Maine Maple Sunday

Third Sunday in March, every year. Many of the places that tap trees/sugar open up their establishments for the random public to come and gape. We went with Steve and Emma and Cyrus, and Steve picked the place. Turns out he picked the same place that we went to last year, for this same event. Only we didn’t know it until we were pretty much there (we were just following them, driving), because he led us on a clever back road route that we did not know about, so, we had no idea where we were heading.

Alden points out that Steve knew about short cuts like this “because he’s a map-maker..” , a fact we mentioned while following him there. [He’s a geographer, which was apparently news to Alden, who couldn’t stop remarking on how cool it was, and how surprised he was to discover this. I don’t think Steve has really been keeping his work secret, so, I can’t help but wonder, where’s Alden been?]

We wandered around the farm, checking out the equipment, the animals, and of course the sap boiling.

Last year, it was a different story, since the weather was bad and the sap really had not started running when Maine Maple Sunday happened. This year, things were in full swing, and it promises to be a good sugaring year. Cold nights, warm days.

[this is a view of the ceiling, with the steam from the sap boiling rising up to the top of the room]

Free ice cream with warm maple syrup on it. Alden sweet talked the ladies running the ice cream area and managed to get seconds.

After exploring the farm and syrup operation, we went to the pancake breakfast, held in the old East Dixfield schoolhouse, which is part of the farm. I was all snobby and thinking I wouldn’t eat anything much, since it was pancake mix, not homemade. But, then I got in there, got a plate to share with Ray, and started eating, and boy was it delicious (totally simple: pancakes, warm fresh maple syrup, and good sausages). Milo sat with Emma, who fed him about three pancakes (we are talking HUGE pancakes, not the tiny little things I make…). Apparently I am not feeding him enough at home.