Seeds of Spring

It's here -- unmistakably.

Fifty and sixty degree weather has descended upon us, even on this cold westward hill in Southern Vermont. It's so warm, in fact, I bought a cherry tree yesterday. I can't help but think about planting in the garden and mowing down the old flower stocks from last fall. But not yet!

LESSONS IN GARDENING:

In our climate, we can't afford to wait for seeds to start in the soil outside; at least, not all of them. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and a host of other plants must be started indoors for any measure of successful harvest. Others -- such as peas, spinach, lettuce, chard, and carrots -- don't mind a little chill in the air (and honestly do better without the heat of the summer sun). To any naysayers who proclaim that Vermont is to cold for most plants: cheer up! Plants just need a bit of a boost to get going.

But, before even the cold weather crops can be started in the garden, it must be dry. Tilling in a wet garden changes the soil composition, and in any case, it would be a mucky mess. That's why I have to wait until the soil is drained, and slightly warmer.

Until then, I'll be starting seeds for the warm-weather crops, and crossing my fingers for dry days ahead (I can't wait for snap peas!). For those who aren't keen on starting from seed, I suggest going to the farm market for seedlings. There are plenty of farms in our area that start wonderful seedlings, and I end up buying a few even though I start from seed (some plants are harder to grow than others, and I only have so much time....).

It's unusual working in the garden in March. But, you'll hear no complaints from me. I'm just looking out for that errant cold snap that's sure to come between now and the frost-free date (usually in May).

Until then, happy seeding.

Ironwood Artisans

I've been spending a bunch of time OVER HERE:

www.ironwoodartisans.com

...if everyone is wondering why I haven't posted in half a year. Oh, and full time job as well. In any case, we've just recently updated our website, and we have lots of goodies for those who want gifts for the holidays!

(This is the sort of stuff that's been taking up my time. Cute, eh?)
But, I've still got a billion projects going at once -- and I'll try my best to post them.

Until then, Happy Holidays!

Brooks House Fire

Here are some pictures of the big Brooks House fire in downtown Brattleboro on Sunday night. Here's a link to the Commons article, which is really quite good:

I have some new pictures to post of Rhinebeck, NY, and some other fun things. Hopefully, I'll get to them in a few days.

Ironwood Artisans

We're preparing for the big upcoming festival season over in the land of Ironwood Artisans! If you haven't heard of us, take a gander at our recently updated website: www.ironwoodartisans.com . Trevor and I were two of the original partners last September, and the business has taken off to new heights since then! It's exciting (and scary) to be involved with the business world, but with good friends and lots of help from fellow merchants, we've managed to navigate our way through a number of shows and festivals.

We're currently preparing for a number of Renaissance festivals and pagan festivals, and in the process, had to take pictures of 'the Artisans'. Here is our classical, dour photograph:

...and a picture of the lovely ladies:

Of course, we can smile, too:

...and when we're pulling an all-nighter to get ready for the show....

More pictures to come in the next few weeks. For more Ironwood related photos, check out our website or find us on Facebook.

Now back to your regularly scheduled blogging.
-Adam

The Weight of Water

Once again, we've had another ice storm on our mountain -- beautiful when the sun comes out, dangerous when the wind blows. Luckily, most of the deadwood fell in the ice storm of '08, so this one wasn't as damaging. Just a few power lines down, and no one severely hurt. Of course, it was very isolated -- just like the storm in '08. Ten minutes east down Route 9, and there wasn't a trace of ice. Just rain. I love micro climates.

Lucier Road

Path to the Cabin

Allison's Yard, West View

Driveway and Guineahen Coop

Here's to the coming of spring.

Peace out,
-Adam

Sugaring Season Again

Yesterday, we stared putting up buckets hoping for the first few drops of sap from the sugar maples this year. This will be the second year we sugar (though, I'm not sure if I can use sugar as a verb), and I'm very excited to see how well we do. Last year, we made just over two quarts of maple syrup of varying grades, and I hope to make at least one gallon this year.

A number of people have asked me how to produce maple syrup, and I'd thought I'd give a quick run-through of the process. Very simply, you take raw sap from the sugar maple tree (Acer saccharum)* and boil it until it reaches the consistency of syrup. You have to get the sap (tapping the tree), transport the sap to a pot or evaporator, filter our impurities, and then boil off the excess water.

*now, you can use sap from other trees, but the sugar maple has one of the highest sugar to water ratios -- about forty gallons of sap makes one gallon of syrup. By contrast, the red maple sap has much more water, making a ratio of 80:1. Still tastes the same, but takes much more work.*

For a small operation like ours up on the mountain, we have ten taps, ten 5-gal. buckets, and a few big pots that sit on the wood stoves. However, some of the larger sugaring operations in the area use taps with rubber hoses that transport sap to a collection tank, and they use a special shed with large steel pans and wood heat to evaporate the water. Some people still prefer the old galvanized metal buckets, and go around to collect the sap with their tractors.

To tap the tree, we drill a small hole through the bark into the living part of the tree, and then hammer a hollow metal tap into the hole. We hang our plastic buckets on the tap, and check them every two days (or so). After we get the sap, we filter it through cheesecloth, and then boil it in every large pot we can scavenge from the kitchen. After a few hours, we are left with warm, fresh maple syrup (and nothing compares to fresh maple syrup -- nothing).

After the maple sugar season, Trevor and I hope to tap some birches and attempt to make birch beer. Luckily, it requires most of the same equipment as maple sugaring and brewing cider or mead. I'll be sure to post our progress with both experiments.

Soon, it'll be time for mud season and prepping the garden. Until then, we'll have to settle for sugar and snow.

A Progression of Photos

If you happen to be on Facebook, take a gander at my new album of cabin photos. It's a progression of photos from the beginning of construction in May 2oo9 to the completion in December 2010. It's stunning how far this small plot of land has changed in just two years. Now with the cabin done, our focus will be on the land around the cabin -- pathways, trails, gardens, wildflower plots, and other features. I can't wait to get started! Unfortunately, flowers don't grow well in snow....

Here's a parting shot just for kicks and giggles:



***ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1/12/2011

For those who don't have access to Facebook, you can see the pictures through a public link here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2006835&id=161600417&l=8b6331a0f7

Enjoy!