drip, drip, drip

     Four kids in the woods with papa and I on Friday.  About 25 trees tapped, some with two spiles, which makes about 35 pails hanging from maple trees, collecting sap that drips in.  Drip, drip, drip, clear, sweet sap.  The free abundance offered from our great mother quietly, softly, lovingly offered.  'You may share this with the trees my dear people, please receive what you will use and enjoy, it is for all of us here.'  Thank you, yes, yes I will receive what you offer dear mother.  We have a lovely family, don’t we?

Next day early morning as mother has been turning towards grand sun, snow still covers the ground.  Temperatures suggest that dripping may have accumulated in pails.  As the child takes first morning stretches still in bed, I invite the dogs and we walk out to the woods together.  Feeling eager to peek in a pail, lift the lid and take a look.  In the short time since holes were drilled into woody flesh and generously received a tap, tap, tap, what have you offered us?  Its so fun to peek into the pails, like Christmas morning glory of opening presents and celebrating surprises.  

Oh my, well this first pail tells of great things and the collecting buckets are gathered.  So begins the long, slow trudging through the fairly deep, very heavy snow.  Each tree is visited, some holding one pail and others hold two, all holding sap on this beautiful morning.  Remove the lid, lift pail off spile and pour into collecting bucket as sap continues its drip, drip, drip onto the ground.  Replace pail and lid then mindfully lift buckets as their weight builds from the sweet gift they now hold.  Walk slowly over uneven ground to large silver milk cans ready and waiting to hold the harvest, eager to play in the woods, their fun change from holding milk for cheese in the basement.  They are the lucky cans.  

All trees east of the fire pit visited, now heading off to the west.  Carrying light, empty buckets, walk past many pails to far north west tree and begin collecting.  Heading east back towards the fire pit, buckets get heavier and my heart soars with gratitude.  Appreciate the trees, the beautiful weather, my strong, comfortable body, the fire and sugar that will come soon.  

All trees visited, pails emptied, and now seven cans hold thirty-five gallons of maple sap.  Wa-hoo!!!  What a first day!

    Papa and child start the fire around 1 pm, after chores are done and mama has been off visiting friends.  I return to the woods about 3:30, grateful to see a cloud of steam rising from two pans over a roaring fire.   Grateful to find a peaceful scene, happy child, contented papa checking the depth of sap remaining in pans.  Again I walk, filling buckets with sap that has drip, drip, dripped since this morning.  Now cans hold fifteen gallons for next day’s boil.  

This day’s thirty-five gallons is boiled down to ten gallons and hauled back to the house as the earth turns away from the sun, gently ending our glorious day.  Cook stove fire started and built to roaring.  Sap poured into five pots and crocks that absorb heat from the fire and move the sap’s water up and away for us to breathe as sweet, humid air.  Evening chores completed, sleeping clothes on, books read, and snuggles in the bed end this marvelous, sugar sweet day.