Having lived on this little farm for 3 full growing seasons already, we are becoming more and more in sync with the tasks of the season.

In March, we tap maple trees, at least the very few we happen to have here.

This year that was a grand total of two.

Why even bother tapping two trees, you ask?

Because even with only two trees we manage to get many gallons of sap, which yields 6-7 pints of the most delicious syrup you're ever tasted, especially so because you foraged it from your own land, and because it's in limited supply so you really enjoy it.

And so the ritual begins with the gathering of supplies - (free) plastic buckets, plastic taps, plastic tubing, a 5/16" drill bit and a drill.  Oh, and my favorite farm tool, a black plastic ice fishing sled.

I use sleds year-round, over grass, snow and ice, and they are fabulous for hauling buckets or weeds or hay bales or manure.

If it were up to me we'd use old metal spiles and metal sap buckets, but we already had plastic buckets, and they do hold more sap and keep the sap cleaner.

{if any of you have a few of the old supplies you want to get rid of, please contact us}

The hardest part of the process is pushing the spile into the plastic tubing. Luckily I had Papa handy to do this task so I could just stand around snapping pics.

After drilling a 5/16" hole about 2" deep at a slight upward angle, you insert the spile (with tubing attached), tapping it gently into the tree.

Insert the other end into the bucket. Seal the bucket with the lid to keep out spiders and dirt. If the sap is running, you will see sap flow into the bucket almost right away, although at a fairly slow pace.

Why does our maple tree have red flagging tape around it, you may be asking?

Well that's because our property is full of oaks and very few maples, so we walk around in the fall looking for maples when the leaves are on, and mark the trees with red flagging so we can find them in March when they are bare and all look the same.

Yup, we're brilliant that way.

Depending on the size of the tree, you may be able to place more than one spile. You can find some guidelines, and more specific tapping instructions, here.

One your taps are set, don't forget to come back often and check the buckets.  You may have many days in a row where you get nothing, then suddenly you can have an overflowing bucket in one day.

It all depends on the temperatures, ideally freezing at night and warm during the day.

The trek out there makes for some nice "sweetie" time anyway, so I always look forward to it.

Cheers -

It's been 6 years since we've had a Christmas tree in the house.

Why, are we Grinches or something?  Don't celebrate Christmas?

Well, no on both counts.

It's been more of a logistical issue.  We often travel for the holidays, and I don't like the thought of a live tree dying in the house while we're gone.  Fire hazard and all that.

And the cats.  Lots of cats to climb up or tear down the tree.

So we've just avoided it altogether.

But this year I wanted a tree.  And I wanted a tree that we got to choose and cut.

So when C-baby and her friend visited the weekend after Thanksgiving, I thought, "This is my chance!"

Friends recommended a local tree farm that was just over the ridge from us, and soon we were piled in the XUV and on our way.

After picking up the requisite equipment - namely a tarp for dragging the tree and a bow saw for cutting, we began our trek up the hill.

The trees were planted in sections by type.

We passed by all the short-needled spruce varieties.  We always had short-needled spruces when I was growing up.

They make lovely trees with lots of space for ornaments, but I wanted something different, something bushier, something a little longer-needled.

And then we spotted her down the aisle of Scotch Pines.

She was perfect.  Symmetrical in shape, full and bushy.  C-baby and I agreed immediately, we had to have her.

But Papa Bear wanted to keep looking.  We hadn't reached the top of the hill yet.

We debated leaving someone beside her just to keep the other shoppers away until we returned (as we knew we would).

But in the end we trudged up to the top of the hill only to find more short-needled pines.

An attempt was made to use the tarp to slide back down the hill, albeit unsuccessfully.

When we returned to the Scotch Pine row, she was still there.

{Whew!}

And so the cutting began.

There were gadgets at this tree farm that I have never seen before, like this one, which shakes the tree vigorously to dislodge snow and loose needles and such.

And this one, which reminded me of something the Grinch might use to stuff and steal Christmas trees from the Who village.

As Papa tethered the tree to the truck, we wandered around looking at things.

And breathing deeply.

Need a hand, Papa?

Even the drive home was lovely, with white snow and red barns peeking out here and there.

Stay tuned for trimming the tree!

Holiday Cheers -

It's easy to photograph the main event of the moment....

the animals going about their morning routines...

but what you cannot see, perhaps just is well, is the photographer in her fuzzy red bathrobe, black stocking hat, blue muck boots, standing on the split rail fence for a better shot...

you cannot hear my bantam rooster Allspice singing his tiny little heart out, or his flock of hens clucking as they exchange their morning chicken gossip... 

I wish you could.  It is all so lovely and wonderful and sometimes, hilarious. 

Especially the photographer in her fuzzy red bathrobe and muck boots. 

Cheers - 

Since moving to our Little Farm in June of 2012 I've had many opportunities to visit La Crosse. But never have I taken the time to drive up Grandad Bluff Road and stop at Grandad Bluff Park.

Fall is an awesome time to visit parks, and especially parks with views, and I was not disappointed.

Miles and miles of La Crosse and fall colors stretched out before me.

If I'd had a bit more time I'd have checked out some of the hiking trails, but alas, chores awaited me at home, so after a rather brief look around I had to head back to my car.

I will come back though, I am sure of it.

Cheers -