It took me 10 minutes to drive to work today. True, when I lived in our last apartment it took 10 minutes to walk to work, but we've moved. The bus takes about 30 minutes to get here, but about 45 minutes to return to our house (it's a different route through a shopping center).
My work hours mean that I could get to work and return from work outside of normal rush hour traffic, and there's free parking available at the school.
After yesterday's terrible transportation experience I can't help thinking about taking my car back. But I'm sticking it out for a while longer and we'll see if I can keep it up.
There are benefits of using public transportation that make it worth my while to waste an additional 55 minutes a day on a bus.
I get just a little exercise in since I have to walk to the bus stops. The stops are really close to where I live and where I work, so it's a bit of a lame excuse. On the way to work I stop off at the little corner shop and get a paper and a $1 cup of coffee for my bus ride. All in all, I kind of like the trip to work. Buses run every 10 minutes, so worst case scenario I have to wait 10 minutes in nasty weather. I'm not sure it's such a bad thing, even though I hate it, for me to experience the weather.
The way home from work is a little less enjoyable. It takes a longer time and its more crowded. If I need to stop off at Target I can get off and do my shopping, but then I have to carry the stuff with me on the bus and a seat isn't guaranteed. I can read my book without too much fear of missing my stop because a few stops before my own is a T station and it's like a mass exodus. You can't quite miss that.
And finally, I don't have to worry about parking, gas, or my carbon emissions. In the summer when it's nice perhaps I'll ride my bike. Work is only about 2 miles from my house.
The question is, is it worth it? It's only 2 miles, not like I have to drive long distances everyday (in NM I would drive 65 miles per day). If I drove I could conceivably work out in that extra 55 minutes. I wouldn't have to worry about the weather. What if I got a smart car? What if I bought a scooter with a covered hood? (and then I remember that I want kids and neither option would be a good long term investment)
So for now I'm sticking it out, but no telling which way I'll go. As concerned as I am for the environment I'm still working through whether or not 20 miles a week is worth 4.5 hours of bus time.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Cloudy Morning
When I heard the rain outside this morning I just knew it was going to be a difficult day.
Exhibit A: As I was one block from the bus I watched it drive off. That meant a 10 minute wait in the rain.
Exhibit B: I was reading intently on the bus and missed my stop. I ended up needing to make a transfer to another bus to get back to right place.
Exhibit C: I got off the second bus at the wrong stop and wandered around lost, in the rain, for about 15 minutes before I figured out where I was. Oh, did I mention my cell phone was dead? I use the GPS on my iPhone for just about every circumstance that involves me lost in Boston. Not happening today...
Exhibit D: I got to work 15 minutes late to discover that I have two new students under special student contracts who I have to figure out an educational plan for...in 45 minutes
Exhibit E: Getting to my classroom I accidentally dropped my keys into my umbrella and stood there about 5 minutes trying to disentangle my key chain from the spokes in the center of the umbrella. One student is already waiting for me and wants my help resolving a "crisis" relating to the cafeteria, its locked state, and the general lack of food.
I can only hope the days gets better from here. I still have an electronic timesheet I can't log into, a voice mail system that isn't working, and three missing math books.
Exhibit A: As I was one block from the bus I watched it drive off. That meant a 10 minute wait in the rain.
Exhibit B: I was reading intently on the bus and missed my stop. I ended up needing to make a transfer to another bus to get back to right place.
Exhibit C: I got off the second bus at the wrong stop and wandered around lost, in the rain, for about 15 minutes before I figured out where I was. Oh, did I mention my cell phone was dead? I use the GPS on my iPhone for just about every circumstance that involves me lost in Boston. Not happening today...
Exhibit D: I got to work 15 minutes late to discover that I have two new students under special student contracts who I have to figure out an educational plan for...in 45 minutes
Exhibit E: Getting to my classroom I accidentally dropped my keys into my umbrella and stood there about 5 minutes trying to disentangle my key chain from the spokes in the center of the umbrella. One student is already waiting for me and wants my help resolving a "crisis" relating to the cafeteria, its locked state, and the general lack of food.
I can only hope the days gets better from here. I still have an electronic timesheet I can't log into, a voice mail system that isn't working, and three missing math books.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Budget Cuts
All I hear about on the radio lately, and it is the radio, I've given up on television news, is budget concerns. Boston is cutting library branches. Republicans are arguing that health care will overtax our budget. The post office is going to close on Saturdays. The new MBTA CEO will get a 40% reduction in pay equal to $170,000 less money annually.
