Spring Cleaning, and Sweet Times...

I’m enjoying the free time that I’ve had for the last few weeks. It’s given me a chance to reconnect with my family, and catch up on things around the house (Speaking of catch, I played catch with Jordan yesterday! Beautiful evening! Spring is here!).
Anyway, last weekend I spent a lot of time cleaning my workshop which has been totally neglected. I’m trying to get things in order before Sue and I head out camping this summer. I got rid of 15 gals of old paint, and a trash barrel of do-dads and thinga-ma-jigs that I thought would come in handy some day. Rube Goldberg would be rolling over in his grave. I also burned 4 bags of old paper (do I really need bank statements from 1987?), and old scrap wood. The shop isn’t done, but I can actually find a hammer now! Another weekend of cleaning and even Norm Abrams would be proud. I used to collect all this junk thinking it would be useful someday. Ya never know when you need a watcha-ma-callit. Well, it got to the point that I just didn’t have time to look for that watcha-ma-callit, so I’d buy another. And I used to think I’d spend my later years (much later), putzing around the workshop banging nails into wood, and drilling holes, and sawing things, and somehow trying not to injure myself. But photography has just taken over that creative need, and I find myself wanting to build things less and less. I just love getting out into the fresh air and making photos.
So, in between sniffing paint to see if it was still good, and organizing screws and nails, Sue and I went over to my father-in-law, Ernie Bolduc's, maple sugar house to watch them make syrup. Bolduc Farm on Morrill St. in Gilford, is the oldest continuously-operating maple sugar house in the country. It has been producing maple sugar and syrup since the late 1700’s. Here are some shots from the maple sugar shack:

Back o' the shack,  3/11/12

Armand Bolduc checking the consistency



Laconia City Councillor Armand Bolduc,
and Gilford Public Works Director Sheldon Morgan
(This shot made the front page of the Citizen on 3/12)



Armand Bolduc testing the syrup

  

Sheldon Morgan(L), and Ernie Bolduc (R)
filtering the syrup

Ernie Bolduc



Laconia City Councillor Bob Hamel



Shot of the shack from Nov 2010

 

Front of the shack taken in Nov 2010


I even got to have some of Ernie's pancakes with FRESH maple syrup. MMMMMMM-Good! Just another great day experiencing what New Hampshire has to offer!

Have a great day yourself!
Em