syrup

Trucks with gathering tanks observed on Route 7. Sugaring at Dakin Farms in Ferrisburg.

March 27, 2009
30's and foggy. Took a walk up the crossroads last night. As I started out, I saw steam rising from Eric May's sugar house. I was happy to notice the first signs of sugaring I'd seen all year. As I got near the top, there was a pickup truck parked on the side of the road with its lights on. It was Justin Turco out collecting sap with his daughter. I met him as I was walking by, and he invited me to his sugar house. He said to go on in, and he would be along in a minute. Walking across the bridge over the creek in front of his house; bright lights from the sugar house ahead of me in the rainy gloom. His wife Tammy was in sugaring-that smell! She gave me some hot syrup to sample, a taste of Vermont heaven. We had a great visit. The lights were on in the Johnson's sugar house at the bottom of the hill on my return home; sparks shooting out of the chimney looked like stars in the sky. I realized there are four working sugar houses within walking distance of our place. I think I am going to have pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast in the morning.