As a tribute to summer as it yields to autumn, and to celebrate the opening of the Canadian border, let’s travel to western Newfoundland to explore a fen with fellow Vermonter Jill, a botanist friend who is wild about fens. It is a drizzly afternoon in August, 2019. Jill bends over her tall rubber boots… Read More
Spring Beauties
Sugarhouse talk of spring beauties started with Larry. On Monday evening when he emerged from the woods after a day of pulling taps he said, “The spring beauties are primping for The Ball. They’re trying on their finery and practicing their twirls.” On Wednesday he announced, “The Spring Ball was today!” On Thursday, when my… Read More
All of a sudden, Summer
WEATHER: If you live in the East you know that it feels as though we skipped April and even May. It could be June. April is called “the cruel month” since just as you reach for the garden trowel a storm will dump a foot of snow which melts to muddy slush. The ragged, jerky… Read More
That Damn Bloody Taste
WEATHER: In a general sense, the pattern continues of Freeze, Thaw, Freeze, Thaw – in chunks of a few days each rather than in chunks of hours (freeze-by-night, thaw-by-day). Last night’s freeze was the last in the forecast. HOW’S IT RUNNING? The run of 3/30-3/31 was by far the best of the season. The current… Read More
Yikes, it’s a real run this time
Quick Update: A blustery winter’s day followed by a good freeze last night set up the maples for a hard sap run today. At 11pm the run is scarcely letting up. As March’s Worm Moon rose we embarked on morning chores which can’t wait until morning. We lined up crew for early morning, all-day, and… Read More
Sugarhouse Chicken
If the crew is boiling at suppertime they fill their bowls in the front room when they can snatch a moment. The stoker retreats to the back side of the evaporator where there is a counter to sit on if the fire has just been stoked or to rest one’s bowl on if she must… Read More
Weathering the Thaw
WEATHER: Sunny, calmWarm then hot –Smell of earth Hotter eachday, hottereach nighttime Coolness flowsoff the brook,ice is out No thunderof snow meltdown the brook Nor flood ofspring runoff –Little fuss. HOW’S IT RUNNING? Since Saturday the run has choked off just once, on Monday night (low 24). On two nights the temp at the sugarhouse… Read More
The Talk of the Sugarhouse
Woodshed ChroniclesPoet Chatter Aud Coty pulls on leather gloves, opens the French doors into the woodshed, loads her arms with chunks of wood, walks into the sugarhouse and drops them on the woodpile by the firebox. She’s wearing a navy wool sweater many sizes too large over jeans patched on the knees. A visitor with… Read More
Vernal Equinox Update
Here is a quick update on the status of sugar season. WEATHER: March 15: Frozen.March 16: Frozen.March 17: High 46 and sunny. Overnight low 34.March 18: High 40 and drizzly. Overnight low in the teens.March 19: Frozen. Sharp wind. March 20: High mid 40’s and sunny. Low tonight will probably be in the 20’s. Forecast… Read More
Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day
Maple Trout Lilli, who is Irish every day of the year, writes: IRISH SODA BREADThe savory herbs in this bread go well with butter and a soft cheese. This is a basic recipe, enabling you, the baker, to substitute a cup of oat flour for whole wheat or exchange herbs to basil, thyme and oregano. Eat crusty and… Read More
