Showing posts with label Gayle Millbank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gayle Millbank. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

A Magical Adventure With a Maple Tree

In the fastness of her tree-surrounded home at Ten Mile Point, Gayle Millbank writes books under her imprint Seapoint Publishing. Her illustrated paperback A Magical Adventure In a Leaf takes us imaginatively inside a blackberry leaf to view its molecular workings - it is a beautiful clear introduction to the magic of photosynthesis for the young reader. Taking a break from writing, Gayle tried a new pastime and describes her adventure with a maple tree here:




Tapping Maples in Cadboro Bay:

Western Bigleaf Maples are a little-known source of maple syrup which can be accessed quite easily. With three spiles, some food-grade tubing (from BeesnGlass in Duncan) , and three one-gallon food-safe jugs, and U-tube instructions plus local book Bigleaf Sugaring: Tapping The Western Maple by Gary and Katherine Backlund, I bravely set out to tap the large old maple in my back yard.

My electric drill with a large bit dove easily into the tree, the spile with attached tubing tapped in just as easily, and miracle of miracles the sap started to flow. I directed it into the jug, watched it with joy for a few minutes and then left it to drip, drip by itself.

When I returned the next morning the gallon jug was three/quarters full. I was delighted but overwhelmed as I thought of processing a gallon a day of sap.

Leaving the tree to drip I headed in to make syrup. The water boiled off in a few hours and I was left with about six ounces of delicious maple syrup which I stored in a sterilized container. My mind whirled as I thought of all the syrup I would have in a few days.

The next morning, empty jug in hand, I visited my tree. Only a few drops of sap graced the bottom of the container. Ever hopeful I returned day after day but that gorgeous tree only gave me just a few drops of precious sap. Finally I removed the spiles and tubing, declaring I would start earlier next year. 

I still don't know what happened but I do know that old tree can be a good producer when it conditions are right: some say wait for a -2 degree frost, some say sugar in November and December. I'm not sure why I was successful that first day, but I am sure I'm going to try it again next winter.
 

Gayle Millbank's titles include:
The Adventures of Zeta Star, Books 1 & 2 (young adult science fiction)
The Lost Journals of Michelangelo
Leonardo Battles Michelangelo: Florence 1505 (a play)
A Magical Adventure in a Leaf (youth, illustrated)
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ggscreations



.