A Minnesota gurl’s excuse

I know I keep saying that I’m going to blog more, but as I mentioned  a few weeks ago, it’s Spring! There are so many distractions for me right now: birds are migrating, frogs are calling, and plant buds are getting ready to burst!  I’m also hard core in search of a new job, which is just time-consuming and draining. Not to mention I’m just plain terrible at interviews and “selling myself.” In fact at a recent interview, I nearly slammed my head down on the table after ending an answer with “And hey, I didn’t get fired or anything!” So, thank goodness for spring to keep my spirits up. A few recent sightings I’ve been particularly excited about include loons, mergansers, fox sparrows, a black bear with cub, and mud! We’ve had a few absolutely gorgeous days, warm enough even for mosquitoes. But the more recent snow falls haven’t kept me wanting to stay inside by any means. What can I say, I’m a Minnesota gurl (though I recently discovered I need new waterproof boots).

And I can’t forget about maple (and birch) syruping, which has been an adventure to say the least. We are in the boiling stage now but still trying to work out the most efficient method. We’ve been using a portable wood stove, but can’t seem to get a steady boil. We better figure it all out soon though, because the sap is still running and we’re running out of room! Birch sap is also finally showing up in the “buckets.” I was about to give up considering how much maple and box elder sap we’ve collected in comparison. I now think we might be able to cook up a small batch. Oh! and I have made a few test syrup batches (box elder), most of which turned out delicious! I burned the first two though. Once we work out the last few kinks, I’ll write up a full post on my experience syruping and all the mistakes along the way. I hope you’re enjoying spring!