Maple Syrup Time/winter Wonderland

Mar 21 - added 10 more gallons of sap to total 80 so far, and lit the fire under the cooker. Will add sap as collected cor about two more weeks. YUM!!

Today is April 9 and we are cooking down the last of the sap. We will end up with around 12 gal of finished syrup. Was a great year for our first crop of the season. Christmas gifts will be sweet this year.
Set up the first of the maple syrup taps today Mar 4. It will probably be slow for a while yet, but we did see some wet bark as we drilled the taps. It was beautiful down in the woods today, and Molly had a great time running the hills.

Our Black Sqirrels

This is one of two pairs of black sqirrels we have had this winter

Tuesday's in the Barn

Turnout hasn't been super, but those who come certainly have had a good time.

Day's End

Winter Scenes

Winter, Winter

Frosty windows have pretty much been the story this winter. It has been so cold and snowy. We are both getting cabin fever. Unfortunately we don't have any warm weather travel plans either.

Christmas at the Farm 2008

Mom, Cindy, Maggie

Maggie and Kendal

Grandma and her blue ribbon picture from Maggie

Grandma Great Shirly and the girls

Derek and his girls

Derek and his girls - all three of them

King of the Hill - the kids won

Christmas Party 2008

Happy 61st birthday to my Sweethart and obviously another great Christmas Party. I think everyone had a great time. It's good to have all our friends together at this time of year. It is always a fun opening to all of the activities to come in the rest of the month. This year was our first party in the barn and it was nice to have the extra room. As cold as it was outdoors, it was too toasty in the barn. We had to turn off the heaters upstairs. At least no one was cold. The shuffleboard was a hit even though Kim didn't like the way I played. I know, I know - I am too competitive.

I also want to offer my thanks. Thanks to Kevin, Kathy, Jeanie and Jim for assuming the planning and organizing of this party. Without them it wouldn't have happened. Thanks them if you enjoyed it. Thanks to all who made it and to those who couldn't. Thanks to everyone who used this Christmas party to honor me with some birthday gifts. They were all appreciated My hope is for 2009 to start a road to recovery for our country. It will make everyones future look brighter. With the good lord willing and the creek don't rise - we'll have lots of opportunities to get together in 2009.

Greg

Our Prides and Joy

Megan (10 1/2) - Kendal (4) - Emily (8 1/2)

Moon Gazing

If you look closely you can see Saturn and Jupitor close to the moon in early November.

Miss Molly

Molly's favorite place in the barn

when the oven is about 350 degrees

Halloween Moon

Life as it is on the Farm

The two geese on the ends are Goosey and Gander - the three in the middle are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter

And then God created fall and all its splendid colors

Our New Toy - And our last for a while

Our new shuffleboard table built by our good friend Steve Marti. We hope to spend many weekends and snowy winter days playing with any and all friends that can make it to our house. We promise we won't practice too much.