Done. After this post, we have finished talking about Maple syrup for the year. Today was the climax of our season with the 18th annual missions meal at our church—Sonnenberg Mennonite. The events of the morning are fresh in my mind, so I hope you don’t mind if I wrap it up with a little report and words of thanks.
Every year a growing number of people come to enjoy the meal and share with the missions we support. Two years ago, there were about 425 who came. Last year around 525. Today the record was broken again with 580 people who were served a delicious meal, and who donated generously.
This is tremendous! Our hearts are filled with gratitude. I speak for those of us from Sonnenberg, but also for those we serve with funding, prayer, material and moral support.
From my place at the table where we sell maple syrup and sausage, I have a good view of all the comings and goings. So many of you we see every year, and we appreciate you. For my friends from work who have to put up with me every day—thank you for coming and supporting us. For those who came for the first time, I hope it was a wonderful experience, and we look forward to seeing you next year.
One of the biggest surprises of the morning was to see some old friends walk in the door. Phil and Ellen Nisly, who live about an hour south of us, learned about the event on facebook, and took the drive north for breakfast. We were employed by Phil and Ellen on the Walnut Hills Dairy Farm in Gallia County back in 1986 and ‘87. We have many wonderful memories from those days on the farm when we worked together and our children played together. That was quite a while ago, but the memories are still fresh.
The prize for the couple who came the farthest goes to Earl and Wilma Hofstetter. They drove in from Elida, Ohio, my first hometown, about 145 miles due west. Some folks will go a great distance for a good meal. Thank you! (There is no real prize—just a mention in this writing.)
It was really good to see John and Rozella Lehman. They spent the winter in Texas and arrived home just in time to be here for the festival. They would still be in Texas for a little while yet if it weren’t for this special event, and once-a-year superb meal. So technically, they came the farthest, but we can’t give them the prize, because Kidron is their home. So happy to have you back! We hope the meal was a great reward for returning early—leaving warm Texas just in time for some frigid Ohio weather.
Once again, the Maple Syrup Festival fills me with gratitude. I am grateful for my church family from Sonnenberg who pitch in whole-heartedly to make this event happen. It’s no small thing, and it takes many hands to prepare syrup, sausage, pancakes, blueberry sauce and applesauce. It takes many more hands to serve and cleanup. And it takes many wonderful folks to come and partake. I walked around a couple times to see how things were going, and what I observed reminded me of our beehives on a warm day. A happy humming of many voices enjoying good food and conversation. Many busy bees bustling around, cooperating cheerfully with each other to accomplish the task at hand.
Again, it was a pleasure to talk with many folks about the maple season, and about how different it is this year with such a late start. As we suspected, it will be a short season. It is coming to a close here very shortly. This week we had a couple warm days followed by warm nights, and the sap began to turn. That means that it is getting cloudy and sort of yellowish. This kind of sap does not make good syrup. The flavor begins tasting like wood. I know this because I chew on wood regularly. Not really. But I do know this because years ago I made some nasty tasting syrup from that kind of sap. It is called “buddy” syrup, because the trees are budding, and it is not usable. Tastes like wood smells.
This is a photo of my budding Maple tree.
This cold snap will likely make the sap run clear again for a couple days, but then I suspect the season will be over. It looks like we will end the season with about 40 gallons of syrup. This is down considerably from last year’s bumper production of 70 gallons. Our average is typically around 55 to 60 gallons a year. We’ll take whatever we get, and be thankful.
One of the really nice things about these annual events, is that we get to meet new people, and visit with those who are becoming our friends. One such couple came to our house last Saturday to see our cooking operation. Lue and Bert Shetler from Mt. Eaton. What a pleasure to get to know them. Bert introduced himself as Mr. Wonderful. I don’t doubt that. He’s a fine man. Must be a story there somewhere. Lue is a blog writer, and we began following her a while back. If you want to see excellent photography, and read interesting thoughts about many different things, go visit her blog at www.lookinginmyrearviewmirror.com. This past week, Lue posted a blog with quite a few pictures of our maple syrup production. If you want to see where and how the syrup is cooked down, check it out, but try to ignore the old guy in the photos. I think you will appreciate Lue’s style, and will enjoy her other blog entries too.
It’s been a busy week. Short nights, long days. Collecting sap, cooking and canning. Preparing sausage and setting up displays. It was worth all the effort. With a happy sense of satisfaction, I am now going to kick back for a nap. Don’t call me.
From Kidron, Ohio, the little village where time moves at a slower pace, and the moments are punctuated by the rhythmic clip-clopping of Amish horses headed into and out of town. Here the sturdy Swiss men are doing their best, the lovely ladies are becoming more beautiful with age, and the much-loved children grow up and leave home with a good foundation, and every intention of returning some day. Hometown Kidron. Come see us sometime.
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