Maple Sap Harvesting

Our neighbors had good success last winter harvesting maple sap and converting that to syrup, so we all anticipated the products of this year's harvest. Even though the trees were tapped a week earlier than last year, the weather this year has not been as ideal for producing lots of sap.

The sap flows best when nighttime temperatures are well below freezing, and daytime temps are well above freezing, preferably with some sunshine thrown in. Prior to March 6, the temperatures tended to be too cold, but the forecast for that day and those following looked promising enough to put Philip and his sidekick Josh into action. I didn't see Josh helping with the tapping last year, so I presume he was in training when they stopped by our house this year. In this shot it appears I distracted Josh from his responsibilities.

With all three of our trees tapped, the guys were ready to move on to the next target.

Unfortunately, the weather has tended to be too warm most of the nights over the last two weeks, so the sap hasn't been flowing as well as it did last year. This picture shows the first 24 hours of production on one of our trees that had two taps running into this container. The low temperature that first night was 29°F while the high the next day was 51°F. There appears to be a little less than a gallon in this jug since I think the container holds about 5 gallons when full.

After 48 hours the container appears to be over half full. The low hit 27°F the night before, and 51°F again during the day, so conditions were sufficient to keep a decent flow of sap moving.

We've had a few good days since, but more poor days than good ones so far. It appears that the sap production may be lower than last year's harvest, which means the syrup may be in shorter supply. Our neighbors have boiled down a couple of batches of sap in the last two weeks, producing about 9 gallons of syrup which is a far cry from last year's total.  Although the near term forecast doesn't look ideal, the maple syrup season may not be done yet!

Central Illinois Maple Syrup

I realize Vermont is better known for its maple syrup, and Quebec supplies much of what the world consumes, but that doesn't stop our neighbors here in Central Illinois from doing their part to meet mankind's demand for real maple syrup.  Last year we watched in admiration as our farmer neighbors tapped dozens of trees around our neighborhood, and spent the time and money necessary to gather hundreds of gallons of sap to boil down to dozens of gallons of syrup.

This year, when they offered to tap the trees in our front yard, I quickly encouraged them to do so, and within a few hours, our trees were contributing to the harvest!

Here's Thad and Philip drilling the holes and setting the taps.  The number of taps was determined by the size of the tree.  Two of our trees could accommodate three taps, while one tree was best left with only two.

The arrangement in our yard had at most two taps running into one five-gallon jug, meaning we had five jugs total receiving sap.  The sap is very watery, unlike pine sap, so the taps, lines, and jugs don't clog easily.

The critical operation of boiling to sap down to syrup was begun on this fine example of Steiner ingenuity and manufacturing.  The half-barrel stove box on the bottom was reinforced and improved this year based on lessons learned last year.  The blower and ductwork in the foreground force air into the combustion chamber to insure that the fire has adequate oxygen to burn vigorously, while the door on the stove above the ductwork allows access to add wood as needed.  The vertical boards just downstream of the blower serve as a damper to better control the air flow.  Hot exhaust gases exit through a vertical chimney at the far end.

The main pan on the stove is a custom-built, stainless-steel unit about seven inches deep that holds about five gallons per inch of depth.  It's fed by a smaller pan in the background that preheats the cold sap before it's added to the main pan.  That ensures the main pan maintains a constant boil throughout the many hours it takes to boil a batch of sap.

How big is a batch of sap?  This year, the Steiners commonly boiled 200 gallons of sap at a time, that would yield as much as eight gallons of syrup.  That 25:1 ratio is very low for maple syrup, and can be as high as 40:1.  In this photo, about 150 gallons of sap waits to be boiled, although not all of it was included in this batch.  (The washing machine in the background was not used in preparation of the syrup).

Syrup is judged complete when the temperature reaches the proper value.  In this photo you can see the syrup was a lovely brown color while the temperature was well above 216°F.  Several more gallons of sap were due to be added to this batch and boiled down before the near-syrup was transferred to the house kitchen stove for finishing.