The economic downturn has everyone scared, and nobody wants to give up anything.
I get it. I don't like cutting back either. It's hard not to spend money, and now that I'm used to my life the way it is, I don't particularly want my way of life to change.
So what should people, or governments, do when cutting out the frills isn't enough?
I sometimes look at a blog written by a woman trying to live the lifestyle of a middle class American on half the money. One of her recent posts discusses her methods, including backward planning. Know exactly how much you've got to spend and know what you can get for free or through barter.
I think a part of knowing your budget is also knowing exactly what you need. I'm not saying that you should go into debt to keep sustaining unsustainable things you believe you need. I'm saying that you make a plan, and prioritize.
We're flush for the moment, but that doesn't quite let us off the hook for a budget. My entire first paycheck went to pay for our kitchen renovations, and more renovations are on the way.
So what do I want? What makes me feel rich?
I want my husband and I (and the cats) to be healthy, and to have access to whatever medical treatments and facilities we need.
I want my 110 year old house to be in good condition, since it's not going to be "like new" anytime soon.
I want to be able to eat fresh, organic, locally grown foods, even if it means far less meet and more cooking, or even growing some of my own food
I want to be able to travel, to see friends, to see family, and to see new places
I want to be able to go to the theater, symphony, or a museum once in a while
I want the occasional splurge, be it a bath bomb from Lush, a cookie from Flour Cafe, or a bouquet of flowers from the local florist nearby.
If I have money leftover I want more art on my walls, more trips to listen to music, and new furniture.
I feel pretty rich right now, but I wonder how well I would do with a budget cut.
The economic downturn has everyone scared, and nobody wants to give up anything.
I get it. I don't like cutting back either. It's hard not to spend money, and now that I'm used to my life the way it is, I don't particularly want my way of life to change.
So what should people, or governments, do when cutting out the frills isn't enough?
I sometimes look at a blog written by a woman trying to live the lifestyle of a middle class American on half the money. One of her recent posts discusses her methods, including backward planning. Know exactly how much you've got to spend and know what you can get for free or through barter.
I think a part of knowing your budget is also knowing exactly what you need. I'm not saying that you should go into debt to keep sustaining unsustainable things you believe you need. I'm saying that you make a plan, and prioritize.
We're flush for the moment, but that doesn't quite let us off the hook for a budget. My entire first paycheck went to pay for our kitchen renovations, and more renovations are on the way.
So what do I want? What makes me feel rich?
I want my husband and I (and the cats) to be healthy, and to have access to whatever medical treatments and facilities we need.
I want my 110 year old house to be in good condition, since it's not going to be "like new" anytime soon.
I want to be able to eat fresh, organic, locally grown foods, even if it means far less meet and more cooking, or even growing some of my own food
I want to be able to travel, to see friends, to see family, and to see new places
I want to be able to go to the theater, symphony, or a museum once in a while
I want the occasional splurge, be it a bath bomb from Lush, a cookie from Flour Cafe, or a bouquet of flowers from the local florist nearby.
If I have money leftover I want more art on my walls, more trips to listen to music, and new furniture.
I feel pretty rich right now, but I wonder how well I would do with a budget cut.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Everythings Okay
There aren't many days that just seem to go alright.
At first glance I wouldn't have counted today as one of them. It did, for instance, take me about 1 1/2 hours to drive back into town after dropping my husband off at work today. That was not today's highlight.
I got to work late, but not by much, and our staff meeting hadn't even begun yet. I only had a few students today; therefore, I made a lot of progress with a few individuals. We're learning about sentence structure, so hopefully I used that semicolon right (I never really thought much of them before).
I forgot my lunch today so I walked over to Fromaggio's in the rain. Did I mention it was drizzling all day? The grilled Italian salami and gouda cheese on a French baguette I had was so good it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. On the way back to the office I spied a butcher block cutting board someone laid out with the trash...the kind that fits over a countertop. I, of course, snagged it, even though I really don't need it anymore.
After work I drove over to the farm where I learned to deworm goats, make organic potting soil mix, and made a heated base for seeding new plants. I love the farm.
The drive home didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. When I got home the leak we had during our 3 day Noreaster last week was dry, despite the past two days of rain. Our new countertop was installed and the patching around the counter finished. If there was one frustration for the day it was that I can't for the life of me find the butcher block oil we bought last weekend. We're afraid to even turn on the faucet until the counters are oiled.
