Author: SugarMaster Page 36 of 94

18 overnight.  Sunny and 32 today, but little melting.  Nothing happening with the trees.

Got fittings to complete the fix on our tank pipes.  Turned over the evaporator pans.

Big weather change forecast.  Rain on Wednesday and low 50s on Thursday.

Rain and ice followed by 1 1/2” of snow overnight.  Low around 28.  Up to 45 today.  A little melting is starting.  Tonight’s forecast is 18.

On Saturday we worked on another tank plumbing project.  Replaced the PVC butterfly values with brass ball values that have a lever type handle.  When we thaw out the  PVC butterfly with the heat-gun, the PVC expands and causes the value to stick.  Its a challenge to open.   The brass should respond better to the heat and the handle is a lever.

But we did not follow the golden rule:  measure twice, cut one.  The piping is shaped like a big Y with the joint abutting the outside wall.  The new bass values add about 5 1/4” more length on the outside.  Without thinking or measuring we cut off that 5 1/4” from the stem pipe inside the building.    The ends of the Y outside now extended past the tank fittings.

Today we fixed that.  The pipes had an unneeded drain value.  We wanted to remove them anyway.  As it turns out, those values were about 5 1/4” on the outside.  We disassembled the pipes to remove the values.  Checked the fit.  We should be good.  We need to replace the inside stem pipe because its too short.  Planning to get PVC for that in place of the iron pipe that was used.

6 overnight.  We had hora frost this morning.  Everything was white.  Looked pretty.  It warmed up to 42 but there wasn’t much melting.  It was sunny until Noon.  Its gets windy with 1”-2” of snow forecast tonight.

Started tapping at 8:00 AM.  Slight delay because we misplaced the drill bits.  While preparing everything the drill bits ended up under some new buckets.    We had a crew of 7.   The snow is deep.  Went over the of the boots which are 14”.  The snow melted resulting in wet shoes but feet stayed warm.

By 12:30 PM we had 500 taps out.:  135, 100, 100, 100, 65

Also worked on some plumbing for the collecting tank.  Added a value with a quick connect which should make connecting to the pump easier and faster.

So we are ready once the weather breaks.

We’ve been camped out at a hotel a block from the Green Bay airport the past three nights waiting out Blizzard Evelyn.  24” of snow.  Winds 25 mph to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph.  Yesterday afternoon from 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM we had whiteout conditions.  Biggest snow event since 1888.  We love snow storms.  But when we say its bad, it is bad.

We knew the storm was coming so headed to the airport Friday evening when the weather was good and took a room at the hotel.  The flight was Saturday morning at 8:45 AM.   The forecast called for snow overnight but a lull in the morning so we expected the flight would go.  Snowed more than expected overnight and the flight was canceled along with all other flights out of Green Bay.   We got notified at 1:40 AM about the cancellation.  By 5:00 PM they closed the airport.

We were rescheduled for a Sunday morning flight but were not optimistic it would go because the second part of the snow storm was forecast for Saturday night into Sunday.  Got notice of the flight cancellation by 7:30 PM Saturday with no rescheduled flights.

The weather got steadily worse Sunday.  By 2:00 PM, whiteout conditions with high winds and heavy snow.  By 4:00 PM whiteout conditions abated with some reduction in snow fall.  By 6:00 PM it was a normal snow storm again.  Overnight the storm weaken.  By Monday morning its just snow showers but an inch more is still possible.

Flight is now scheduled for 10:53 AM.  The weather should be okay for the flight but the airline has to have the equipment and personnel in place too.  Airlines depend on logistics and schedules and this weather wrecks those plans.   We expect to get back somehow today.

Into the woods by 9:00 AM to finish up.  Bring in all the utensil and milk cans.  Wash the floor with the remaining R/O water.  Bring in the tanks.  Disconnect the propane gas tank.  Final tasks: take down the clock and unplug the radio.  Back to the farmhouse by 11:00 AM ending the season.

But at 10:00 AM a cold rain started to fall.  Its a precursor to the snow storm coming this weekend.   The final hour of washing the floor and getting in tanks was done in the cold rain.  We’ve done that with regularity over the years.

36 overnight.  Cloudy and rainy today with cold wind.  Thermometer said 36.

It was a great season.  Good crop.  Well paced sap flows and cooking.  Our improvements helped make for an easier season.

We’ll be back here in February 2019.

Into the woods by 10:00 AM.  Task for the day was to get all the pans clean:  bottom of evaporator flue pan, finishing and bottling pan.    Finished that by 4:00 PM.

Rain overnight.  Getting the buckets in yesterday was the correct decision.   36 overnight.  Cloudy and upper 40s today but felt colder.  Cloudy and windy makes it colder.

Small stuff remains:  clean hoses, clean filter press, bring back all utensils, clean milk cans, clean the floor.  Should be able to finish tomorrow.

Rain and snow forecast the next three days.  6”-10” possible depending on the track of the storm.

Back to the farmhouse by 4:30 PM.

In the woods by 10:30 AM to clean the evaporator.  The front syrup pan is clean.  The inside of the flue pan is clean but still have to clean the bottom.   The ashes are sweep out of the firebox.

At 5:00 PM we returned to the farmhouse  to collect and stack the buckets in the garage for storage.  The buckets were outside, upside down the dry out.  Rain is forecast for this evening so wanted to get the buckets in while they were dry.

35 overnight.  Sunny and upper 40s during the day.  Clouds moved in after 5:00 PM.

Back to the farmhouse by 6:15 PM.

Into the woods by 7:30 AM to dump the last milk can into the finishing pan.  It was ready by 9:00 AM.  By 10:00 AM we were done bottling and totaled up the results:  23 quarts and 1 pint.  That gave us 101 gallons for the season.  Our 101st season. And nice syrup too.  Grade A Dark, Robust Flavor.  In 2013 we made 102 gallons, but the sap was quite sweet that season.

This afternoon we filled the evaporator with water and lit the fire.  After it was boiling we added the cleaning solution.  It will sit overnight then tomorrow we clean the evaporator.

The R/O is now back at the farmhouse too.

26 overnight.  Sunny this morning and up to 45.  Clouds this afternoon.

Back to the farmhouse by 4:30 PM.