DT Fan Posted February 14 Share Posted February 14 Sap was running strong here in central Ia. on Sunday. Did some pruning and thought it started raining while picking up brush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qc.Can.IH man Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I spent two full days helping HP tap trees. Or as @MTOwould call it “violating trees” This is the first time that I helped him tap, I have to say it’s not an easy task for a couple of old guys! Having to snowshoe through the bush in deep snow is a real workout! After five minutes of “training” he sent me down the line, I started drilling into the trees and thought to myself, these trees are hard to drill! But I continued on, we stopped for lunch and then we went back at it in the afternoon. It was getting close to dark when we came across a tree that was on a line, the tree wasn’t too big but it was too long and heavy to lift off the line. So HP decided that we were just going to drill holes in it and then break it with our hammers because we didn’t have a saw or axe to cut it. So he ends up breaking his drillbit in the tree, but we were pretty well finished drilling so we were able to get the tree into two pieces to get it off the line. So we continued on for the last half hour working together, he would drill the trees and I would install the taps. It didn’t take him long to figure out the drill bit was dull! Then he says to me, now I know why you were pushing so hard on the drill! Lol The next day he got me a brand new “proper“ drill bit, that one would drill! Didn’t need to push on the drill at all in fact you had to really hang onto it otherwise it would really bore into the tree! Here is a few pictures of the process. First one drill a hole in the tree. Then you drained any water out of the line. then tap the tap into the tree with a hammer Here’s a picture of the damage the squirrels were doing. here’s a picture of the world famous HP doing his thing! Lol I also have to say that I am well fed! Just like a real restaurant, for breakfast I have many choices, I ate bacon eggs toast and porridge. For lunch I had chicken noodle soup. For supper he had lots of choices too, when I saw the can of beans I said I want that! HP is an awesome cook! But I did have to show him the proper way to use a can opener! Lol it’s been a while since I’ve had bush’s best maple flavoured beans! All in all it was a couple of very productive days! But both of us old guys are feeling it today! Lol 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWRB Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 Is that the Blair Witch in there with HP? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Plug Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 8 minutes ago, KWRB said: Is that the Blair Witch in there with HP? Lmao !!! That spook been out in our Woods for a long time KWRB, in short our local fair board use to do " Haunted Hay Rides" as a fundraiser on weekends through or sugar bush in October... MTO came up one time .... Now he could tell you a story about that .... Phew !!! 😁 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qc.Can.IH man Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 27 minutes ago, KWRB said: Is that the Blair Witch in there with HP? I was going to mention his ghostly friend out in the bush but I thought I would see if anybody would notice it. Lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomH Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 1 hour ago, Qc.Can.IH man said: I started drilling into the trees and thought to myself, these trees are hard to drill! I would have figured that HP stuck the drill in reverse then when you told him it was hard to drill he would grab the drill and get it back in forward then ask you what's the problem? ! 😵😎 Looks like a fun time ! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qc.Can.IH man Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 1 minute ago, TomH said: I would have figured that HP stuck the drill in reverse then when you told him it was hard to drill he would grab the drill and get it back in forward then ask you what's the proble? ! 😵😎 Looks like a fun time ! Sounds like you know him “a little too well“ there Tom! Lol 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
int 504 Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 I sold a drill press to a friend years ago that had a reversing toggle switch that I showed him. I heard through the grapevine quite a while later that he was mad because he couldn't drill anything with the drillpress I sold him and obviously I screwed him. So I stopped by his place and flipped the switch when he wasn't looking then asked to try using it. I did show him the switch again after he raved for a while.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Plug Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 3 hours ago, Qc.Can.IH man said: Sounds like you know him “a little too well“ there Tom! Lol Had the pleasure of talkin to TomH when we went to Lima RPRU , as I recall there was a certain chicken BBQ that was promised to us that didn't happen that weekend 🤔 speaking of which did you Tom ever receive a compensation package for that ? .... I didn't !!! HP 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTO Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 2 hours ago, Hot Plug said: Lmao !!! That spook been out in our Woods for a long time KWRB, in short our local fair board use to do " Haunted Hay Rides" as a fundraiser on weekends through or sugar bush in October... MTO came up one time .... Now he could tell you a story about that .... Phew !!! 😁 As I was rudely texted this am to check in here to comment, I will accommodate. {Google the word Wobbit} The Haunted hayride was a gala affair that obviously had a LOT of pre-planning put into it. Fields packed with patron vehicles, multiple tractors pulling wagons with plenty of hay bales to provide passenger comfort. Sugar bush was full of scary animated and live ghosts/goblins/headless bloody bodies swinging from the trees. Tractors navigated the dark forest without lights and no accidents occurred during my visit. A screaming bloody man did jump onto our wagon with a Stihl running WOT and scared the bejesus out of my little yorkie Chubs. {RIP} Then came evening 2 of the weekend long Haunted Forest. The sky opened up around dark with heavy rains. HP`s dining room table was riddled with partially consumed bottles of liquor and beer varieties. As we sat around the table enjoying the company, well HP enjoyed it anyhow, vehicles carrying anxious excited children and their parents, young men with their special gals and older couples looking to relive good times of their past began to line up on the shoulder of the road near the closed gate that blocked entrance into the fields and woods of the much advertised Haunted Forest. As I looked out the window over HP`s shoulder viewing the ever growing number of would be patrons of the hayrides lining up the road, a number of anxious fathers came onto the porch knocking on the door and peering into the house only to see a small group of us sitting around enjoying adult beverages. I asked, "Wobbit, what are you going top do? The cars are lined up a half mile down both sides of the road!" "Tell them it`s cancelled tonight" was the reply from the rosy cheeked shirt half unbutttoned glassy eyed head of the affair. I went to the door and shared the news of the decision of the the head of household. Some returned to their cars all the while more people came to the door. I told HP "you need to put up a sign or something. They just keep COMING!!" He grabbed a tablet, hastily scribbled something on the page, ripped the page off and handed it to me. 'Hayride cancelled' was the well thought out solution to the problem. I pushed my way past the wet upset porch dwellers with the piece of tablet paper and a roll of scotch tape. After placing the sign on the gate, the disgruntled patrons filed past reading it then sharing some descriptive adjectives regarding the anatomy of our friend HP...... what a night.... sigh. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Plug Posted February 15 Author Share Posted February 15 Well fellas that's the watered down version of that weekends event's told by the very descriptive MTO ! hOlY wAt Da !!! HP 🇨🇦 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomH Posted February 15 Share Posted February 15 4 hours ago, MTO said: what a night.... sigh. Yeah... that's the Readers Digest version.... 5 hours ago, Hot Plug said: 🤔 speaking of which did you Tom ever receive a compensation package for that ? .... I didn't !!! Um....No! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qc.Can.IH man Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 I got a progress report last night. The first boil of the season. Lots of hard work to get to this point and a lot more during and after the season. Hopefully he has a good season because I love maple syrup! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.