Maple Open House

There's been a lot of hubbub recently around here-- dead-looking trees with IV-like tubes sticking out of them, and lots of Grange-hall breakfasts being advertised, things like that. Today as I was out doing some errands I spotted a building that looked very much like it was on fire-- smoke was billowing from the roof, and there were lots of cars parked on the side of the road. It didn't seem like an emergency, but rather like a happy little party. I knew I had to join the fun when I saw this little sign:


It was the local sugarhouse, gorifying the mapley goodness that means Spring around here.


There's a little room in the back of the store where they have the boilers, and that would explain the steam (not smoke, I'm such a ninny) that I had seen billowing from the roof. The smell was heavenly, and you could see the frothy bubblyness that would soon be syrup.


Here's the steam escaping from the opening in the roof:

...And a little mini-museum they had in one corner:

And back in the main room they had bottle after bottle of syrup:

The only bad thing is that I don't particularly care for maple syrup. I like it as a discreet ingredient, a flavoring in cookies and candies and maybe on ice cream, but not as a big runny puddle on my pancakes. I have this weird reaction where if I eat it I smell like it for days-- it's really bizarre. However, I couldn't leave without buying something that was mapley, so I got some maple butter and some maple-flavored pancake mix. If I don't like them I know of a couple of parents and maybe even a sister who would like them instead.