Tomorrow will be another day, and probably not nearly as good a day as today, but I'm glad of the day and all of the beauty in it. I will go to bed tonight content and happy, and I know enough to be thankful for it.
At first glance I wouldn't have counted today as one of them. It did, for instance, take me about 1 1/2 hours to drive back into town after dropping my husband off at work today. That was not today's highlight.
I got to work late, but not by much, and our staff meeting hadn't even begun yet. I only had a few students today; therefore, I made a lot of progress with a few individuals. We're learning about sentence structure, so hopefully I used that semicolon right (I never really thought much of them before).
I forgot my lunch today so I walked over to Fromaggio's in the rain. Did I mention it was drizzling all day? The grilled Italian salami and gouda cheese on a French baguette I had was so good it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. On the way back to the office I spied a butcher block cutting board someone laid out with the trash...the kind that fits over a countertop. I, of course, snagged it, even though I really don't need it anymore.
After work I drove over to the farm where I learned to deworm goats, make organic potting soil mix, and made a heated base for seeding new plants. I love the farm.
The drive home didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would. When I got home the leak we had during our 3 day Noreaster last week was dry, despite the past two days of rain. Our new countertop was installed and the patching around the counter finished. If there was one frustration for the day it was that I can't for the life of me find the butcher block oil we bought last weekend. We're afraid to even turn on the faucet until the counters are oiled.
Tomorrow will be another day, and probably not nearly as good a day as today, but I'm glad of the day and all of the beauty in it. I will go to bed tonight content and happy, and I know enough to be thankful for it.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Cats aren't Adjusting
What do you do with overanxious cats?
No, this is not some bad joke with a missing punch line. Seriously, what do you do with cats who've never lived in a creaky old house before.
Our "new" house was built in 1900. It's fabulous and big and wonderfully Victorian...but it also has hiding places our cats quickly discovered.
Confucius, my already nervous cat, found the best spot in the basement. Just where the side of the basement stairs meet the duct work for our heating system, there's a gap between the top of the heating ducts and the floor joists. It's just large enough for a cat to squeeze through.
I could close the basement door, but then the litter boxes have to go somewhere else, but after a few years of litter scattered over hardwood floors I'm not about to go through that again. Especially since we have plank board floors that have, in some places, wide gaps that need to be filled.
Yesterday was our first night in the house, so we'll see how it goes. I'm sure they'll adjust sometime (right?). The did eventually get used to the sound of wind on our 4th floor balcony. It took them a while to get used to ambulances and car alarms (and when they did, they were far better about the noises than I was).
This neighborhood is much quieter than our last neighborhood. We missed any hubbub on St. Patty's day so I couldn't speak about Southie during its rowdiest. Even though it's quieter I see my cats less often here. They seem to be hiding half of the time.
No, this is not some bad joke with a missing punch line. Seriously, what do you do with cats who've never lived in a creaky old house before.
Our "new" house was built in 1900. It's fabulous and big and wonderfully Victorian...but it also has hiding places our cats quickly discovered.
Confucius, my already nervous cat, found the best spot in the basement. Just where the side of the basement stairs meet the duct work for our heating system, there's a gap between the top of the heating ducts and the floor joists. It's just large enough for a cat to squeeze through.
I could close the basement door, but then the litter boxes have to go somewhere else, but after a few years of litter scattered over hardwood floors I'm not about to go through that again. Especially since we have plank board floors that have, in some places, wide gaps that need to be filled.
Yesterday was our first night in the house, so we'll see how it goes. I'm sure they'll adjust sometime (right?). The did eventually get used to the sound of wind on our 4th floor balcony. It took them a while to get used to ambulances and car alarms (and when they did, they were far better about the noises than I was).
This neighborhood is much quieter than our last neighborhood. We missed any hubbub on St. Patty's day so I couldn't speak about Southie during its rowdiest. Even though it's quieter I see my cats less often here. They seem to be hiding half of the time.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Sights and Sounds of Boston
For the most part, I like living in the city. I walked to work today. It's about a 10 minute walk, and my path happens to goe right past my favorite bakery. Today I held myself back, but yesterday I emerged with a lemon ginger scone. It's a beautiful thing to be so close to everything.
Living in the city is nuts. It's like watching the world from the inside of a snowglobe. People, cars, ambulances, animals, all going this way or that. I get to see a whole bunch of sights that are outside of my sense of normal.
A few highlights... The woman who walks her cats everyday around 5:00. The St. Bernard leashed to the bakery door every morning. The elderly Chinese woman who goes through my trash every trash day looking for cans. People of all dress and manner waiting on the bus, some of which are seen running toward the bus at the last possible minute.
