Sap duty

I can see one of the milk jug containers on the maple tree from a kitchen window. Thank goodness!! LaVern's comment to me as he was leaving the house for work this morning, "Watch those jugs, they will need to be emptied several times today and I don't want to lose a drop of that sap". When we started the maple syrup making process, I assumed we would make a tiny batch just to say that we had done it. One should NOT assume anything! Late last evening our first batch (about one cup) of syrup was finished. LaVern had a spoon in the jar every time he went in to the kitchen and I'm not sure why he was going in the kitchen so often. Now I know he will be on the internet looking for our own tree taps and bottles for the syrup. "We could give these as Christmas gifts". (hmmm, if he lets any go) So this morning I am cooking down sap again. Next couple days are to be warm so the sap will be coming on fast. We have a small "trash" wood stove that is going to be set up tonight, down by the tree. A wood fire will be much hotter and the whole process hopefully will go faster. We both assumed that maple syruping was only done on the east coast. Maine, right? One should not assume anything. Home maple syrup is a good thing!