The Miller House

What a beautiful day to drive to Columbus, Indiana to tour The Miller House. I made reservations last week for a one o'clock tour and we met the Walkers to drive together and had lunch at the Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum. You might enjoy taking a look at their website.

Before the tour we viewed a short video at the Columbus Visitor Center and then boarded a shuttle bus to the house. The Miller House was designed by renowned Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, the interior by Alexander Girard and the landscape by Dan Kiley. The Millers died in the last decade and their home is now open to the public administered by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

We were greeted by beautiful displays of blooming tulips. As you might guess, photography is not allowed on the grounds or in the house. The website has a short video that gives some great views of the house.

After our tour we walked back to the Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and had an ice cream sundae. Perfect ending to a perfect afternoon.

Bracket Report

Even though I didn't get to watch as many games this year as in the past, my bracket selections at this point are two games ahead of my DH. I had 41 correct selections to his 39. The interesting thing is that he has correctly selected 3 of the four teams in the Final Four while I only have two.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky can rightly be proud with two teams playing next weekend in New Orleans. We both have selected the same team as the eventual winner. Now we have to wait for the final results.

After a week of temperatures in the high 70s and even a day or so of 80 degrees, it felt a little nippy today when we only had 55 degrees. The manager of a garden supply store was interviewed on a noon-time show today and he thought our growing season was about a month ahead of schedule. Everything has been blooming at once. Tonight we have a frost warning in our area, but some sections of the sate are expecting a freeze. Exactly what the difference is, I'm not sure. I think we'll see some white on the grass in the morning, maybe around 33 or 34 degrees.

Ray has been mowing parts of the lawn. Can't recall many times that we have mowed the lawn in March. He also started the roto-tiller and worked up the garden area. The garden was very green from all the weeds that began growing stimulated by the warm weather. I'm attempting to spend a little time each afternoon working around the perimeter of the house. I have probably a little less than 50% left to do and then on to some other flower beds.

Staying indoors

I can't recall the number of records broken recently. Maybe I'll have to come back and post an update if and when I find the information. Today, however, did not break a record even though temperatures were above normal. The day started out with rain, but it was welcome since it's been dry of late and we didn't have much snow during the winter months.

This evening has been quite different, storms have passed through with heavy rain at times. The national evening news was preempted by continuous reporting of weather reports. So far we haven't heard of any major damage but some areas had hail and winds with tornado watches in many areas.

Since it was overcast without bright sunlight to wash out their color, the Redbud Trees in our front yard looked particularly brilliant this morning.

The Redbud Trees are in full bloom

Overnight the Flowering Pear trees began dropping petals and covered the driveway. It was very calm or they would have fluttered away. I couldn't resist taking a photo of a carpet of petals.

Petals

Spring or is it summer?

The record breaking spell of warm weather doesn't leave me much time for writing a blog. I've spent more time in the yard the last several days than all year. Of course, earlier it was winter and I really didn't have any yard work.

Last fall, the dock on our dam was damaged and needed replacing. In January Ray spent some time in the basement cutting boards and then recently nailed them in place.

Since the weather was ideal yesterday, if not hot, Ray asked if I had a few minutes to assist with the installation of the new platform. We carried it up the stairs and loaded it on the back of the pick-up truck. It was one heavy dude.

Here's the damaged platform--
the support beam under the boards cracked from age

Ray has a pair of waders that come in handy once in a while.

It was challenging to remove the old platform from the uprights. The nails were still holding tight.

I didn't get my feet wet, but I helped from dry land and pulled the old platform away from the uprights when it was free. Fortunately, the uprights are firmly embedded in the ground and didn't have to be replaced. The new platform fits snugly between the uprights and is supported by the cross beams.

Proud moment -- all measurements were perfect

The next job was to break up the old platform which took only a few minutes and load it on the truck. I walked to the mailbox and enjoyed a closeup of one of our flowering pear trees.

Perfect sky on a beautiful day

In the early evening Ray started a fire and burned the old boards.

The replacement dock is visible on the right

After installing the new platform was complete, I spent some time working on borders around the house and pulling or digging what seems like a gazillions weeds. I'm probably not even halfway through the process. I thought I had weeded everything last fall as plants were going dormant, but over the winter months, the weeds sprouted and grew while I wasn't looking.

Spring has arrived!

We might be breaking another temperature record today. If not, it's only a degree or two away. Seems like I have heard that several records have been broken in the past week.