BUT, living in the city comes with its own set of problems too. And city problems usually relate to sounds. I've come to not care about the sound of traffic. The occasional squeal of tires and the resulting "f--- you" heard above the clatter doesn't bother me anymore. Neither do the ambulances. I find their presence somewhat comforting. Even the occasional car honking doesn't annoy me much anymore. Actually, now that I don't drive in Boston, I find the traffic somewhat comic. It's like bumper cars where you try not to hit one another.
The sounds I really can't take though, are car alarms. The other day at work, while scavenging for chairs for my classroom I unwittingly set off the building alarm. I didn't realize it, because there was NO sound. Why, in God's green earth, can't people figure out how to make a car alarm that only disturbs the person who owns the car? Three, yes THREE days in a row we've been awakened to the same car alarm going off at 5:30am. The first day it not only went off early, but whoever owns the car didn't turn it off. I'd say it went off for a good 15 minutes. Seriously, can't they just make an alarm that calls the guy's cell phone and disables the car? If the guy breaking in wants a radio they're probably going to grab it despite the noise, right?
Living in the city is nuts. It's like watching the world from the inside of a snowglobe. People, cars, ambulances, animals, all going this way or that. I get to see a whole bunch of sights that are outside of my sense of normal.
A few highlights... The woman who walks her cats everyday around 5:00. The St. Bernard leashed to the bakery door every morning. The elderly Chinese woman who goes through my trash every trash day looking for cans. People of all dress and manner waiting on the bus, some of which are seen running toward the bus at the last possible minute.
BUT, living in the city comes with its own set of problems too. And city problems usually relate to sounds. I've come to not care about the sound of traffic. The occasional squeal of tires and the resulting "f--- you" heard above the clatter doesn't bother me anymore. Neither do the ambulances. I find their presence somewhat comforting. Even the occasional car honking doesn't annoy me much anymore. Actually, now that I don't drive in Boston, I find the traffic somewhat comic. It's like bumper cars where you try not to hit one another.
The sounds I really can't take though, are car alarms. The other day at work, while scavenging for chairs for my classroom I unwittingly set off the building alarm. I didn't realize it, because there was NO sound. Why, in God's green earth, can't people figure out how to make a car alarm that only disturbs the person who owns the car? Three, yes THREE days in a row we've been awakened to the same car alarm going off at 5:30am. The first day it not only went off early, but whoever owns the car didn't turn it off. I'd say it went off for a good 15 minutes. Seriously, can't they just make an alarm that calls the guy's cell phone and disables the car? If the guy breaking in wants a radio they're probably going to grab it despite the noise, right?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Evacuation Day
I wasn't really sure what "Evacuation Day" was all about so I had to google it.
Boston schools are closed today, not for St. Patty's day, but for Evacuation Day. Apparently the Continental Army drove out the British on St. Patrick's day in 1776.
Although I'm now teaching, I don't get the day off. I'm employed by a private, religious organization that has a joint deal with the public schools...it's complicated. I don't get the day off.
So what am I doing? I'm painting my classroom. Or rather, I will be painting my classroom as soon as I get off of my portion of desk coverage. Most of the staff is employed by the public schools, and therefore not here. That includes our receptionist...
So there are some drawbacks to the job. But really, not many. I suppose the fact that I'm a year long employee is the worst part. The best part? I don't have to take attendance, give out grades, meet with parents. I also have a very devoted counselor and social worker that support our students and their needs.
All in all, I'm not minding my day here without students. I don't care if it's for evacuation day, St. Patty's day, or just because... It's a nice, laid back day. I think I'm going to like my job.
Boston schools are closed today, not for St. Patty's day, but for Evacuation Day. Apparently the Continental Army drove out the British on St. Patrick's day in 1776.
Although I'm now teaching, I don't get the day off. I'm employed by a private, religious organization that has a joint deal with the public schools...it's complicated. I don't get the day off.
So what am I doing? I'm painting my classroom. Or rather, I will be painting my classroom as soon as I get off of my portion of desk coverage. Most of the staff is employed by the public schools, and therefore not here. That includes our receptionist...
So there are some drawbacks to the job. But really, not many. I suppose the fact that I'm a year long employee is the worst part. The best part? I don't have to take attendance, give out grades, meet with parents. I also have a very devoted counselor and social worker that support our students and their needs.
