It's maple syrup season in the Catskills, and everybody's getting into the spirit. Last Saturday was the first day of Maple Weekend, when local producers of maple syrup and maple sugar throw open their sugar house doors to tourists. (The festival pours over into next weekend, too.) In Olivebridge, self-described local yokel Sally Moon has expressed her love of syrup-making in verse. An excerpt:
First you get the buckets ready, clean the pans and gather firewood
Late in the winter, it's maple syrup time.
You need warm and sunny days but still a cold and freezing nighttime
For just a few weeks, maple syrup time.
We boil and boil and boil and boil it all day long
Till ninety sev'n percent of water evaporates just like this song
And when what is left is syrupy don't leave it too long
Watch out for burning!
Maple syrup time.
Photo of maple sap by Julia Reischel.