We left for church wearing only a light sweater and I think I could have gotten by without it. The sermon theme today was "God So Loved Us." We all understand that people bitten by a poisonous snake need medical help. In the Old Testament, people were healed by looking at brass snake after they were bitten. Jesus explained to Nicodemus that the Son of Man needed to be lifted up on the cross to bear the sins of the world. In the same way, as the people did in Moses' time, we look on the cross of Jesus and are saved. Jesus paid for our entrance to heaven. We can compare this to when we are given a pair of expensive seats to an event that we could not otherwise afford. There is nothing we can do to repay for the gift of these tickets. We can only thank the generous donor and we also thank Jesus for his generous gift to us.

When I came home yesterday evening, our flowering pear trees were showing some white. Today they are in full blossom. This is what I see out the window while I'm typing.

The daffodils at the base of each tree are also blooming

Tulips are blooming on the patio.

These tulips are prettier each year

On the other side of the patio are more daffodils. Even though the calendar says we have a few more days until March 20, I think we can safely say, spring has arrived!

I haven't had much time to enjoy the first weekend of March Madness since I was gone the last two days. We did get to see the final exciting minutes of the IU game last evening. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Purdue this evening, but when playing a #2 seed, Purdue will need to bring its A+ game.

St. Patrick's Day

True to what I had mentioned on Valentine's Day, I found some almost forgotten Shamrocks and our fireplace mantel was all decked out for the day and has been for several weeks.

Since I had to leave early for an all-day LWML meeting, I was up, dressed and out the door by 7:15 a.m. It's still pretty dark at this time of day and we had some patchy fog to contend with. I picked up a friend and we drove to Carmel for the meeting, about a 50-mile trip for me.

I knew it was St. Patrick's Day and never thought once to wear something green. I think I have some Shamrock earrings tucked away somewhere. Quite a few of the other ladies present had on green, but not all. Oh well, maybe I'll remember next year.

When I came home I noticed an appetizing aroma. Supper was nearly ready. Before going to bed last night I asked Ray if he would put a pork roast in the crock pot in the morning and gave him the directions. The roast was delicious and all I had to do was boil some potatoes and prepare some broccoli. And now it's time to get some rest. It's unusual to spend two long days away from home so I think tomorrow I'll stick around the house.

My Birthday

We left the house about 10 a.m. heading for Bloomington and the National Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships and located the Gladstein Fieldhouse without a problem. The weather was very warm and doors were propped open. The meet could have been held outdoors considering the warmth of the day.

Our first view of the track

We checked in and picked up our race numbers and then headed out to a nearby Steak & Shake for lunch. Ray's 3K racewalk was scheduled for 1:30. The banked track at each end is different than running outdoors on a trail or outdoor track. All winter I've been running with my right side to the inside but here it would be the opposite.

The men's 70-94 3000 meter racewalk at the start line
Ray is 4th from the left

Unfortunately, there were several disqualifications and a 94-year-old gentleman and Ray did not finish. Our friend from Greenwood did much better:

Max won a Silver Medal
Pat was his biggest cheerleader

Eventually it was time for my race, also a 3K event. We toed the line about 5 PM. Women 55-79 were grouped in this heat with only one other competitor in my age division. I lost track of the number of times the 55-year-old women lapped me -- the fasted one ran the event in 12:29. After the first of 15 laps I felt confident that I was leading my competition, but when I lapped her toward the end of the race I was able to let up some and in the last 75 meters, the oldest woman in the race, Mary Harada, passed me and finished 7 second ahead of me.

My official time was 17:18.68

I met Mary last summer in Sacramento and she, I and another American were the Gold Medal Team for the 8K cross country run. I enjoyed spending a few minutes talking with her and Ray took our photo outside (even though it was warm and sunny it felt a bit chilly since we were still sweated up).

Mary lives on the East Coast

Eventually, I received my Gold Medal and National Championship patch and posed with Kemisole Sowalzi.

Kemisole had already won a Gold Medal in
the 400 meter run and planned to run in
several more events on Saturday & Sunday

Kemisole is with the Southern Cal Track Club. She excelled in sprints when younger and has recently returned to competition. She was ranked 12th in the world with a 1:05 for the 400 meter dash when she competed in the 55-59 age group. She was very friendly and I enjoyed talking with her and meeting her for the first time.

