When we were kids growing up in Hillsdale, Michigan, we always tapped our trees.
I remember buckets hanging from them, and I think it was a common sight to see in the late fifties. My mom would boil down the collected sap and we'd pour it over french toast and her homemade pancakes.
Not so common now, however, here in rural Indiana, I was happy to see this familiar sight again. The family is Old Brethren, which is very similar in lifestyle to the Mennonite. The corgis love to stick their heads out to spook their goats and shiny hens, as we drive by. The goats are often in the barn doorway, deciding whether to come out or not. The hens are bolder, when the weather is fair. There is a Fresh Brown Eggs sign tacked to one of the big trees at the edge of the gravel drive.
I'd move there in a minute. But the hens and goats would have to be part of the deal. The buckets too. I want to collect syrup again. What fun. It makes me feel all sappy inside just thinking about it!
.jpg)
13 comments:
I loved your blog today - love the blessings and the memories.
I've seen trees tapped too for maple syrup.
So how far is this from you and would you really move there?
Stay warm.
sandie♥
Hey Corgidogmama!
I've never seen buckets hanging from a tree around where I live. It must not be a good place to do it??? You should get some of those eggs one day if you haven't already. You and your corgis' would have so much fun on a farm!
Hugs,
Angela
Sounds like such sweet memories. I would love to visit there.
You should take pictures next time you go by.
Molly
And your telling us this on Fat Tuesday....I love blueberry pancakes from Cracker Barrel with 2little bottles of syrup...oh if I grew up by the trees with buckets hanging to catch the drippings I'm afraid, I would have taken off the bucket and layed down under the spout, with my mouth wide open... a fun memory.... judy
I'm sorry I thought you wrote this today on fat tues. but I see it was on Sunday...
MMMMMMMM! Now you have me wanting some Maple Syrup...andwanting a long drive down a country road...and a visit to Amish country Fresh Brown eggs...yum! Ok Susan now I need to head out for breakfast! One of the best breakfasts I EVER had was when we stayed in a B&B in Indiana! Love all your sweet memories! Hugs girl!
Never collected sap before, but the Nature Center on Grand Rapids' west side is having demos for kids and their parents, and they even have a "Sugar Shack" where they boil collected sap to make syrup, and offer the syrup for sale in a little store on the premises! How cool is that!
Your corgis do get around and I bet they love every minute of it! I've never seen trees tapped for maple syrup but would love to have some of that great syrup right now. There's nothing like living in the country!
Dug's family is in Goshen and I guess his brother is collecting sap there or maybe at MaryLee at Wolf Lake where he is an environmental professor. Isn't it wonderful how nature gives us things like maple syrup for FREE? Amazing! xo, Cheryl
Wow, this sounds like something out of books I used to read as a girl. What a wonderful real-life respite (take me away!!!!).
My uncles used to tap their trees in Nova Scotia. I always thilnk tapping trees is a happy time because it means the cold of winter is finally releasing its hold on the land and maple syrup is our reward for weathering the storms of winter.
When I lived in New Hampshire -- one cold, cold winter -- a great treat was going to Vermont and finding farms where we could get just tapped syrup.
i've never seen trees being tapped. i'll bet the results are divine!
Post a Comment