"When there is still snow on the ground and it is too cold to do most other outdoor projects around the homestead, maple syrup making seems like the perfect activity to welcome in Spring." Over the March Break I decided to tap the two maple trees we have in our backyard and produce some maple syrup. After five days of collecting the sap from the tree, I began the boiling process. This indeed is a process, it took three hours of boiling on our camp stove outside to remove the water content from the sap. I spent a bit of that time just watching the sap boil, watching the steam rise from the pot. While outside watching the sap boil, I also witnessed birds fluttering around, singing, and the warmth of the spring sun on my back. The bright clear blue sky. Over the past number of weeks at our church we have been encouraged to slow down the pace of our lives and appreciate the blessings around us. March Break is an opportunity for our school community to slow down and take in the blessings around us. I hope and pray that you and your family were able to do that. If not, I encourage you to take some time this spring to go for a walk in the woods, sit on a bench in a park, or even boil some sap in your backyard, and look and listen for the blessings God has given to us. Enjoying creation and seeing God there is also part of Walking and Talking with God. "Come near to God and He will come near to you." James 4:8 Source:   wholefedhomestead.com/small-batch-maple-syrup-making-you-only-need-1-tree/ 

 

T. Schaafsma