Monday, March 27, 2017

Boil That Water Down


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  In a fit of delirium, after 12 hours in the sugaring shack, I wrote a poem set to music, or if you prefer the more popular term, a song.
  The tune is borrowed from the old Bluegrass song “Boil That Cabbage Down”, but the lyrics are 100% about my family and me .
The chords are G, D, C, G, D, A, C, G repeated through both chorus and verses, just in case you ever feel like immortalizing us in a poem set to music.
Chorus 
G               D
Boil that water down
C                 G
Cook it till it's brown
G                  D
The only song that I can sing 
   A         C     G
Is boil that water down


Louis was a city boy
Who longed for country life
Got himself a piece o' land 
and brought along his wife

They worked sunup to sundown
To try to make it fine
With deer and Bear and Fox
And an occasional 'qupine

Chorus

Their boy was big and strappin'
And helped them all he could
By puttin' in new windows
And stackin' fire wood

The Chickadog was happy
But sometimes tried to dine
On the deer and bear and fox
And that occasional 'qupine

Chorus

One day they got an idea
To make 'em something sweet
They tapped themselves some maples
To make a tasty treat

They started in with four taps
But how the story goes
They tapped into six more trees
And watched the water flow

Chorus

They boiled it in the pole barn
They boiled it in the yard
Boilin' sap's a good ol' time
The work ain't very hard

Now syrup's on their pancakes
And everything they eat
They looked for miles and miles around
Their syrup can't be beat 

Chorus

So if you get an inklin'
To do just what they done
Get yourself a piece o' land
And have yourself some fun!

Chorus
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Sunday, March 19, 2017

SAP DAYS




Break out the buckets
Go find the taps
Pull on your Wellies
It’s time to tap sap!
Freezing at night-time
And warm in the day
Drill a hole in the tree
And you’re well on your way
To water that’s flowing
Though snow’s in the air
Soon in the shack
You’ll be boiling with care
You’ll sit in the shanty
While big kettles roil
With family and friends
So it wont feel like toil
You’ll laugh and tell jokes
And play some guitar
And talk of the sweetness 
You’ll put in a jar


  I would consider our foray into the world of sugaring at our new house on Three Bear’s Ridge to be a rousing success. We jarred about 4 gallons of delicious syrup, and had a great time doing it. If the weather holds, we may even be able to get a few more days in the shanty.