Early Spring

I smelled it a few days ago. Like the subtlety of a new spice in a familiar dish, it was enough to make my hairs stand on end and to breathe in a bit deeper.

It was Spring.

Something in the freshness of the air, the melting snow mingling with mud, the smell of the water as it dripped from the tin roof. I smelled Spring. Just a hint of it, but enough to remind me that it's on its way. Just enough to remind me that winter does end.

The forecast for the next few days says sun, and temperatures in the 50's.

Time for the sap to start running, and the other ritual of early spring to commence: heavy woodsmoke, late nights, treks through the snow up to the woods. Maple Syrup Season.

The front porch will fill with the sweet smelling smoke, and soon my kitchen stove will be a mess, from at least one boil over. But the result, the dark amber syrup, will be worth it.

Our neighbbors up the road a bit in Springville/Dimock area do an open house every year mid March. They open up their operation and share witht he public their skills at making yarn, spinning, carding, the animals, and of course Maple Syrup. That's up at WoodLoch's.

Some other friends our by Lackawanna State Park do organic Christmas trees, and home made maple syrup as part of their farm's operations. Their operation is much larger than ours, and their evaporator pan (the pan you put the sap in and boil and boil and boil - all the while it evaporates, hence the name) is much larger than ours. Probably the size of our picnic table. They get amuch finer quality of syrup there.. When we hug each other then, we all smell sweet and smokey.