#0197 "Sap's Running"

The family was having a lot of fun at the Bond's Sugar Bush just north of Athens, Ontario in the spring of 1988.  My parents were the guides and they knew Henry Bond well.

The dark smoke from the fire contrasted sharply with the steam billowing off the evaporation pans. It was a sunny and mild day after a chilly night - perfect for a strong flow of sap from the tapped sugar maples. The sap was really running.

An elevated ramp to the one end of the sugar shack allowed the tractor to deliver the maple sap to the interior holding tanks using gravity as a helpful friend. There is a ton of work in making maple syrup. Anything that makes the task easier is well worth the effort.

I would have painted this in the Under the Basement Stairs Studio. There were a few square feet of space next to the play room. I had great lighting set up even though the quarters were a bit cramped.

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