Sleigh Ride... Pictures....

Slappy
Yeah, yeah, yeah on the glue joke, but I Know what you mean about there not being many horses in your area. When I lived in Waltham, I use to have to do some major traveling to find horses.

Thanks on the nice pics :-) Actually, the sun was in my eyes and I could barely see a thing, so I'm surprised they came out as good as they did,

Good times :-D

The town I'm talking about is Dover. That's not far from Waltham. Then again, where I've been horses aren't all over the place, but they're there, and usually not very close to the street.

I didn't do much traveling in Dover, but I use to go horse back riding in Sherbourne (spelling ?), until they closed the place down. I remember a few cows in Weston when I was a teenager, but they were eventually gone as well.

I think Dover is next to Sherborn...I'm not sure of the spelling either. Weston is huge $$ too.

Bastards.

LOL!!! Yeah, those Westoners are rich, spoiled bastids, to say the least.
Ok, it would make sense that Dover would be next to Sherborn when horses are invoved. If Dover is country like Sherborn is, I can see it.
They actually closed down the Sherborn stables because of me. Not me only, but I was the last straw of people getting hurt there.
I was not happy when they shut down!

I live a couple of miles from a state park (Malabar Farm) that has a sugar bush which they open up to the public each year in March. By that time, they're usually just boiling water for the demonstration. Last year I was hiking around up there in February (kinda lost, but not really) and the whole woods smelled like maple syrup ... came over a hill, and sure enough they had the operation fired up. I say "they," but it was one sweaty guy working his butt off making the first of the syrup. I helped him for a while and got to watch him draw off the first pint.

They use buckets and the I.V. pipes. The pipes are sort of a necessary evil unless you've got an army of kids and a team of Belgians to help tote and empty the buckets. I don't think they keep the fires going all night, but they do work long hours during that tiny window of opportunity in the freeze/thaw cycle to make as much syrup as possible. Once you get beyond that, the syrup just doesn't taste right.

thats whats so great about this place. Ya get some neat winter pics and then some tech information about how to boil the sugar sap.
Wy- Ive already tapped one of my trees and tasted the raw sap and was always amazed how sweet it is. I hear that they do this with birch sap also.
Montana-please keep this thread alive with your next pics of the horses. My neighbors horses are real clowns too, they will take a cap off and wave it around.

brooke- just kidding

doo hoo- I bet the Under and made a nice profit, even though I was convinced that the PAts were gonna roll the score. Looks like the teams bet the under also.

whooda, thanks for the info, I think that when I get to tapping my trees, Im only going to tap afew and make like one gallon, so, Id need about 50 gallons of sap. I can do that with buckets. Thats one barrel of sap. now, where to boil it?

maybe next year,

Farmerman
I'm glad you're enjoying the thread and my pictures. I'll keep them coming as fast as I take them ;-)

If we end up going to the camp on maple syrup day, I'll take some pics of that as well.

Montana, I love those horses, their beautiful.

Waltham is 30 minutes south of me, howdy old neighbor! <waves> Remember the Topsfield Fair? Oldest fair in the country. It has gotten a bit commercial, but I still go. They always have the Budweiser Clydesdales. Their so tall and majestic, hoofs the size of dinner plates, I just love watching them, such a treat.

Ever go to Hamilton, Ma. (equestrian town, Myopia Hunt Club), it has the oldest polo field in America. Every sunday in the summertime you can watch a polo game, what fun.

Slappy, ever been to a game there? It's a well kept secret, most people around here don't know about it.

Paula
Thanks. I'm gonna try to get more pics of them soon.

What a small world, eh :-D I remember the topsfield fair, although I've never been there. I never spent any time in hamilton either.
Whenever I had some time off, I usually use to head for the cape. I lived in Cape Cod for a few years when I was little, so I knew my way around and was always on one beach or another.

You lived on the cape, you spoiled girl. I love the cape, but getting there in a car is a pain, especially on a friday, it's such a popular place.

My buddy has his pilots license, so I fly over the traffic if I go at all. We whale watch on the way, and land at p-town airport, taxi into town. Good time.

No Paula, I've never been to polo game. I do know where Hamilton is though.

Rt 1A north exit 20 A. Lovely drive on a sunny sunday, hit Rockport for some lobsters, before or after. Game starts at 3 pm.

It's near Ipswich, Gloucester.

I went to Montreal and Quebec when I was a teenager, we did the maple syrup in the snow thing there. I wonder if Canadian maple syrup is different from American? The bacon fat maybe? I've tried to do it here and it didn't work -- just made a sort of a maple slushee, instead of solidifying.

(GORGEOUS pics!)

Here's one of my uncle telling me we were ready to go and to come sit up front with him.

Paula
It was really nice on the cape when I lived there, but I wouldn't have any desire to go there now with all the over crowding.

I'm surprised I didn't spend any time in Hamilton because it sounds really nice. I've had some great times going deep sea fishing in Gloucester though. Drunken deep sea fishing with captain Brett :-D

Soz
I think it tastes the same. The small piece of bacon fat is only to prevent it from doing something or other.

Montana, your so lucky to have a relative that owns a farm, that you can visit. I would have to say I'm a tiny bit envious.

I love the pics.