I thought I'd let you know how my weekend went.

{A reprise from the retired jackjen blog.}

Cause it was awesome.

We went and watched 'em make maple syrup.

You heard me right--I'm now officially initiated into the New England culture. (I'm pretty sure watching the sugaring process is required for N.E. Newbies like us. And holy cow...AMAZING).

A branch president in our stake has a sugar house and makes syrup every winter...we heard from a mutual friend that "the sap was running" this weekend, and we could go and check it out...So we called some friends and piled into the car and drove the 1 hour and 40 minutes to Jaffrey, New Hampshire....Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand....saw several candidates for my dream house on the way. But none more dreamy than the branch president's house... I'd like to be first in line for this one, please.


We were channeling Robert Frost as we drove up the driveway....excited as can be. Though, let it be known: Boston as begun its two-month thaw....obviously, Jaffrey, NH didn't get the memo.



So, you'd THINK that this was how people collect maple sap....You'd be wrong. Oh, my friends, maple sugaring has come a LONG way. This isn't your grandfather's maple syruping, kids. Welcome to the 21st Centry of Syrup.

Instead of collecting it like this (above)


They collect it like this.




And here we have Ian explaining all of this to Landon...Then they hugged. The syrup really brings out the best in all of us.

And then.....THEN it gets even better. THEN they take everything into the sugar house. Not only is it warm (a luxury in Jaffrey, evidently), but have you ever smelled SWEET steam? AMAZING. I believe that all Mideast peace talks should be held in American sugar houses. Because surely everyone would feel the warm fuzzies in THERE. (And also possibly realize how lucky they are that the Middle East doesn't have a climate like Jaffrey, New Hampshire).

Here's about a zillion gallons of syrup-in-embryo.


And here's the master syrupologist stoking the fire of the evaporator. See it? See it? THAT, under all the steaminess, is ALMOST syrup. SO close.


This is, too.


And this is a happy New Englander. This is proof that we're not all rude and stuck up and full of ourselves. Cause if I hear about that one more time, I'm not gonna be very happy. At least not as happy as him.


Then they put the finished syrup through this thing-a-ma-doo and put it into the bottles. Mmmmm. (And hand out little sample cups all the while.) Mmmmmm. Samples.


Syrup is graded based on color and sugar content...They were working on 'US Grade A Medium Amber' while we were there....

Here's Ian by the grading scale. He can TELL it's the yumminess.


Then they hired Ian to be their spokesmodel. They paid him in syrup.

It was a beautiful day and we couldn't stop gushing about it on the way home over our Wendy's chili with our quart of syrup safely in the back seat.



P.S. The snowpile is still going strong....lots of you are out already. This is one fierce pile of snow, folks.