#2613 "Singleton Maple Twin Taps"

#2613 "Singleton Maple Twin Taps"
20x16 Gallery Wrap

There is a lot of work to making maple syrup. It takes about 40 parts of sap to make one part of maple syrup. That being said, there is nothing quite as sweet as enjoying the fruits of your own, honest labours. My son wanted to tap more sugar maple trees in 2022 so that is exactly what we did. We got the taps out early in case the season was short like that in 2021. 

These are the old style taps which are still very effective. 

The small sapling beside the sugar maple is an Ironwood (Hop-Hornbeam - Hornbeam Genus - Caroliniana Species). Ironwood trees have the hardest and densest wood of any species in Canada and it burns like coal. It can be identified by the shaggy, narrow strips of bark that are said to look like fried bacon as they peel. Ironwood trees rarely grow beyond 12 metres and are fairly short-lived. That being said, there are a few huge ironwoods within the Singleton Sanctuary that must date to before Canada. Ruffed Grouse are said to eat the buds in winter. 

I would revisit these taps en plein air in #2622 "Sap Flowing at the Twin Tap". 

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