I made a quick change and we headed home, arriving in Martinsville about 7:15 in time to stop at a GardenFest at the National Guard Armory. We picked up two pots of pansies and browsed the other displays and then headed across the street to a local eatery for a birthday dinner. It's now time for bed as I have an early alarm in the morning.

Mardi Gras

Yes, I know it's nearly three weeks since Mardi Gras and I'm a little behind. When we realized several months ago that our granddaughter Persephone's 4th birthday was on the same date as Mardi Gras, we thought it would be fun to be in New Orleans. We started making plans but about a week before, Ray wasn't feeling well and we nearly canceled our trip. At the last possible moment, we began our drive to New Orleans and arrived Monday afternoon.

Shortly after arriving, Persephone had us sitting on the floor playing the Barney board game. Later we went to Ralph's on the Park for a beautiful meal. Persephone wanted to go to some place "fancy" and it was with white tablecloths and an attentive wait staff. She seemed to enjoy the evening and didn't fidget or raise a fuss even though we were there for quite some time.

The next morning we headed out for brunch at the home of a friend of Bart's and Christy's. Before leaving, costumes were donned and James joined our group. Ray decided to stay back so there were four adults, one child and one wagon in the car.

We joined a throng of people walking down Royal Street and there were numerous opportunities to take colorful photos. Presumably, we were following at a distance the marching krewe of the Society of Saint Anne. As the Society passes through the Faubourg Marigny and French Quarter, additional costumed marchers (we and many others) join the parade at various coffee-shops and bars along the route.

The day couldn't have been more beautiful. When we finally headed back home, we didn't need jackets or long sleeved shirts. To view photos, just click here. At the end of the slideshow, there are photos of Persephone and her birthday cake. She asked for a Sun Cake (she had a Moon Cake for her third birthday). In eleven years, when she is 15, Mardi Gras will again be celebrated on February 21.

Very early the next morning we were on the road and arrived home at 8:45 p.m.

An Eventful Day

Due to "springing forward" for DST it was dark when we left the house this morning, but by the time we arrived in Greenwood the skies were brightening with a hint that we would have a sunny and warm day.

Today's sermon was based on the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple. We have a need for cleansing too. Why was Jesus angry? Instead of providing a service, the people Jesus was upset with were greedy and abused the system of providing animals for sacrifice and changing foreign money to local currency. We can serve and love others even if they don't return our love.

Just as we were nearing home, I noticed several deer running very fast across a field, headed our way. Ray quickly reacted and we avoided a collision. That's about as close as we have ever come to hitting a deer. What was so unusual, is that it was broad daylight. If this had happened in the dark we would have never seen the deer in time to avoid them.

Remember the tree that was nearly severed by a beaver? Yesterday afternoon Ray used his chain saw to cut it down. Of course, it fell in the water. He cut some of the trunk away, but the majority of the tree stayed in the water overnight. After lunch, Ray planned to return to the site and I offered to give him a hand. Then the fun began. Actually, it wasn't fun but rather traumatic and could have been disastrous. Let me explain.

He cut off some branches and I pulled them out of the water. At some point we realized that we couldn't pull the rest of the tree as it was rather deep in the water and heavy too. We decided to get the tractor and attach a chain through a fork in the tree. Everything was going according to plan, but suddenly the tractor was in the water instead of pulling the tree out! Not what we had planned.

Fortunately the engine wasn't underwater

We still had another option to get out of the predicament and not have to call for a heavy-duty wrecker. Ray hooked up a chain between the tractor and our pickup truck. This didn't work either. The tractor tires were spinning as there was no traction and, even in 4-wheel drive, the truck tires were also spinning. The bank is inclined and the soil is soft.

Attaching the chain

Then we went to Plan B or was it Plan C? With a longer chain, the truck was higher where it wasn't as steep hoping to get more traction. We also inserted wooden ramps under the back tractor tires and this time we had success. Ray was driving the tractor and I was in the truck and we managed to get the tractor about halfway out of the water. We moved the truck for a different angle so the tractor could get by another tree. The truck tires were spinning some, but I gunned the motor and Ray was using his skills driving the tractor and the drama was over.

My hands were shaking when it was all over. We decided to finish the job and picked up the rest of the limbs and dragged them to a ravine where we throw away branches and vegetation. End of story.

