Despite what appears to be rather marginal weather syrup weather, we experienced a nice sap flow Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. There are several gallons of "almost syrup" in the finisher, which Rick and I will finish later this morning. Then we will evaporate the last of the 90 gallons of sap that was collected yesterday, part of which was evaporated last evening.

The sap stopped running yesterday mid-afternoon. The cold temperatures of Monday night into Tuesday morning resulted in the Tuesday-into-Wednesday flow. I am not sure that it got cold enough last night to reset the process. I am hopeful.

There is not much snow remaining in the woods, so it is beginning to look like a new season. The red maples appear to be in bud swell or the initial stage of budding out. The sugar maples are typically slower to do so in the spring. Once that happens, the season will be over. The weekend forecast is calling for rain; rain with moderate temperatures may hurry the end of the season.

All in all, it has been a good season from any number of perspectives: syrup production, physical activity, companionship, outdoor experience, warmth of a wood fire, and tanning.