Walnut Tree

We cut down two walnut trees a few weeks ago.   This is what one looked like the afternoon it was cut.  

No doubt from that center that this is walnut. 

Over time, the wood oxidizes and the whole cut surface goes pretty brown.  

Notice how wet it looks.   Trees draw sap down from the twigs, not up from the roots.   The stump didn't release sap at all, but all the logs did. 

Sap Runneth

One of the only things to get me through this winter has been the now steady drip, drip, drip of sap into the sap bags.    We're getting a bit more than a gallon a day from each tree as long as the temps go below freezing at night.    Some days, we get more.  


It's the freeze/thaw cycle that pumps the sap through the tree.

I let the sap bag get about 1/3 full and then empty it.  We've had it spill because it gets so full and I don't want to lose a single drop.    This week I've been emptying a couple of times a day - and one day we emptied three times.   We got close to 2 gallons that day.

I'm so looking forward to the boil.