Maple Syruping and other stuff

HI!

Seth and I have been collecting maple sap from the maple trees this last week so we can boil it down to make real maple syrup! I took some pics to help explain the process. The first time we came to the USA we were able to try some - it's really good...just ask my Dad. It has a nice smokey flavour to it. It is soooo much better than Golden Syrup.

So..first you have to drill a hole in the tree and then tap in these plug thingys. Then we attached a can or milk jugs to the thingys. The trees drip out a clear sap. Usually on a good day you can get about 1 US gallon (about 3.8 Litres) from each tree.

Then, each day you have to collect the sap in buckets and carry it upto the house. The sap runs best if it freezes at night and gets really warm during the day. It's not very sweet at this stage.

After collecting the sap, it needs to be boiled down so it can become syrup. It takes about 50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup so it takes a lot of boiling. As it get boiled more and more, it becomes sweeter as most of the moisture is evaporated and the sugar is left. You light a fire in the drum and it heats the pans with the syrup in them on the top. You just keep topping it up as the syrup evaporates

I'll have to let you know how it tastes once it's finished boiling.

Kiara is doing really good! The first few nights were rather a trial. The first night we put her in the bathroom and she scratched the door and whined all night. Then the second night we put her in her crate...and she whined all night... at least when she wasn't sleeping. I was getting up at least 3 times a night cause I was worried she needed to go out. Anyways..the third night...in a desperate need for sleep and after reading about countless others on the net with the same problem..we let her sleep in our bedroom floor. She did soooo much better. I guess she just needed people. She usually only needs to be taken out once and doesn't whine at all. She has her toys in there and usually creeps under the bed although im sure she's not gonna fit very long. So yea..we're able to get a full night's sleep.

We have only had a few accidents...cause I wasn't watching her like a hawk. She loves to chew everything including me, just like all puppies. She's a real people person and loves to cuddle and play with you. She loves to be outside, explore and go on walks.

She went to the vet the other day for a check up and her first shots. The vet said she is really really healthy and everything looks good. As a part of a puppy package we bought I got the clicker training book and some clickers and she seems to be doing really well with it...even after a few days....and she loves treats. She sits all the time by herself so I think it'll be pretty easy to teach her to sit on command. I just know that I want to train her now, while she's small enough to handle...cause we don't really want a full grown lab jumping on people. lol.

I took some more pics on her cause she's such a cutie!!

Chewing on one of her toys.

Chewing on her bottle. She LOVES it! She can chase it around the house for ages!!

Eating..see how her ears almost hang in her food lol.

With her stuffed dog...Ted. She loves him.

Sleeping in a strange position.

I found this cool looking potato so I thought i'd take a pic! Potato's always remind me of Deb and our cupcake doll gas masks! lol

Seth bought a bobcat the other day. It is so cool and I got to drive it and it's so easy to drive! It's a 2002 t200..that's about all i know about the make a model etc...lol. It has heat and air conditioning and heaps of other cool stuff. Here are some pics..

Have fun!! Bye