All in all, I'm not minding my day here without students. I don't care if it's for evacuation day, St. Patty's day, or just because... It's a nice, laid back day. I think I'm going to like my job.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Bad Landlord
Bad Landlords are the pits.
We're about to move out of our apartment and into the house we just bought, but we're haggling with the landlord.
When we moved in, the option to use his table and chairs, waterbed, and other bits and pieces seemed appealing. It is, after all, a penthouse apartment without an elevator. Who know he was such a jerk back then. I have to admit I had my suspicions, but we put our fears aside out of sheer laziness. The storage was free.
Too bad he won't give us back our stuff.
It's not the best quality stuff, or even an entire household full of stuff, but it is OUR stuff. A carved oak dining table with 3 leaves and 8 chairs, a queen bed with frame, a sturdy dovetaled dresser, a computer chair, and a coffee table and end tables (that I've missed from the day they went into storage). All in all we estimate it's around $1500 of stuff, although it might even be worth more than that here. Boston's expensive.
We didn't respond to the apartment's housing association when they requested our rent money. Our landlord hadn't paid dues in 8 months and, by law, the association can ask us to pay them in lieu of dues and our landlord can't come after us. That was back in December. Sooo, our last month's rent check went to the housing association...
Which generated a nasty gram from the landlord. He wants us out in two weeks because our house is too "cluttered" to show to new tenants.
Um...I've seen some cluttered apartments before. I've seen some apartments I was embarrassed to see before. While we do have a snowboard in the vestibule and a box of kindling by the fireplace, it's really not too cluttered. There are no pairs of dirty underware on the bathroom floor. The dishes are clean and put away or in the drying rack. Even the few boxes that I have packed are stacked neatly in the corner.
We've been debating taking his furniture with us. It would be a fair trade after all. We only put into storage that which was present in the house already. But we don't want any more headaches. That and his stuff, while nice, isn't anything I would buy on my own. We want our stuff or the money for our stuff. The waterbed was tempting, but, on second thought, we'd rather have a new mattress. The heater doesn't seem to work right anyway.
Since two other people are suing our landlord for keeping their deposits and failing to reimburse them for moving out early, we're expecting more difficulty. I will just be so glad when this whole ordeal is over. Either way in April, thank goodness, at least we'll be under our own roof.
We're about to move out of our apartment and into the house we just bought, but we're haggling with the landlord.
When we moved in, the option to use his table and chairs, waterbed, and other bits and pieces seemed appealing. It is, after all, a penthouse apartment without an elevator. Who know he was such a jerk back then. I have to admit I had my suspicions, but we put our fears aside out of sheer laziness. The storage was free.
Too bad he won't give us back our stuff.
It's not the best quality stuff, or even an entire household full of stuff, but it is OUR stuff. A carved oak dining table with 3 leaves and 8 chairs, a queen bed with frame, a sturdy dovetaled dresser, a computer chair, and a coffee table and end tables (that I've missed from the day they went into storage). All in all we estimate it's around $1500 of stuff, although it might even be worth more than that here. Boston's expensive.
We didn't respond to the apartment's housing association when they requested our rent money. Our landlord hadn't paid dues in 8 months and, by law, the association can ask us to pay them in lieu of dues and our landlord can't come after us. That was back in December. Sooo, our last month's rent check went to the housing association...
Which generated a nasty gram from the landlord. He wants us out in two weeks because our house is too "cluttered" to show to new tenants.
Um...I've seen some cluttered apartments before. I've seen some apartments I was embarrassed to see before. While we do have a snowboard in the vestibule and a box of kindling by the fireplace, it's really not too cluttered. There are no pairs of dirty underware on the bathroom floor. The dishes are clean and put away or in the drying rack. Even the few boxes that I have packed are stacked neatly in the corner.
We've been debating taking his furniture with us. It would be a fair trade after all. We only put into storage that which was present in the house already. But we don't want any more headaches. That and his stuff, while nice, isn't anything I would buy on my own. We want our stuff or the money for our stuff. The waterbed was tempting, but, on second thought, we'd rather have a new mattress. The heater doesn't seem to work right anyway.
Since two other people are suing our landlord for keeping their deposits and failing to reimburse them for moving out early, we're expecting more difficulty. I will just be so glad when this whole ordeal is over. Either way in April, thank goodness, at least we'll be under our own roof.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Maple Magic Day!
What a fun weekend!