The total harvest for our neighbors was about forty gallons of syrup this year, which exceeded last year's total.  Our trees contributed about 40 to 50 gallons of sap in the three weeks that they were tapped.  The whole process is very labor-intensive, so it's easy to understand why real maple syrup is so expensive, but when waffles or pancakes are on the menu, nothing compares to real maple syrup, especially when it comes from your front yard!

Colonial Williamsburg in October -- Day 3

Our last full day in the Historic District for this trip was our warmest yet, and even found the locals complaining about the heat.  As you can see below, we found plenty to keep us busy.

We started the day in the gardens of the Governor's Palace where we found Governor Dunmore in a perturbed mood.  Although he was popular among Virginians early in his service, his loyalty to the British crown later put him at odds with a fair number of the colonists he governed.

There won't be any grand photos of the Governor's Palace on this trip as the central cupola was undergoing maintenance and covered by scaffolding for the duration of our visit.

We met this young lady at an English Country Dance on our first evening in town, and were pleased to learn she works as a costumed interpreter in Colonial Williamsburg.  Dara works mainly in retail establishments in the Historic District, and we found her working in the Post Office this day ever ready to meet our shopping or conversational needs.  We'll keep our eyes peeled for her smiling face on future visits.

These two gentlemen are working on the tent project mentioned earlier.  The tailors were commissioned to reproduce George Washington's marquee, or camp tent, as the extant article can only be displayed in very controlled conditions.  Mark Hutter hired seven "tent stitchers" to assist with the hand sewing, and although the replica was not ready for display when we visited, it has been displayed since and will be available for visits at the Museum of the American Revolution when that facility is built.

This 1/6 scale model of the tent illustrates the separate compartments that comprise the entire structure.  The inner tent was likely Washington's private field office and measured about 8' by 10'.  The curtain hanging from the valance of the larger tent was attached all the way around the periphery and formed semi-circular areas at each end.  It's postulated that General Washington slept on one end and his baggage and servants were settled at the other end.  You can learn more and see more details on CW's First Oval Office page.

We've enjoyed chatting with Max Hamrick, Jr. during many of our visits over the years, as he's developed our appreciation for the weaving craft displayed in the Historic District.  I believe Mr. Hamrick has been the weaving and dyeing expert here since 1988, and he informed us on this visit that he intends to retire soon and leave the weaver's shop in the capable hands of Karen Clancy and her apprentices.  We suspected at the time, and have confirmed since, that this would be the last time we would visit with Mr. Hamrick in this manner.  May your retirement years be many and fruitful, Mr. Hamrick!

This room is part of the oldest academic structure in America, the Sir Christopher Wren Building on the campus of the College of William and Mary.  The college is located just west of the Historic District, and since it's important in the history of colonial Williamsburg, a visit here is a natural extension of a visit to CW.  This main hall was part of the original structure, but since the building has been modified after each of its three fires, this room may not have had this appearance when first constructed in 1695.  Even so, I wonder if the windows were inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien in the 20th century...

On our way back east on Duke of Gloucester Street we encountered the Fife and Drum Corps marching west.  Thomas Baker assumed the role of lead fifer, and I even sighted Mark and Cookie Baker walking along with the Corps.  Unfortunately, there wasn't time for a visit since we were already late for our dinner reservations.  It was a sad moment waving to the Bakers from across the street, unable to attract their attention.

Good things were waiting down the street, however.  Dinner at Shield's Tavern was a special treat and an appropriate prelude to our evening's entertainment...

... a Capitol Concert featuring 18th century (or earlier) music performed by The Governor's Musick.  My seat was on the far end next to Karen, nearly rubbing elbows with Wayne Moss, the viola da gamba player (on the far left).  Just in front of my seat is the chair occupied by Herb Watson, the flutist.  None of the seats are bad in the Capitol, but we were honored to truly be in the "spit zone."  More than an hour of lovely classical music was the perfect way to end this visit.

