Saturday, March 27, 2010
More signs of spring
Chives are up, and Molokai racers come out to train. It's still below freezing though.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Happy St. Patty's Day
A few years ago I was making pancakes and had no buttermilk, so looking in the fridge, blueberry yogurt was the closest substitute. The blueberry juice and yellow cornmeal combined to make green, to the amusement of all. We did a repeat of that for St. Patrick's day, and have ever since.
Today I had them with some just-made maple syrup from the backyard tree.
Some maple trivia:
In the early colonial era most maple was made into hard sugar, until white cane sugar became available (plus jugs that could hold syrup were expensive).
In pre-civil war era maple sugar had a resurgence in popularity as a protest against cane sugar which relied heavily on slave labor.
There's a French Canadian phrase for the not-so-real maple flavored pancake syrup that roughly translates to telephone pole syrup.
A lot of people who tap trees also drink the sap just as it comes from the tree, only about 2% as strong as standard syrup. There's also a company that sells it as seltzer.
Today I had them with some just-made maple syrup from the backyard tree.
Some maple trivia:
In the early colonial era most maple was made into hard sugar, until white cane sugar became available (plus jugs that could hold syrup were expensive).
In pre-civil war era maple sugar had a resurgence in popularity as a protest against cane sugar which relied heavily on slave labor.
There's a French Canadian phrase for the not-so-real maple flavored pancake syrup that roughly translates to telephone pole syrup.
A lot of people who tap trees also drink the sap just as it comes from the tree, only about 2% as strong as standard syrup. There's also a company that sells it as seltzer.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Signs of spring
- The sap is running
- 3 trucks/cars fell through the ice on Schroon Lake.
- People who've been skiing and ice biking all winter showed up to paddle.
Monday, March 08, 2010
WHere's my sap?
Freezing nights, 40 degree days. That should be ideal for sugaring, but I tapped my one maple tree and the hole is totally dry. Consolation prize... also great paddling weather.
This has been the least frozen winter I've seen. We haven't had to go far afield to find open water at all this winter. Oakledge is the closest of our normal summer launch points and was looking pretty accessible this week. Just a little jumble of chunks to get through. Uh Oh... no lifeguard?
Tom decided it was time to get back to skinboat season. I can't fit in mine with mukluks.. maybe next week?
We headed into Shelburne bay. The warm weather had hikers at the overlook in Red Rocks watching the rolls
Then we went out into the main lake, south almost to Shelburne town beach, and rode some light waves & tailwind back.
This has been the least frozen winter I've seen. We haven't had to go far afield to find open water at all this winter. Oakledge is the closest of our normal summer launch points and was looking pretty accessible this week. Just a little jumble of chunks to get through. Uh Oh... no lifeguard?
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| From Kayak2010 |
Tom decided it was time to get back to skinboat season. I can't fit in mine with mukluks.. maybe next week?
We headed into Shelburne bay. The warm weather had hikers at the overlook in Red Rocks watching the rolls
Then we went out into the main lake, south almost to Shelburne town beach, and rode some light waves & tailwind back.
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