replaced.
This was also a great time to remove branches and small trees that had fallen across the lines. Nothing damaged, thankfully. Just blowdown from storms and wind.
Wandering around the woods was really enjoyable today, and makes me really thankful I live where I do! Bonus shot:
Beane Hill Farm 