Colonial Williamsburg in October -- Day 2

Our second full day in the Historic District found us visiting some familiar sites and experiencing something new: our first social call to the private home of a CW interpreter!

We started our day with a lively conversation with the printers in the Printing Office.  Since we were the only visitors to the shop for about 15 minutes, we had their undivided attention.

Here's the copy of the Virginia Gazette that was being printed that day, complete with ink blob imperfections (see the "g" in "accordingly" in the last line of the first paragraph in the middle column).  The printer showed us how he brushes dirt or debris from the type before the next page is printed.

The highlight of the morning was tea (and coffee) at the Walker residence next door to the Peyton Randolph House.  As you might recall from a previous post, we met Brett Walker on Duke of Gloucester Street not far from his shoemaker shop last April, and later met some of his children on Market Square.  They graciously extended the invitation to come visit on this trip, and we all enjoyed the chance to chat and get to know each other a little better.  That's Mr. Walker leaning against the door frame behind Karen, and Levi between the door and window on the other wall.  More evidence of how small the world is: some of the Agnew children had attended Mrs. Walker's mother's Sunday School class when the Agnews lived in Michigan years ago.

This quaint garden on Duke of Gloucester Street near the Nursery was exhibiting nice color even in October!

We were happy to introduce the Agnews to Bassett Hall (the Williamsburg home of the Rockefellers) as the home represents quite a few eras and has some attractive features.  Pictured here is the formal living room.  The colors may not be our first choices, but the home still feels very comfortable.

The gardens at Bassett Hall include this bench that appears to be perfect for photographing five lovely ladies at the same time.

Our afternoon also included a review of the troops conducted by the Marquis de Lafayette.  The intense look in his eyes is typical of Mark Schneider's interpretation of the major general, but we have always found him to be very kind and courteous when encountered on the streets of the town.

Finally, a nicely framed portrait of Jaclyn and Katie at one of our favorite garden gates.

Colonial Williamsburg in October -- Day 1

If you've read our previous posts about Colonial Williamsburg, you already know we like to visit in the spring, and you already know we like to enjoy the sites and people of CW in the company of good friends. Although it isn't spring, we were confident October would still be pleasant, and this time half of the Agnew family agreed to join us for a three-and-a-half-day tour of the town.

This photo of four lovely young ladies is out of order with the chronological progression of our day, but it gives you a good introduction to the younger generation of our group. You might recognize the setting as the garden behind the Wythe House.

We arrived on a Tuesday near lunchtime and after completing a few stops outside of CW, we purchased passes and concert tickets for later in the week, and had time for a stroll on Duke of Gloucester Street in our "modern" attire. Wednesday was our first full day in costume, and we started the day in the Palace gardens followed by a tour of the house. This attractive desk in the receiving area just inside the entrance makes one want to pen a letter. As I enlarged the photo above to examine the document most prominent, I could almost read enough to understand its purpose -- almost. If it's sitting out again the next time I'm in the Palace, I'll have to zoom in as close as possible to get a better shot. A railing prevents one from access to all corners of the room, but I think I can improve on this picture.

This room in the Palace is just outside the ballroom and is the perfect place to address any deficiencies in one's wig before making your appearance for the evening. I'd never paid much attention to this room in the past, but I'll have to watch for changes in the items on display here in the future.

This small building attached to the Robert Carter House by this covered walkway is the McKenzie Apothecary.  The railing design is eye-catching and yet looks fairly easy to duplicate. Combine that with the dormer on the front of the roof, the external chimney, the short staircase rising to the walkway, the multiple rooflines, the brick foundation for the walkway, and several other features you can't see in this view, and you've got a very special little structure.

This basket weaver was hard at work behind the Wythe House gardens producing sturdy and functional white oak baskets of all sizes. The scraps on the ground indicate there is sometimes a good bit of waste in the process of preparing a piece of wood for use in a basket.

Although it was the beginning of October, the weather was warm and dry, and the Wythe House gardens hadn't given up for the winter yet.

