Cold Nights, Warmer Days—Our Spring Weather Has Been Perfect!

For my entire life I have always loved spring.

As a young girl I loved to go outside with our ice chopper and start chipping away at the ice on our sidewalks, driveway and street. It was fun to chip away the ice and get the water flowing down the street to the sewer drain on the corner.

To me it was a magical way to release the grip of winter and allow the warming sun to take over by melting the remaining snow and wash it down the drain.

As an adult, I still like cutting valleys and ridges into the ice to watch the water flow away. This year, however, I believe I have found a new spring time treat.

While driving down a country road a few weeks ago we passed by an old farm house. Behind the house were many large trees with blue bags hanging from them. I instantly said “Maple Syrup, their collecting sap for Maple Syrup. I think we should try that some day.” On the way home our conversation revolved around maple trees and sap. Lots of comments back and forth on weather our messy, not so pretty, very old and large Silver Maple tree would produce sap for syrup.

After a few minutes on the computer, Byron found out that our tree should work. The following day we stopped by a farm and seed store to see if they had the supplies we need to try this new adventure. Thirty dollars later we had the necessary equipment to see if this was going to work.

We went straight home, Byron got out the drill, made a hole, tapped the spigot into place and immediately drip, drip, drip!

We quickly hung the blue collection bag on the hook and started to laugh. 

That was back on March 22, as of today we have collected over 37 gallons of sap from our tree (of which we have much more respect). We have experimented with the cooking process and just about have it down pat. We have produced about 4 quarts of delicious Maple Syrup and will continue this process as long as the weather provides. I had no idea that in order to get and keep the sap flowing you need to have cold nights (freezing or below) and temperatures into the 40’s during the day. Our “spring” weather has been perfect!

Byron and I have had so much fun in this process and we have learned so much more about God’s creation in doing so. We have opened up a new chapter in our book of life and will surely learn enough to fill the pages.

Find something new to fill your hours while waiting for the warmth and beauty of spring to arrive in Minnesota. Have faith in God and believe that spring will come, in His time, not ours.

The May edition of the Kings Messenger is now available online. There are many wonderful articles that show God’s faithful people at work in our community. There are also many upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and the announcement of the Artist for the month of May whose works will be shared at the Artist’s Corner.