stacked last July
in hopes and preparation
for this year’s syrup making
Where observation and imagination meet nature in poetry.
Where observation and imagination meet nature in poetry.
stacked last July
in hopes and preparation
for this year’s syrup making
But … lol … !
To paraphrase the old ditty: “Spring has sprung, the sap has riz – I wonder where the pancakes is?”
🙂
Astounding image! Apart from tradition, is there a reason to sacrifice so much wood to make the syrup … flavor influence, maybe? I’m also curious how the stacking is done (guessing forklifts and determination) – likely without thought of the artistic view created.
An enormous amount of sap is boiled down to make the syrup – and that boil is done on an elaborate wood fired contraption in the ‘sugar house’. Depending on the volume of sap collected some of that wood may be used for heating the house. All that wood was undoubtedly hand split and stacked. Which is why folks generally get their wood in the summer – so they can get it stacked before the snow flies. People take a lot of pride in their wood stacking!
Clearly stacking wood is an art form – the geometry of the protruding ends mesmerizes. I’m curious is the wood fire contributes to syrup flavor?
Hi Jazz, no the wood doesn’t contribute to the flavor. When the sap was harvested determines the “grade” – the color and taste of the syrup which runs from light to dark. “Corresponding to color, the darker the syrup is, the stronger its flavor. The State of Vermont distinguishes four maple syrup grades. From light to dark they are: Fancy, Grade A Medium Amber, Grade A Dark Amber, and Grade B. All maple syrup is produced by exactly the same process.
I have great memories of maple syrup season! 🍁