Friday 6 March 2009

Cake? What Cake?

overcast, freezing rain, temps hovering around freezing

Blech day. But not unusual for March. In fact, it's perfect 'sugaring-off' weather. And, no, that's not a euphamism. It's the maple syrup season around here. Maple producers tap the trees and in spring when the sap starts running they collect it, boil it down and get maple syrup. And the perfect weather to collect the sweet syrup is when it get's above freezing during the day, then freezes up again at night.

March can be tricky here, as can April. Warm and rainy one day, bitter cold and a snow storm the next.

Thank you for all the lovely messages after yesterday's post. So many people have had the same experience. Men and women. I does feel like a battlefield sometimes, with people dropping all around, or being hit. And so far Michael and I have been lucky.

Had a very funny message from a woman named Cathie, whose dogs did in the better part of a bundt cake the other day. It reminded me of a note we found from Deanna when we got home not too long ago. She's a friend and comes and helps out sometimes. here's what she wrote:

Dearest Louise and Michael,

It seems as if, while I was upstairs cleaning, a mouse must have gotten up and eaten a few cookies, some fudge and the remaining butter. I asked Trudy (one of our goldens) if it might have been her and she seemed truly insulted! She promised to keep an eye out for that mouse.

After a while Trudy admitted that it was indeed her who had eaten the goodies but!!! that she, and not I, had permission from Louise as she left this morning to help herslef to the cookies and things on the counter. I explained that I thought Louise was talking to me but Trudy argued that I wasn't even in the room so clearly the offer was to her and I was the one stealing. So I must apologize again to you both and to Trudy and to all the mice who call this their home for my mis-understanding. :) Sincerely sorry, Deanna.

PS I think Trudy has forgiven me but she told me to listen more carefully in the future.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are having "sugaring-off" weather while we are having a touch of Spring in Georgia. We had snow last weekend and 70's this one....I prefer this one!! Loved Deanna's cookie story!

Cece said...

Our maples drip sap from some of the branch joints. This year, with the erratic weather, the drips started, then froze in the last cold snap, making maple sap icicles. Some were several inches long. Our five insane squirrels would hang upside down licking and chewing them until the frozen sap fell to the ground, then they carried the maple popsicles off to their nest.

Louise Penny Author said...

Dear Jo,

Yes, I prefer yours too!

Louise Penny Author said...

Dear Cece,

Great story! Can just see them. Yummy icicles.