Our day included a visit with Michael in the Millinery where he was as happy as always to show us his recent projects. The white riding habit in the foreground with the blue waistcoat was constructed with a familiar tailor's style, while the red and green coat just in front of him is constructed with features more familiar to a mantua maker. I was impressed with the striped velvet under the white coat, and could imagine myself in a suit made from that fabric.

A visit to the silversmith is always interesting, although this apprentice was busy enough with other questions that I didn't have opportunity to ask my own.  Maybe next time.

We were happy to join the Agnew ladies on their inaugural visit to R. Charleton's Coffehouse.  Unfortunately, the cups are always too small and the time allowed too short.  I guess that means one simply needs to come back frequently.

We also stopped to see how construction of George Washington's tent was progressing (more on this project in a future post), and found Mark Hutter, the head tailor, taking a break outside the building.  This was one of the few times we've seen Mr. Hutter attired in something other than 18th century clothing, and he was kind enough to entertain our questions and share stories with us.  The tent project has been consuming most of his time for months, and he expects to have it completed by the middle of November.

Our evening ended with a Williamsburg dessert tradition: "Death by Chocolate" from The Trellis Restaurant. After introducing the Agnew ladies to this delight, they agreed that it was worthy of repeating.

Have fabric, will travel

Lily spent a few months last year in Ohio and Michigan making costumes for a Christian movie project, and in addition, made several good friends.  She met most of these friends again in South Carolina in May for another smaller movie project, and was asked to help on costumes this month for yet another movie.  This time four of her friends brought their supplies to our house.

Here's the crew doing what they do best, plus they've recruited Karen to help out.  Gretel is just enjoying the entertainment.

The hand-sewing party pictured above is more common than not.

Gabe using the serger on a non-movie-related project.  Most of the supplies you see in this view of the sewing room belong to the movie project including all those leather hides on the floor.

Josh at the frequently-used ironing station.  No, that's not a skirt he's wearing, it's a kilt.  There's a difference.  I think.  To be fair, Josh, Gabe, and Levi enjoy wearing period clothing whenever possible, and their kilt outfits are almost the only 21st century clothes they wear.  These folks take costuming seriously.

Colonial Williamsburg 2013, Day 6

Our last day in Colonial Williamsburg on each trip is always bittersweet, and this visit was no different.  That did not prevent us from cramming as much into our day as possible, so here are a few highlights.

We started the day at the Powell House, which is popular for the 18th century games and activities available in several rooms. Tara was familiar with mancala and is instructing Lily in this shot.

Meanwhile, Karen and Gretel took up a game of checkers.

Our visit to the printing shop included an explanation of this set of cases that hold the cast metal sorts that are combined as movable type to print documents. I don't think I ever noticed before, but the capital letters are in the upper case and the smaller letters are in the lower case.  Get it?  Upper case and lower case.  I guess I'm easily amused.

Our afternoon included a tour of Bassett Hall which was once the Williamsburg home John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. I've shown some pictures from this house in at least one previous post, but the house has several interesting features that warrant further consideration.  The room shown above is the master bedchamber decorated with some of the Rockefeller's favorite art and figurines.

The early flowers were blooming in the backyard to make for a pleasant (but hot) garden tour.

Next stop: the George Wythe House.

I don't recall if I've ever shared an image of the dining room in the Wythe House, but it is certainly eye-catching!  Even though it may not be my favorite decorating scheme, it has a tasteful charm that kind of grows on you.

Proof positive that Tara got a chance to play the reproduction harpsichord in the cabinetmaker's shop.

This little outbuilding caught my eye and reminded me of the playhouse I built several years ago for my daughters.  Not that our playhouse shared a lot of features with this building other than approximate size and proportion.

As the afternoon winds down and we realize these are our last moments on Duke of Gloucester Street for this trip, we can't pass up the opportunity for a fashionable shot of our lovely young ladies.  These memories will have to suffice until we can return again to Colonial Williamsburg.