We got the H back!   The repair shop called about 11:00 AM.  By 11:40 AM they arrived with their trailer and unloaded the H.   They fixed the generator too so now the battery will actually charge!  We knew it needed fixing.  We had not specifically asked for that but they saw it needed fixing and did it.  We are grateful.  A lot of work, and expense, went into it but it was all needed and we have working tractor again.

Into the woods by 7:30 AM to start boiling.  There were still hot coals under the evaporator from Thursday.   Took two batches of syrup off the evaporator.   As the day went on we thinking of the best use of our time.   We had to dig out the spot where the LP tank goes.  Did that inbetween firing.   We wanted to get out 13 more taps.   Did that inbetween firing too.    But was there sap?

It was cloudy all day.  A little windy, but nothing like what was forecast.  The forecast was for 30 mph winds, but we got nothing like  that.   It was down to maybe 30 overnight so the trees dripped into the night.   There was about 2 quarts in the pails.  A few were half full.  The question became do we continue boiling, or go collect?    The weather forecast says tomorrow will be colder.  Maybe 32.  We can boil in the cold but any sap in buckets will freeze.  So we went out collecting.    What’s liquid today will be ice tomorrow so get it will we can.    We ended up collecting 200 gallons.  A lot of that was from what ran into the last night.  

A neighbor stopped by to help.   Since he had a pickup truck we asked him to get a tank of LP gas for us first.   Last year we picked up an extra tank of LP gas so we would have it.   Unfortunately it leaked out over the year so the tank was empty.   Getting a full tank of LP was also a major accomplishment for the day as we need the gas to finish the syrup and during bottling.  Tomorrow we will be finishing and bottling and need it.