I volunteered at the farm for their Maple Magic Day. Regina set me up at the Native American site where I demonstrated how Native American's would boil Sugar Maple sap into sugar. Gerd, who was just planning on staying a little while ended up staying the whole day. He really loves to play with fire.
So how did Native American's make sugar? Well, they didn't have any metal or glass, so their method of gathering and boiling sap is different than the colonial or modern methods. For instance they couldn't boil the sap over the fire. Clay pots weren't sturdy enough to support the sap over the fire I guess.
To get to the sap Native Americans would use a stone hatchet (or tomahawk) to cut a V-like wedge into the tree. The sap would flow out into a hollowed out log and then the Native Americans would gather the sap using either leather or birch containers, bringing the sap to larger hollowed out logs in a Maple Camp.
The whole community would work around a large fire. They would take rocks and place them on probably wet spruce branches near the fire. Not IN the fire we've learned. Rocks in the fire pick up ash and make the sap black with soot. The heated rocks would be added until the sap was boiling, eventually boiling the sap down to a dried crust within the log. The crust would be scooped out and powdered to form a type of brown sugar.
Native American's would take the brown sugar and add bear fat, which sounds disgusting, but as one visitor pointed out, it's not unlike candy which uses butter and sugar. They would form their mix into shaped cakes and store or trade their sugar.
It was through trade that the Native Americans in Massachusetts found out about Sugar Maples. They're not native to this region. Tribal members traded for the trees and planted them, despite the knowledge that a tree takes 40 years to grow large enough to tap.
The arrival of the colonists changed the sugaring process. Colonists like the Native Americans continued to make sugar instead of syrup because it was easier to store. Although they did have some glass, glass bottles were rare. It was much easier to store a solid.
With iron, however, they brought drills. The colonists were able to create a drilled hole, which takes far less time to heal on a tree. With the smaller holes they could tap a tree each year without endangering the tree. Although it didn't take long to develop metal spiles (the thing that goes into the tree to create a spout for the sap) colonists first used hollowed out branches of a Sumac tree. Sumac's are fibrous and easy to hollow and they also have a smooth but tough outer surface.
Colonists also brought buckets with them. They could hang the buckets on the trees and would send their children with a yoke to go and collect buckets during sugaring season. Adults would form an outdoor fire pit with a triad of cast iron pots. All three pots would be full of sap and boiling, but they were different sizes. The smallest pot would be filled with the middle sized pot as water evaporated. The middle pot would be filled from the large pot as it evaporated. The largest pot would continue to be filled with new sap from the trees. The result of this was that the smallest pot would have the most condensed sap.
After the sap turned to a thick syrup the colonists would pour the syrup into wooden molds and cool the molds quickly to solidify the syrup into a solid. Although not as solid as sugar, and more in the form of sticky blocks, colonists could still store the sugar without the use of glass containers.
Modern syruping still uses the same kind of method, except in an evaporator. One large pan has compartments that the sap flows through until it reaches the syrup pan. Although some evaporators are electric, others are still wood fired. Farmers started to make syrup instead of sugar as the price of imported sugar continued to drop. If you really wanted to, you could boil your maple syrup down into sugar, but why do that when sugar is much cheaper?
Here are some fun facts about Maple Syrup/Trees
* Sap is 97% water, 3% sugar whereas syrup is 66% sugar and 34% water
* It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup
* All trees can create syrup, but they wouldn't taste as good, or they'd take longer to create syrup. Sugar Maples have the highest concentration of sugar in their sap.
* Sap for syrup runs only when temperatures get down to 20 at night and up to 40+ during the day. The night temperature is a minimum! If it's too warm the sap won't return to its roots at night. The day temp is a minimum. If it's too cold the sap won't run up the tree.
* Sap is collected as it runs UP the tree to the leaves. The hole in the spile is on the BOTTOM not the top.
* Sugar Maples must be at least 40 years old or have a 10" diameter to be tapped. Anything smaller would inhibit leaf growth and could kill the tree.
* Larger trees can have more taps, but you still need to make sure the diameter is big enough to support multiple taps.
* You can tap a tree each year as long as you don't tap on or within a few inches of the last tap. The tap will scar over after 4-5 years and that area is once again viable for tapping.
* There's evidence that tapping Sugar Maples is actually good for the tree, in a similar way to pruning or nursing. A tree that's been tapped may produce more sap the following year than one that hasn't been tapped before. There's evidence to the contrary as well, but both arguments are anecdotal.
* There is no single calculation to figure a tree's sap production. Sap is highly dependent on the weather and the health of the tree so each year a tree may produce a different quantity which makes it difficult to analyze sap production.