We were back in the house to see the second half of the Big 10 tournament championship game followed by the announcement of selections for the Men's NCAA Tournament. Have you filled out your bracket? I'll probably do one in the next day or so. I'm sure IU fans are happy with a #4 seed after missing the post season for quite a while. Get ready for lots of basketball.

Spring forward

Did I remember to set my clocks forward? Yes! In fact, I began the process first thing this morning. I wanted my mind to believe it was an hour faster so I can go to bed at a reasonable time. We were just getting used to morning sunshine, but now it will be dark when we leave the house at 7:15.

I had to reset eleven clocks and Ray did another one or two. We have an atomic clock that we never have to reset. They are wonderful and if any of our other clocks need replacing, I would look first at purchasing another one. I never reset my stopwatch last fall so it was still on DST! Maybe it's time to stay on one time zone all year long like we did for many years. It could be either Standard or Daylight Saving, but no more springing forward or falling back. Anyone agree?

Turned out to be a beautiful afternoon, but was below freezing this morning when we headed to the Rec Center for the Spring Fling. We opted for the 5K event while others ran in the 15K. There was a nice turnout and even though it was cold when the race started at 8:25, there was no wind like we've had so many days lately. I finished only 30 seconds slower than last year's run at 29:39. They had bananas and pizza for all the finishers and drawings for quite a few door prizes. Age group prizes were awarded in the 15K but not the 5K.

Thank you UPS

Last week our bread machine died. I don't remember how many years we had it, but I've used it a lot, especially the last five years or so. We actually did some repairs on it several times but the company that made it doesn't appear to be in business anymore so we couldn't get any parts.

I decided to look for a new machine at Amazon.com and found a bargain at $55 with no shipping and no sales tax (that's about to change--Amazon has a distribution warehouse nearby and has agreed to collect sales tax sometime soon).

It's always fun to get something new, don't you agree? UPS delivered my new Sunbeam bread maker today! I unpacked it and read the instruction manual. It's very similar to my old Welbilt machine (maybe it wasn't so well built). There are a few new features like making jelly in a bread machine or even cake. Who knew?

Brand New Sunbeam Bread Machine

I usually make whole wheat bread and have the recipe memorized. Maybe I'll branch out and try some of the recipes that came with the machine.

I just read Bart's blog about his bread making endeavors over the past seven months. I'm not a purist and haven't read much about making bread as he has, but maybe a few genes of mine have passed on to him.

Windy Weather

I would have enjoyed working outdoors this afternoon as the high was 69, but it was so windy that I didn't. Gusts were as high as 40 mph. I have never liked having the wind whip around and blow hair in my eyes. I doubt that I could have kept a hat on either.

We went to the Senior Lunch at the Rec Center (chicken, fresh fruit, chips and cookies). The special guest from the Plainfield Public Library is an avid reader. She admitted to being 70 years of age and still is working. She recommended many current authors who are on the best seller list. She can help people find a new author to read if one of their favorite authors hasn't produced anything new or they've read everything from that writer. She even uses and recommends the Kindle or Nook. Even though we don't live in Plainfield, we can borrow from them. There are several dozen Indiana libraries belonging to an integrated system called Evergreen. I've been able to borrow some books that our local library does not own. It's really expanded the options we have available to us.

Ray spent yesterday and today doing some pruning in our fruit orchard. The wind blew his stepladder over several times (when he wasn't on it). The maple syrup season is officially over and the taps have been pulled from the trees. With the warm weather, the trees are beginning to bud and, as we learned last week, sap from a budding tree is not tasty.

One last thought for today. A couple of days ago I came across a recipe that I tried today. It's called "True Love in a Bowl." It's a great substitute for ice cream. Here's the recipe:

2 medium, peeled, frozen bananas
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, to taste

Cut the bananas into 1-inch pieces and place them in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Sprinkle the cocoa powder over the bananas. Process the bananas and cocoa powder on high until smooth, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. It will take at least a few minutes for the bananas and cocoa powder to fully incorporate and become thick and creamy like ice cream. Stick with it. The payoff is chocolate decadence! Serve immediately.

If you want more banana flavor, use just 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. If you prefer it to more closely resemble chocolate "ice cream" use 3 tablespoons (or more).

(Recipe by Devin Alexander and found at SupermarketGuru.com) We enjoyed this with our evening meal and I think I'll try to keep some bananas in my freezer so I'm ready for a quick and easy dessert.

