TJQ

Thanks Art, I cant take much credit for the setup, thats all my dads mcguyvering Yes Lew keep the addiction going.. its ok.. all your friends are doing it... lol

OK... more trees tapped ... shack cleaned up.. finally... ready to collect.. but only 1/2 the trees are running, and only a little. Still too cold in the north!! Heres some picts of the operation.. Our main vats.. The finishing stove... Our "settling" Tank The crepe stove!! (My favorite.. and my grandmas!!) The rest of the shack!! Old wounds heal... Tapping in snowshoes... in slushy snow... were gonna sleep tonight!!

35 more trees tapped this afternoon... snow is sloppy and heavy.. uhhg... gonna go for 50 tomorrow and then i think im done!

The picture updates from the Stewardship Councils webcam!

Congratulations to Wil Wegman on winning the 2013 Bill Bond Memorial Award. This is a well-deserved; second win, as he was also the 2004 recipient of the award. The Bill Bond Memorial award is presented annually to a person or persons (as was the case in 2012) who have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to conserving and promoting the fishery of Lake Simcoe. Wil has certainly done just that over the years. Wil Wegman is an award winning and prolific, freelance outdoor writer. His articles have graced the pages of such prestigious publications as Ontario Out of Doors, Outdoor Canada, Real Fishing, Big Jim’s Just Fishing and In Fisherman. He is the former Focus on Fishing columnist for the Georgina advocate. He is the current Hooked on Fishing columnist for Lake Simcoe Living magazine where he promotes fishing and conservation in and around Lake Simcoe. Read More here: http://www.nationalprostaff.com/report/5479/Wegman+Wins+2nd+Bill+Bond+Memorial+Award

That's the gospel right there... Finishing up some work this morning then ill be tapping all weekend.. about 1/2 the 19 i tapped yesterday were wet.. only a few were dripping..Never done birch syrup..

I think you can get plastic wrap.. http://www.uline.ca/Grp_43/Poly-Tubing?keywords=poly+tubing

I hung 2 - 2x2's across the ceiling and store them up there....

Happy bday "Spawn of Ed" for sure.. lol

LOL... Thanks RICH!!

Got the boilers ready this afternoon... went out to tap a few trees.. looks like the mild spells sunk in... were a couple weeks early..

I read his book, about his life, till he started to succeed... great read.. every one should read it. He will be missed.. but his songs will forever ring out at camp!

LOL... oddly enough.. I dont think so.

Good to know I kinda know what im talking about.. lol Double soaked and double smoked!! LOL

Sorta ice fishing related...

There are a few lakes to the west and northwest of temagami, where the lakers dont get very big. The flesh has a very pink hue.. As a matter of fact if i recall correctly we used to catch the odd one on the north end of temagami as well. Ive eaten pickeral all my life and i will tell you those small pink lakers beat any pickeral hands down for eating, much meatier and no "trouty" taste. I was told once that the pink meat was due to the fact that in tose smaler lakes they feed primarily on crayfish. Dunno if it true but its possible. Just dont "aggressively cook"them.

Anything that makes it through all that boiling.. lol.. I dont think it can hurt ya...

Thanks guys... we don't filter.. we pour off in 5 gallon batches an have a 1/2 stainless steel drum... Poured in at boiliog it takes a while to cool and we just let it settle and siphon off the top.. Does a great job and no messing around with filtering.. we do our very best to prefilter everything through cloth and then through 6" milk filters before it goes into the vats. Spent my evening cleaning out the boilers, got some repairs to do before we can start.

Ahhh family... lol...

LOL>. When they are that big I smoke them.... but small lakers up north... better than walleye as far as im concerned.

Yup... its nice and slow up here... lol.. there's a reason i moved back.... Nice fish... he bought the licence he can keep it!! Im pretty sure that hauling anything up from that depth would be the end of it no matter what... Hes best off to keep it rather than risk wasting it in my opinion!

Love it...

I'm getting the sugar shack cleaned up and ready to go.. W'ere gearing up for our season which usually starts mid march. after my Dad's mishap last year we missed a year. I did this video with my Dad a few years back. Were gonna have to start the season with skidoo's instead of the tractor though there's gotta be 3-4 feet of snow in the bush. Lots of work to get ready to go... we have 300 trees we can do, I think I'm gonna stick to around 125 around the shack for my first go at this alone. Except for last year, weve been in "production" for 30 odd years. Our best year was 65 gallons. We've always done everything old school... and its gonna stay that way. Syrup is done (for commercial purposes) when its boiling temperature is 7 degrees above 212 (219) we always boil to 219.5-220, for a little thicker, sweeter syrup.

It was a blast.. They spent the night on the ice... lol Im really happy for them, hes a great guy.