I volunteered at the farm for their Maple Magic Day. Regina set me up at the Native American site where I demonstrated how Native American's would boil Sugar Maple sap into sugar. Gerd, who was just planning on staying a little while ended up staying the whole day. He really loves to play with fire.
So how did Native American's make sugar? Well, they didn't have any metal or glass, so their method of gathering and boiling sap is different than the colonial or modern methods. For instance they couldn't boil the sap over the fire. Clay pots weren't sturdy enough to support the sap over the fire I guess.
To get to the sap Native Americans would use a stone hatchet (or tomahawk) to cut a V-like wedge into the tree. The sap would flow out into a hollowed out log and then the Native Americans would gather the sap using either leather or birch containers, bringing the sap to larger hollowed out logs in a Maple Camp.
The whole community would work around a large fire. They would take rocks and place them on probably wet spruce branches near the fire. Not IN the fire we've learned. Rocks in the fire pick up ash and make the sap black with soot. The heated rocks would be added until the sap was boiling, eventually boiling the sap down to a dried crust within the log. The crust would be scooped out and powdered to form a type of brown sugar.
Native American's would take the brown sugar and add bear fat, which sounds disgusting, but as one visitor pointed out, it's not unlike candy which uses butter and sugar. They would form their mix into shaped cakes and store or trade their sugar.
It was through trade that the Native Americans in Massachusetts found out about Sugar Maples. They're not native to this region. Tribal members traded for the trees and planted them, despite the knowledge that a tree takes 40 years to grow large enough to tap.
The arrival of the colonists changed the sugaring process. Colonists like the Native Americans continued to make sugar instead of syrup because it was easier to store. Although they did have some glass, glass bottles were rare. It was much easier to store a solid.
With iron, however, they brought drills. The colonists were able to create a drilled hole, which takes far less time to heal on a tree. With the smaller holes they could tap a tree each year without endangering the tree. Although it didn't take long to develop metal spiles (the thing that goes into the tree to create a spout for the sap) colonists first used hollowed out branches of a Sumac tree. Sumac's are fibrous and easy to hollow and they also have a smooth but tough outer surface.
Colonists also brought buckets with them. They could hang the buckets on the trees and would send their children with a yoke to go and collect buckets during sugaring season. Adults would form an outdoor fire pit with a triad of cast iron pots. All three pots would be full of sap and boiling, but they were different sizes. The smallest pot would be filled with the middle sized pot as water evaporated. The middle pot would be filled from the large pot as it evaporated. The largest pot would continue to be filled with new sap from the trees. The result of this was that the smallest pot would have the most condensed sap.
After the sap turned to a thick syrup the colonists would pour the syrup into wooden molds and cool the molds quickly to solidify the syrup into a solid. Although not as solid as sugar, and more in the form of sticky blocks, colonists could still store the sugar without the use of glass containers.
Modern syruping still uses the same kind of method, except in an evaporator. One large pan has compartments that the sap flows through until it reaches the syrup pan. Although some evaporators are electric, others are still wood fired. Farmers started to make syrup instead of sugar as the price of imported sugar continued to drop. If you really wanted to, you could boil your maple syrup down into sugar, but why do that when sugar is much cheaper?
Here are some fun facts about Maple Syrup/Trees
* Sap is 97% water, 3% sugar whereas syrup is 66% sugar and 34% water
* It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup
* All trees can create syrup, but they wouldn't taste as good, or they'd take longer to create syrup. Sugar Maples have the highest concentration of sugar in their sap.
* Sap for syrup runs only when temperatures get down to 20 at night and up to 40+ during the day. The night temperature is a minimum! If it's too warm the sap won't return to its roots at night. The day temp is a minimum. If it's too cold the sap won't run up the tree.
* Sap is collected as it runs UP the tree to the leaves. The hole in the spile is on the BOTTOM not the top.
* Sugar Maples must be at least 40 years old or have a 10" diameter to be tapped. Anything smaller would inhibit leaf growth and could kill the tree.
* Larger trees can have more taps, but you still need to make sure the diameter is big enough to support multiple taps.
* You can tap a tree each year as long as you don't tap on or within a few inches of the last tap. The tap will scar over after 4-5 years and that area is once again viable for tapping.
* There's evidence that tapping Sugar Maples is actually good for the tree, in a similar way to pruning or nursing. A tree that's been tapped may produce more sap the following year than one that hasn't been tapped before. There's evidence to the contrary as well, but both arguments are anecdotal.