Who would have ever thought I'd have so much to write about on a windy day!

An Anniversary of Sorts

According to my recollection, 18 years ago today we moved in our new home. Wow, 18 years is a long time but, in reality, it feels much less. When I think back to 18 years ago, Dustin wasn't even born, Kylie was about 4 years old, and then I realize how many years have passed seemingly so quickly.

Since the bridge at the end of our street, one that everyone uses, was inspected and found in need of repair, all garbage trucks are restricted from using the bridge after a 5 ton weight limit was imposed. Today was trash day and we and all homeowners have been asked to take our garbage bags and containers to a common area just before the bridge.
 

One stop trash pickup

The bridge looks safe, but the supporting wooden beams are not according to the engineer who made the inspection. Our homeowners association is responsible for the maintenance of the bridge and street (about .6 of a mile in length).

Notice the new sign - Load Capacity 5 Tons

We'll be having an Association meeting in a few weeks where we'll be informed what type of repairs are proposed and how much the repairs will cost.

Just a few ours ago, we heard the news released by ESPN regarding Peyton Manning. We all suspected it would happen, but he'll no longer be a Colt. Kind of sad day. He was an asset to Indianapolis and the State of Indiana. What more can I say? Change seems inevitable.

Frosting

We were greeted by a dusting of snow this morning. The TV reports made it sound like conditions were pretty slippery; however, our driveway was dry and we had no trouble on the roads. Our roof and the surrounding houses all had a covering of snow -- it just reminded me of frosting on a cake! By two or three o'clock all the snow was melted. Even though it didn't get very warm, the sun was shining brightly.

Southern Indiana had more snow than we did and the towns that were devastated by the tornadoes last Friday had to deal with several inches covering the areas they wanted to search. TV coverage has been abundant as well as newspaper stories and photos. It's hard to imagine what these folks are going through. They hardly know where to start to begin their lives after the tornado.

Basketball Blunder

As I wrote last evening, the 4th girl's basketball state championship game had not started at the time of posting. We weren't as interested in this game as the one with the Concordia girls, but the game became more interesting in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The contest was between two public schools -- North Central from Indianapolis and Columbus North -- not like the other three games in which four of the six school were private.

North Central and Columbus north were battling neck and neck and with about a minute (give or take a little) left, our TV went dark. We first thought it was the set, after all it is getting old. We tried another channel and had a picture. We went back to channel 4 and there was still no picture -- then suddenly they started showing an old Andy Griffith Show! What???

The morning newspaper told us that North Central won the game in OT. Then while watching the morning news on another channel, I heard the results of all four games showing some highlights and then they said they couldn't show the completion of the North Central/Columbus North game because of the lost signal -- and they even had a clip of the opening of the Andy Griffith show! They apparently were getting their highlights directly from the channel 4 broadcast. How embarrassing for channel 4.

We didn't get to see the Big 10 Women's Championship game today but were happy to learn that Purdue won. They beat favored Penn State Women in the semi-final. Nebraska also beat favored Ohio State in the other semi-final match on Saturday for the chance to play Purdue this afternoon. Next up is the Big 10 Men's Tournament and then comes the march to the Final Four. Lots of BB in the coming month.

This morning's sermon began with the following poem:

The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

The sermon made the point that the road less traveled can be more difficult but also more beautiful. You cannot follow the less traveled road unless you follow the cross. God asks today "Who do you say I am?" just as Jesus asked his disciples many years ago. The road less traveled is the road to heaven. Jesus himself took this road as exemplified by his suffering and death. He said "follow me" meaning to take the road less traveled. Sometimes the road is difficult, but it has been traveled by Jesus before us. We can be thankful for the path he has made for us.

Basketball Championships

The Indiana girl's state championships were played today. Actually, at this time, there is still one game left of the four. We turned to TV channel 4 in mid-morning and have watched and listened to the first three games. Interestingly, a Fort Wayne team was represented in each of the first three games. Canterbury school won the Class 1A championship in the first game. The second game for the Class 2A championship had Evansville Mater Dei defeating Fort Wayne's Bishop Luers High School in overtime.

We began watching the third game for Class 3A while eating our evening meal. This was the most interesting game for us since the girls from the high school I attended were playing. The game got off to a strange start. Each team had errors and couldn't shoot well. The score after the first quarter was 6 for Mount Vernon (Fortville) and 5 for Concordia. The second quarter wasn't much better as the half time score had Mount Vernon still leading by 16-12.

