Do you know that the best way to tell whether a maple tree is big enough to be tapped is to ask a 9-year-old to hug the tree?

Once we had found our "perfect candidates", it was time to play with tools. I thought Gary would have to do that part, but the boys were anxious to help. Boys and tools. I should have guessed. Before long, all three pals were hung from taps which are about 2 inches deep into the tree trunks. Before dinner, Gary and the boys collected today's yield --- more than a litre.

Ratio of sap to syrup is 40:1. In order to have make 75ml of syrup, which is about the amount we put on our waffles one morning, we need to collect 3 litres of sap. In the past couple of weeks, I have been hoping for warmer weather. Now, I am keeping my fingers crossed that temperatures will remain marginal --- between 4 and 7 degrees Celcius --- for a few days.