Rainy Summer

 After one wonderful week in early May, when the apple trees were all a-buzz with pollinators, the weather deteriorated into daily rain storms like the one above. The worst weather event took place on Memorial Day weekend when a migratory hummingbird fallout occurred. A dozen birds were clinging to life around the 8 + feeders placed around the house. The pictures through the screens are not great, but we never have had so many birds at one feeder before . Strong winds, cold temps and rain followed by snow on day 3, caused the birds to gang up on the feeders. Our main concern that weekend was their survival.They disappeared on day four leaving the 3-4 birds we usually have in the summer.

The rains have helped the hardy Kiwis climb up the trellis over the birdhouse made by Kyla Myott of Brownington. Another success story is the shaded lettuce in the greenhouse. Keeping the culverts of lettuce shaded has kept it producing well. But of course is has not really gotten that hot or sunny in the greenhouse as of June 29, so that has helped some.

All in all, a very unusual spring for 2013, and one that we will remember. With any luck this weather pattern of rain will give it up by the time we head for Lake Champlain on July 6th. The next installment will be from there.

The End of Sugaring

The last day of sugaring, April  17th, will give us around 9 gallons for the year. Our biggest year was 10. This is a good shot of our springtime, no snow sugarhouse on April 13th. The syrup is darkening up, no B yet, but maybe the last boil will be. Our sugar content has been consistently around 2.5, which is good enough to boil. The process is quite routine for us now, and we both get a chance to catch up on our reading. The garlic is up as of April 16th, as well.

Red Poll Winter

 The common redpolls have been with us all winter, more than any other winter so far. $100.00 worth of thistle seed later, we are amazed at the way they covet the feeders and manage to negotiate them during the worst weather, and they just won't leave!  They are still with us today, April 16th.

After a long winter....

As of April, the violets and violas in the greenhouse are coming back to life. The temperature had reached well below zero, but these little beauties really define "hardiness". I plan to have more of them this summer and keep them in the temp-regulated coldframe in the greenhouse for next winter. They are truly a flower of happiness.

Back at it, syrup at last....

Pouring the sap into the tank

Carrying the sap to the tank

Filtering the syrup

Collecting the syrup

Taking the specific gravity

First maple syrup

March Sugaring, Here we go again

Here we go again. It's March, 2013 and we have hung 53 buckets on our sugar maples around the boundary. We are waiting for a good run, but have already collected the sap from a couple of slow runs. The temperatures are all over the place, 40s day, low 30s night. We need the colder nighttime temps to get the sap moving. But in any event, we are ready.I plan to make a video of the sap dripping into the buckets so that we can hear the great dripping sound.