41 Comments

Sydney What a wonderful tradition. Thanks you for sharing your life. D

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Mar 19Liked by Sydney Michalski

Gorgeous photos, and so interesting! The article makes maple syrup sound equal parts intricate and accessible to learn—and the intricate pastimes are often the best ones. Thank you, as always, for writing.

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This is wonderful, and inspiring, Sydney. I love that I've learned so much. Thank you for sharing this. And of course it goes without saying that the photos are amazing. x

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Very interesting lesson on maple syrup and nice photos.

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Excellent and informative explanation Sydney. That's such a treat to be able to make your own maple syrup. I love the photos as well!

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Beautiful photos! My grandmother used to say the last syrup (if you collected longer than you should) was "buddy." Not like a good friend; like syrup that isn't any good lol. I forgot to mention that in my post so here I am commenting it haha. Have you tried birch syrup? It takes, I think, roughly twice as much sap and it isn't even half as good as maple, haha!

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Wow, thank you for this fun and informative read. I had no idea you could make syrup from other types of maples.

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Mar 24Liked by Sydney Michalski

It’s not much of a stretch to think of you as a pioneer woman. And this fine essay glimmered with photos and facts and poetry.

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Thank you for this, Sydney! I’m enlightened and have more appreciation for the process behind maple syrup.

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Mar 21Liked by Sydney Michalski

This is fascinating, Sydney! I doubt I'll ever have occasion to tap a tree, but I will remember your story every time I drizzle real maple syrup on my pancakes!

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Mar 20Liked by Sydney Michalski

Very interesting! I love Maple Syrup! Thank you for sharing! Btw. I enjoyed listening to it…

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Mar 19Liked by Sydney Michalski

I love maple tapping season and the syrup that is cooked down from the sap is the best. Such smoky deliciousness!

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Mar 19Liked by Sydney Michalski

Gorgeous, as always! Thank you.

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I love this! We have two sugar maples in our yard, both still fairly young. They offer glorious shade and quite a show of reds and golds in the fall.

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Mar 19·edited Mar 19Liked by Sydney Michalski

Having only ever lived in Quebec and Ontario, I am very familiar with maple syrup. I pity the poor people who put corn syrup on their pancakes and don't know the difference. For me, the darker the colour, the better, the more intense the flavour. I like homemade maple syrup far above the commercially produced product which is too clean for my liking. Homemade, especially if it is done outside in an open pan over a wood fire so the smoke curls around and flavours the mix. Mmmm, my mouth is watering. That's a beautiful shot you have of the red maple buds. To my way of thinking, maples are the perfect tree. Aside from their syrup, they are the best shade trees with the most colourful autumn leaves, they are long growing and their hardwood provides the best fuel for the wood stove or fireplace. Their wood is among the hardest of the hardwoods. Maples have the most beautiful grain and furniture made with burled maple wood is among the most exquisite creations there are. In 1964, Canada adopted the maple leaf as our national flag as we broke out from the shadow of our colonial past. Today, that flag is welcomed wherever we go, as if the maple leaf represents something beautiful within the Canadian character which is in itself welcoming and proud.

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Mar 19Liked by Sydney Michalski

I’m happy I got to be your first cup of coffee! 😊 Looking forward to learning more from you.

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