However, during the second half the Concordia girls outscored the Mount Vernon Marauders 17-13 in the third quarter and 12-11 in the final quarter and won their second state championship in three years by a score of 42-39. Both teams played a strong defensive game.

To top off the evening, Lauren Marinko from Conccordia won the Patricia L. Roy Mental Attitude Award and a $1,000 scholarship for the school. She scored 17 points in the winning effort.

I'm wondering if one of the players, Emily Hockemeyer, might be a distant cousin. My grandmother's maiden name was Hockemeyer. Another player by the name of Annalissa Kammeyer has me wondering if she could be the granddaughter of one of my high school classmates. I also had a classmate by the name of Hahn and I'm wondering if Olivia Hahn on the Concordia team could be related.

Because of the Big 10 Women's Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis, the girl's championship games were played at the Hulman Center on the campus of Indiana State University in Terre Haute.

The  folks in Fort Wayne have plenty of reasons to celebrate tonight -- two girls basketball state championships out of three possible!

A True Dog Story

This is all about our yoga instructor. She came bouncing into the room this morning -- we last saw her on Monday and she had to tell us the story about her dog.

Apparently a few nights ago the dog woke her up and kept her up nearly all night. The dog was shaking and nervous and she couldn't figure out what was wrong. She took the dog to the vet and after spending $250 for blood and other tests, went home.

The pooch was doing much better and then the symptoms returned -- it was at this point that Joyce realized that her smoke detector batteries needed replacing and the warning sound from the detector was the source of anxiety for her canine friend. $250 for replacement batteries!! She had the solution to the dog's behavior even before receiving the results of the tests.

Maple Syrup

After our morning workout, Max and Pat Walker picked us up at the Rec Center and we headed west to Greencastle. We enjoyed lunch at a lovely restaurant in a restored older building on the town square. Driving north a few miles out of town and then on several county roads we found our way to Harris Sugar Bush. A maple syrup production farm is called a "sugarbush" or "sugarwood"

As we drove down their driveway we could see blue tubes running from tree to tree and then were greeted by this sign. (In the U.S. "maple syrup" must be made almost entirely from maple sap.)

Mrs. Harris, a retired school teacher, owner of the operation along with her husband, greeted us and gave us an informative tour. The work is very labor intensive but the Harrises have automated some of the procedures. They no longer have to gather sap buckets since they installed tubing two years ago. A vacuum pump keeps the sap flowing in the tubing. We learned that they also manufacture and sell these pumps.

Notice the sleeping dog. He never moved or woke up.
He was enjoying a sun bath!

Production of maple syrup is one of only a few agricultural processes in North America that is not a European colonial import.

Looking like ribbons, the blue tubes carry the sap to a central gathering point

This is a rare Black Maple tree

Close-up of the tubing

Tanks hold sap before the evaporation process

After a cold overnight, the sap was just beginning to flow when we arrived. Later today they would begin the processing, first removing some of the water with a reverse-osmosis machine and then heating it with an oil-fired evaporator. They process all the sap the same day it is gathered making for some long days.The season lasts 4 to 8 weeks, depending on weather conditions. When trees begin to bud, the sap is termed "buddy sap" and the taste and quality changes drastically so the season ends.

Sap is often boiled in a "sugar house" (also known as a "sugar shack," "sugar shanty," or cabane à sucre), a building louvered at the top to vent the steam from the boiling sap.

The evaporator is an expensive piece of equipment but is
essential when processing large quantities of maple sap.

The finished maple syrup is stored in large metal barrels and sealed. Some of the sap is further boiled to make maple sugar. (We purchased a one pound package.) We were told the conversion rate is 1/2 cup maple sugar to 1 cup granulated sugar and it apparently has nutritive value over conventional sugar.

Maple syrup was first used by Native Americans but Europeans perfected the art. When early settlers came to Indiana, they only had honey and maple syrup or maple sugar to use as sweeteners. Indiana was a big producer of syrup as it had many hardwood trees, but when cane sugar arrived around the time of the Civil War as an import from the West Indies, maple syrup fell out of favor. Today, Canada is the biggest producer of maple syrup in the world and Vermont markets about 5% of total production.

In full disclosure, some of the information above was obtained from Wikipedia and the rest from my recall of our fascinating visit to the Harris Sugar Bush.