May 2nd and we awoke to about 14 inches of snow and it is still snowing! the ground was clear of snow and the grass was greening up yesterday.
Yesterday:
the birds were happy, we were happy..
this morning we awoke to about 14 inches of snow and it continues to snow…
no one is happy today.. might think about coming back in June next year!
We came home early from south Texas to make sure we were able to make some wonderful maple syrup. The trees started flowing last week! It has been way too cold for them to get going but now they are producing. We are still getting cool weather, so expect to get a few more gallons of sap before the season is over.
Here is Eric in early March tapping the trees:
Can you see the drop of sap at the end of the spout?
frozen sap:
We had a visitor wanting to make syrup. It was Justin’s first time up North, he was a very good student and a very good worker! in fact the best we ever had.
He learned how to drill, hang buckets/attach tubes, collect, boil off outside, finish inside and even cut wood!
We made our first batch this morning (April 8). 51 gal of sap made 11 pints of syrup!
Since we only do this every other year or so, we like to make at least 4 gallons of syrup. we still have a bit to go…. hopefully the next two weeks will be kind to us.
We did have a bit of fun too! sauna time was needed!
a bit of sage smudge to bring us all luck and rid ourselves of evil!
and finally dinner at Pine Ridge:
We went back up to the Sax-Zim bog in Minnesota to look for birds when we came across these moose prints, while taking the picture of the prints Eric looked up and there was the moose!
Eric tapped a few trees but it is too cold for them to flow.
tried to have a fire but the snow melted and put it out!
Lets go Birding! so we went to Duluth Mn and the North Shore by Lake Superior for a short mid week break.
seen 3 new birds on Tuesday: snow buntings, boreal Chickadee and long tailed ducks.
boreal chickadee
was looking for the Boreal Owl but found this one on the bridge in Duluth
some mallards and common golden eye ducks
while we were looking for birds in Two Harbors we seen some seals in the water! wait we don’t have seals in Lake Superior must be surfer dudes! sure enough, two of them surfing in the frigid water, air temp at 20 winds at 20 mph.
another surfer came just as we were leaving. spent the night in Duluth, great places to eat and drink. pool was filled with kids… the hotel was booked full.. what the heck. spring break?
Duluth out our window in the morning. temp 9 deg cold!
the ice breaker is out opening a path for the ships..
next to the:
found some brave people on fishing on the big lake.
this is the same water the surfer dudes were in yesterday, they were back again today!
On to Gooseberry Falls for a bit more birding
a downey woodpecker a red breasted nuthatch (new to us)
finally on to:
so beautiful. we had a wonderful two days in Duluth area. hope to go back again in a month or two.. too much to see and do!
