Nothing to Report

It was -22C (-7F) this morning.  Yes, I know it is March 6 and Spring is a mere 2 weeks away.  Don't talk to me, lambaste Mother Nature...

So, Lee Anne and I ran on the indoor track at Base Borden.  The outside lane is 237 meters, so by my calculation, it is 106 laps to complete 25K.  I don't attempt to count laps (recall my memory challenges) so I maintain a +/- of seconds between the actual time and 90 second laps.  I only have to remember a "buffer" (seconds +/-) and a "lap bank" (accumulate over or under 40 laps per hour).  Example:  I started at 8:57 and ran 2 laps before 09:00.  I "reset" the counter to zero at the top of each hour, so at 09:00 I had zero laps for the hour, with a bank of 2 laps.  At 9:03, I was 14 seconds ahead (14 second buffer - i.e. it was 09:02:46 at the end of my second lap for the hour).  When the buffer reaches 90 seconds, I add one to the lap bank and reset the buffer to zero.  I know this sounds inordinately complicated, but with my math background and a complete lack of memory, it is surprisingly straightforward.

Lee Anne runs by time (granted - a much simpler method).  She ran for 5 hours today and will probably run the same tomorrow, as Friday / Saturday is her normal back-to-back schedule.  I ran 25K in 2:39, which was much tougher than expected.  I hauled the evaporator to the sugar shack on Tuesday which involves putting a 2' X 4' sap pan (5" drop flues), a 2' X 2' finishing pan and all the hardware onto a sled I built custom made for the evaporator.  Did I mention that the snow is like sand?  I was ploughing so much snow, that on the uphills, I was afraid the 1/4" nylon ropes might break!

I have one more load of maple syrup jugs to haul in and I am ready to tap.  Guess what I plan to do Sunday?  You got it!  I have invited son-in-law Daryl up to help with the tapping.  I am not sure if he can make it, but tapping is much easier with two.  It appears that the sap will run on Tuesday and/or Wednesday hence the tapping on Sunday / Monday.  The forecast for Wednesday is sunny and +4...  I know, say nothing.

According to the running log, my mileage has slipped this week, probably due to heightened activity at the sugar shack.  Snow shoeing in the woods is very taxing.  There is only about 3 feet of snow, but with such cold temperatures since January, the snow is like 2 feet of sand.  Snowshoes sink deep and are reluctant to come back out.  Tapping will probably result in another low-mileage week.

That's it for now.  Embrace the warm weather!