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Sunday, March 23, 2014

A Day with Maple Syrup


We went on a nature walk to a pioneer homestead where they make maple syrup today. It was fun to watch the process and do some tasting.

Here is the handcrafted bucket they use to collect the sap. See all the ice? It was a cold day.


Here are the three cauldrons they would have used back in the day to boil the sap and reduce it down to the sugars. She is about to dump the bucket of sap into the large cauldron.

Here is a ladle full of cooked sap that has reduced into a caramel colored syrup but not quite ready for tasting.

We then walked into the Nature Center, just a hop, skip and a jump away to find these:

Can you say yum?

 In a different exhibit I found this poem next to a large model/globe of the earth. 

In case you can't read it, here is the poem:

This grand show
is eternal. It is always sunrise
somewhere; the dew is never
all dried at once; a shower is
forever falling; vapor is ever rising.
Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset,
eternal dawn and gloaming,
on sea and continents and
islands, each in its turn, as
the round earth rolls. 

~John Muir

A nice way to end a little journey. The earth as a poem. I say yes, because poetry CAN be found anywhere, even in a little nature center where children play. In a beautiful bottle of sugary syrup. Even in a child's laugh as they marvel over a globe looking for the mitten. It is everywhere I go.

9 comments:

  1. Poetry finds you every where! What a fun and interesting day you've had. I didn't realize Michigan was a maple syrup producer.

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  2. Lovely glimpse of your day. We also celebrated Maine Maple Sunday. I wrote a poem and posted as well. It was a fun day!

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  3. It made me want pancakes. I loved the pictures!

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  4. Mmm, I love maple syrup! What a fun way to spend the day!

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  5. Sounds like a fun day, Betsy! Muir's poem is a real treasure. Thanks so much for sharing!

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  6. Awesome! Our inlaws sugar, but it's still too cold here in Vermont for the season to begin : ( The high was 13 today.

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  7. I didn't know there was sugar where you are either, Betsy. What a wonderful trip for the class. I'd love to see that just once!

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  8. What a wonderful experience. I've always wanted to tap a tree for the sugar: reminds me of the book by Louise Borden, Just in Time for Christmas. Love the poem as well.

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  9. I'm sure that your kids enjoyed their family time that didn't involve a classroom! The maple syrup process is so interesting.

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Thanks for the comment love!