Thursday, March 21, 2013

Spring in New England


Yes, it's spring in New England! Yay!

How can you tell?



See the red circle above? Those are daffodils. I kid you not.


Those bunches in the picture above? Yup, more daffodils.


Just struck me, but I need to head north. Not just to see my Mom but because of this - 


It's maple sugaring time!

Oh, such memories I have of this time of year. The smell of my grandparents' farm, the wood smoke, the smell of boiling sap and something warm and wonderful cooking in my grandmother's kitchen.

Gramp and Uncle Hank sharing a wee nip while stoking the fire to boil the sap. Stirring and stirring, skimming off the top. Keeping a weather eye out for Gram who didn't approve of drinking around her bairns!

Gram's dogs, Tippie and Bimmie dancing in the snow with delight as "their kids" drive up and pile out of the family car. Those two dogs loved my brothers and I with such abandon and pure joy. To us, they were our four legged cousins. God, how we loved those dogs!



Doesn't matter that it's snowing, spring is in the air. The birds know it, the sugar maples know it and most certainly the daffodils know it.



6 comments:

  1. Maple syrup time..thanks for triggering these memories!....I love warm maple syrup on pancakes, will eat myself stupid (hold comments please!)with pancakes....one of the first ratios I learned 40:1, gals sap required for 1 gal syrup -as a rule-....boiling down just so, dont burn it, but dont draw it off too soon either...every sap house had their expert who'd be glad to tell you the 'right way'...hope you get a chance to savor some fresh syrup, have some 'sugar on snow' for me, or maple candies, or pancakes & syrup or waffles & syrup, better have bacon too. I hadnt thought about sugaring for a while. Of course with Spring also came that wonderful day that my momma would let me finally leave my overshoes at home and wear rubbers to school. I can still recall how great that was, I felt 10 lbs lighter!...ok ok back to reality.....

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    Replies
    1. I too remember the change over from the jangling, heavy overshoes to the much lighter rubbers. Do they even make those anymore?

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  2. um.. should have been..sirop d'érable

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  3. In re: yer daffodils. Hang in there, the daffodils know their stuff. Spring WILL come.

    Nice reminiscence about the sugaring, too.

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    Replies
    1. Today is gorgeous, sunny and mild.

      I may have more on sugaring in the next day or so. The Old Vermonter sent me a great picture which I feel the need to share. Should make a nice "in the days of my youth" post!

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