Maple Syrup Time

As the roller coaster temperatures of late winter and early spring begin their annual ride, maple syrup production kicks into high gear. The maple shed will be toasty warm from the cooking fires inside as the clear sticky sap gets piped into the building through tiny blue hoses hooked up to the trees. From sun-up to dusk families stay in motion, keeping the fires stoked, their eyes on the thermometers, and the system in gear, moving the liquid through a dozen steps and stages until the syrup is bottled and the candy is set to cool. It's a hard labor season, short but intense, and from what I'm told, it's the most rewarding season of all.