FOTO FRIDAY: SWEETNESS in A STRANGE LOOKING BOTTLE

FOTO FRIDAY 's idea hit me on our first 60 degree outing this week when Natureman and I walked the Chaseburg Nature Trail. We parked at the Chaseburg Horse parking lot since it's really not used at this time of year by the equestrians. Why let a good parking space go to waste, right?

Anyhow sitting in the parking area there are some huge old maples which provide amazing shade in the summer. Of course it's still too early for them to have leafed out but they have another purpose right now. Seriously, if you take a closer look on two sides of the tree there are what once were 'ice cream' buckets hanging from a little spout. These trees have been tapped and those buckets are full. What looks like water is not as it's maple syrup time.  This maple syrup liquid doesn't look like what comes out of the Aunt Jemima pancake syrup bottle because it still needs to be processed by a long, long boiling time.

 Isn't that cool or should I say hot?

Collecting maple syrup is definitely another sign we have survived winter.

Have you ever made maple syrup/ gathered any other natural product to make into a syrup?  Do share. 

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was:SIGNS OF WINTER SURVIVAL