And we’re off!  as they say into a new maple season.  So far this year we are seeing much more seasonal weather than last year at this time.  With a little luck this will bode well for a good year (or at least a year better than last!).   Brian started tapping last week and with the mild temps mid-week he started collecting and boiling.  Today he expects to finish boiling off the sap from the last few days runs.  It’ll be cold today and Monday so we may not see a run again until the rain comes in on Tuesday.

YIKES!  How about that wind today!!!  My car was pushed around quite a bit on the highway coming home from work. Although surprisingly we had no power outages.

Again we stand on the verge of a new season.  Brian is in his day-to-day checking of the weather forecasts trying to pick when the best time is to start tapping.  Ideally we want some cold so you can take a few days to get completely tapped before the sap starts running.  But everything is in place;  the wood for the evaporator has been ready and stacked for months, the buckets and spiles are all freshly scrubbed and clean and there are cases of jugs waiting to be filled with fresh, hot maple syrup.

This year will make our 4th season as a participating member of  a group of sugar makers across the state working with the Maple Watch research team at UNH.  We collect sap at various intervals through the season and freeze them.  Records are kept to help the researchers know what factors were present at the time of collection and then syrup made from the sap is also collected and frozen to be sent to the lab for analysis.  Studies are hoping to find out how maples are doing and if, and how, environmental changes factor into their well-being.

This weekend Brian will be at the Newburyport Farmers Market at the Tannery from 9 am to 1 pm.  Then we’ll be absent from the market until after sugar season is over.

For over a month we have been getting geared up for the Open House. Our many thanks to all who came by and supported us, as it was a great weekend for us. All our wreaths sold very well and we had only a couple left for Sunday.  Regrets to those who came by later and could not find what they were looking for.  Now it’s time for getting the tree and decorating the house for the holidays.  Of course there is the shopping and baking and Christmas cards to write out and mail.  Gosh….I better get busy!

We will have holiday hours for the next 3 weeks Thursday through Saturday from  12 noon to 4 pm.  Other hours can be arranged by calling Brian at 370-0908 if you need to pick up something for the holidays.

Our Shop readied for the Open House 2012

The wreaths are ready and the shop is setup for the upcoming Holiday Open House.  A few last items need to be made to complete our preparations.  Luckily we are not getting any of the drenching rain from the west coast.  The weather will be seasonal which is good.  Remember our wreath greens are all freshly cut after hard frosts set the needles so they will hold on the branches for months.  You can even use them indoors and they will maintain the needles and great green color through the New Year in most cases.

HOURS this WEEKEND will be: 9 am to 4 pm Sat Dec 1st and 10 am to 4 pm Sun Dec 2nd

We still have 2 more Farmers Markets this year in Newburyport Ma.  Sunday Dec 9th and Sunday Dec 23rd both from 9am to 1pm

Hope you all had a wonderfully Happy Thanksgiving.  We’ve been working on our traditional day after meals.  Breakfast – apple pie, lunch – turkey sandwiches and dinner turkey, gravy , potatoes, peas and stuffing of course. Mom and I spent the day putting the prepped decorations on the real wreaths today and we have 15 done so far.  Here are a couple to check out.  Lots more to do this week and plenty of maple products to get packaged and ready too.

Williamsburg style fruit wreath

Frosted greens and cones with a cheery Cardinal

Holiday Open House 2012

Sat Dec 1st 9am – 4pm           Sun Dec 2nd 10am – 4pm

Hope you can drop by on Dec 1st or 2nd for our Holiday event.  Brian has been working for a week already making wreaths.  Friday he’ll make his second trip north for more prime balsam greens.  Here are a few photos from years past showing some wreaths to give you the flavor of what we will have to select from.

The holidays are coming fast.  In 2 weeks we’ll all be stuffed as full as those turkeys we’ll be enjoying.  Can’t wait myself to tuck into the mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy too.  Not to mention the traditionally amazing selection of desserts.  It’s not Thanksgiving in our family without Great Grammy Thurston’s Bread Pudding with Hard Sauce.  Yum-O!

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE 

Dec. 1st and 2nd we’ll host our annual Open House featuring our own handmade balsam Holiday wreaths.  Brian went to Whitefield on Tuesday to cut the first batch of greens.  The mountains had a pretty frosted glow in the bright sun that day.  The wreath selection is varied and a few sizes are available.  Some just for Christmas, some whimsical, some with glitz.  Some are just simple with cones and berries (You know, like the famous mail order place but priced much less!).  We’ll have swags and a few kissing balls too.  And of course we’ll have plenty of maple syrup and other maple goodies for gift giving along with Maple Gift Baskets ready to go.

New Hours for the Holiday Season

Now that the Farmers Markets are pretty much done we will be opening from 12-4pm on Mondays and Fridays for folks to come by.  As always we can open on demand with just a phone call to Brian to be sure someone can open the shop up for you.  Tel 603-370-0908.

Happy Fall Y’all.  This is a wonderful time of year here in New England that I don’t think I could ever live without.  The colors on the trees, rustling leaves, the change in the air and the earthy smell of the season all seem to feed a need in my soul.  And of course there is always Halloween.  I think perhaps it’s my favorite holiday.  This year we have joined the Chester Scarecrow Clan by adding our “Jenness Beach Surf Club’ Member perched on the nose of a surfboard riding a thigh-high set (of leaves).  Not many will expect a surfer instead of a sugar maker!