Getting Sappy Makes me Happy

I love maple syrup. My pancakes become rafts floating in a carmel colored pool of sweet sticky goodness. You can keep your jams and other fruit-flavored syrups. I'll take mine with maple, thank-you. Call me old-fashioned or plain. I don't mind. To me, nothing tastes as good on pancakes as pure Michigan Maple Syrup. Yum!

Another breakfast use for maple syrup that I enjoy is putting it on my oatmeal with a little brown sugar. You can probably call me old-fashioned for eating regular oatmeal, too.

Did you know maple syrup was the sweetener of choice for Michigan's Native Americans? They had figured out how to boil it down and concentrate the sweetness. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. So, in case you thought you could go out in your yard and tap a couple of your maples to save some money, you better think again. You need a large grove of sugar maple trees (called a sugar bush) to collect enough sap for making maple syrup.

Here are some maple syrup facts courtesy of the Michigan Maple Syrup Producers Association:

• Michigan produces about 80,000 gallons of maple syrup each year
• Michigan ranks 6th in the nation in maple syrup production
• Maple syrup is one of the few agricultural products where demand exceeds supply
• When trees bud out the sap becomes bitter, this is what makes production cease
• Pure Michigan maple syrup has 50 calories per tablespoon and is fat-free

Hartwick Pines is holding their annual Maple Syrup Day this Saturday, March 25. Read about it in the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Read about a Milford family that makes their own maple syrup in a suburban setting.

Say Hello to . . .Spring?

Today, March 20, marks the official first day of spring. All winter long we have had above normal or mild temps. Now that spring is here what do we get? Below normal temps, of course. The normal high for southwest lower Michigan is 49 degrees for this time of the year. The ten day forecast calls for maybe two days that meet or exceed that temperature. I have had Spring Fever since January and can hardly stand it.

This was the absolute strangest winter that I can remember. We saw no significant snowfall after Christmas and had bare brown grass showing from New Year's on. So, bring on the warmer weather. I am sick of all of this cold with no snow. Grrr, I had better have another cup of coffee.

Winter Storm Hits the U.P.

Despite the balmy weather of the past few days, winter is still trying to stick around. The western Upper Peninsula was slammed with their worst storm of the season on Monday. Around southwest Michigan we saw colder temps and a skiff of snow, but that didn't keep the Robins from coming back. I started seeing them last week and I keep seeing more and more of them. Check this out if you missed my previous article about removing the Robin as our official state bird.

I have even heard reports that the "peepers" have been singing although the recent cold spell might tone that down for a while. The "peepers" are those frogs you hear at night with their incessant "peeping" sounds they make. I am not sure what the technical name for them is, I have always known them as "peepers"

I had to laugh when I saw this headline in the Mining Journal out of Marquette - "Holy wah! Winter's empire strikes back." For anyone who has ever been to the U.P. or heard any songs by "The Yoopers" you will find that some folks north of the bridge tend to say "holy wah" as an exclamation like when we say "holy cow!" Anyway, the article has all of the details on that huge snowstorm that dumped up to two feet in some areas.

Think spring!

The Last Snow

I know that I posted about how spring was “just around the corner” last week and then a bunch of you had ice and snow (over a foot in northern lower Michigan). Well, we haven't had a significant snowfall in southwest Michigan since before Christmas. This morning I awoke to a skiff of snow that was just enough to get our 18 month old excited. So, wouldn't you know it, we were outside playing before 9 o'clock this morning. We threw snowballs at our shed, filled up the bird feeder, and made about a dozen trips around our backyard with me pulling his sled. He was pretty cold with rosy cheeks and nose, but he still did not want to come inside. I bribed him with a chance to watch a video and promises of going out again later.

We just had to get out and enjoy what could be our last bit of significant snow until next winter. I warmed up with a nice steaming mug of cocoa while he drank his milk. It sure was nice to be outside, even if it isn't spring yet. :)

Dam Problems Courtesy of Busy Beavers

Calhoun County has been fighting an expensive battle against the local beaver population. Recent years have seen the number of dams increase and raise water levels to destructive heights. The higher water has swamped over roadways and attempts to tear down the dams are only temporary. After the big equipment and work crews have left, the beavers get together their own work crews and work on repairing their damaged dams. The hope is that the county can manage the natural habitat and maintain their infrastructure. It is comical to me to see people try and "manage" nature and natural habitats. You can't "manage" nature any more than you can "manage" the weather.

This just reminds me of Bill Murray's fight against the gophers in Caddyshack. Good luck, Calhoun County. I think the beavers will build dams if you do, and dams if you don't. ;)

Signs of Spring

As I walked out to the mailbox this morning I noticed a change in the air and the way the birds were singing. The air doesn't have that hidden chill to it that seems to creep under your collar and bite your face. It seems almost warmer even though the temperature wasn't even in the mid-30s. A familiar scent is on the air. You know what I mean. From winter's dull sullen air we are welcomed into spring with a fresh and earthy fragrance.

Out of the bird's pleasant song I picked up the tune of a Red-winged Blackbird. If that isn't a definite sign that spring is just around the corner then I don't know what is. Even though we still have ample chances for more snow and ice you cannot deny that spring is on the way.