* There is no single calculation to figure a tree's sap production. Sap is highly dependent on the weather and the health of the tree so each year a tree may produce a different quantity which makes it difficult to analyze sap production.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
New Job and Vitamins
I got the job! YEAY!!!
I may end up missing not working, but I've got to say, not working didn't help me finish anything I wanted to get done. I wrote a little bit, I learned to knit, I read A LOT of books, and I volunteered. I did not finish a book, knit a sweater, scarf or pair of socks, I read a lot of brain candy books. I didn't finish my quilt, I didn't keep the house clean, I didn't start packing for our move. I didn't go to yoga every week. I didn't meditate.
Honestly, about the only good thing to come out of not working has been volunteer work.
So I'm not missing staying at home yet.
In fact, I feel completely invigorated about my new job. I'll be teaching a GED program, all 5 subjects (yikes that includes math!). I'm thrilled that I'll have less than 12 students at a time and that, for the most part, these students are goal driven.
And right now, in the midst of my euphoria I'm thinking about everything else that I want to do. Take an art class. Take a Salsa class. Begin growing seeds for my new garden.
My guess is that reality will set in soon. I'll feel too busy to do the things I want to do, and too tired to stay motivated. But at least I know now, it's not the job. Somehow I need to garner my own motivation, and perhaps stick to ONE THING AT A TIME. Hard when I feel like a kid trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue. Which one should I choose?
But in the mean time, as all these different thoughts and ideas float across my brain, I'm counting on the vitamins.
I just found a new option (nothing seems to work for me) of a powdered drink. It's made by the One A Day vitamin company and you add it to a bottle of water. Kills two birds with one stone. Belly Bars are just too expensive and, after doctor review, they don't carry enough Omega 3's anyway. Somehow I'm just going to have to suffer the fish oil in silence. Perhaps I can wash it down with the Wild Berry vitamins. I guess that almost makes it three birds with one stone. Does that qualify as one thing at a time?
I may end up missing not working, but I've got to say, not working didn't help me finish anything I wanted to get done. I wrote a little bit, I learned to knit, I read A LOT of books, and I volunteered. I did not finish a book, knit a sweater, scarf or pair of socks, I read a lot of brain candy books. I didn't finish my quilt, I didn't keep the house clean, I didn't start packing for our move. I didn't go to yoga every week. I didn't meditate.
Honestly, about the only good thing to come out of not working has been volunteer work.
So I'm not missing staying at home yet.
In fact, I feel completely invigorated about my new job. I'll be teaching a GED program, all 5 subjects (yikes that includes math!). I'm thrilled that I'll have less than 12 students at a time and that, for the most part, these students are goal driven.
And right now, in the midst of my euphoria I'm thinking about everything else that I want to do. Take an art class. Take a Salsa class. Begin growing seeds for my new garden.
My guess is that reality will set in soon. I'll feel too busy to do the things I want to do, and too tired to stay motivated. But at least I know now, it's not the job. Somehow I need to garner my own motivation, and perhaps stick to ONE THING AT A TIME. Hard when I feel like a kid trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue. Which one should I choose?
But in the mean time, as all these different thoughts and ideas float across my brain, I'm counting on the vitamins.
I just found a new option (nothing seems to work for me) of a powdered drink. It's made by the One A Day vitamin company and you add it to a bottle of water. Kills two birds with one stone. Belly Bars are just too expensive and, after doctor review, they don't carry enough Omega 3's anyway. Somehow I'm just going to have to suffer the fish oil in silence. Perhaps I can wash it down with the Wild Berry vitamins. I guess that almost makes it three birds with one stone. Does that qualify as one thing at a time?
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
No Word
I interviewed for a job that I was really, really hoping to get. I was supposed to hear back yesterday, but didn't, which typically means I didn't get the job...
But one of my references let me know that she was contacted yesterday. I called today to leave a cell phone number for a different reference and got voicemail. And still no response.
So I'm trying not to get my hopes up, I mean, they did say they'd be in contact yesterday, but a reference check is a good thing, right?
Well, it's out of my hands now, but I can't seem to quite let it go.
But one of my references let me know that she was contacted yesterday. I called today to leave a cell phone number for a different reference and got voicemail. And still no response.
So I'm trying not to get my hopes up, I mean, they did say they'd be in contact yesterday, but a reference check is a good thing, right?
Well, it's out of my hands now, but I can't seem to quite let it go.
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