1979Southern VermontNotes… a small farm-&-gardening diary…This page features Jan. to April Notes | |
| on to May to August | on to Sept. to December |
| January 16 *Rain & snow -- sloppy 31 *planted some cantaloupe, watermelon, tomato seeds February 6 *cold and windy 7 *Sugar house structure is up; roof ordered -cold and windy still 8 *cold & windy still *2 inches snow last night 9 *temperature in evening 0° to5°; sunny afternoon *got roof materials for Sugar house *took out elevated shelf for seeds in barn 10 *cold: 0° to 10° …but… -10° by 8p.m. *looked at wood burning furnace 11 *cold, not above 6° *no activity, a day of reading only 12 *Remains cold: -15° to 10° *called about the wood furnace 13 *Remains cold: -10° to 10° *got oil gauge in jeep fixed *planted cabbage, cauliflower, & brussels sprout seeds in flats and snaps, celosia, salvia, & gloriosa daisies in flats 14 *Still cold: -10° to 8° 15 *Small temperature improvement: -10° to 15° *did nothing *got oil ($110) *took walk to crossroads up back; trouble walking in the snow 16 *no change in temperature *no activity 17 *still cold *used last of second stack of wood in garage 18 *still cold, no activity today either 19 *got up to 20° today *put half of the plexiglass roof on the Sugar house *aching foot 20 *warmer today: high about 40° *finished roof on Sugar house *path to milk house dug 21 *warmer today: rain and sleet in the p.m. *dug path from milk house to Sugar house *couldn't start tractor; B. comes tomorrow and also brings back sharpened chain saws *ordered wood for Sugar house & frame for wood in basement 22 *a day of thaw!! 40° to 45° *oil delivered *cleaned out snow from Sugar house *got lumber for Sugar house flooring delivered *B. came & got tractor started: new battery; chainsaws sharpened *got new metal snowshoes, syrup scoop, and hydrometer 23 *walk to BT on new snowshoes; great shoes, but crusty snow *made floor (plywood 2 by 4's) for Sugar house *mild, overcast weather: 30° to 35° , with rain and sleet in the evening 24 *mild, rainy: 40° at night too *cut wood for barn stove 25 *continued mild: 40° , overcast, some mist 26 *raw; snow and sleet: 30° , miserable 27 *overcast: 32° about *drizzle, snow-sleet, miserable *went to BT on new snowshoes the hard way *talked to A. about kitchen door 28 *sunny: 45° *put plastic on sugar house *first tree tapped--flowed! *ordered wood furnace today *Benji [dog] gone all day -----Back to Top----- March 1 *temp. up to 50° *tapped trees today: 36 buckets out *bucket put out yesterday is filled today *Benji gone today too! 2 *rainy *sap flow slow, but buckets filling! *C's car didn't work & we went to Acton to bring her home *Benji came back today after 36 hours away 3 *cold, overcast: 35° to 40° *collected about 80 gals. of sap and boiled for first time. No syrup. 4 *warmer, overcast, misty *no sap 5 *misty, overcast, 50° or so *collected about 30 gals. of sap *dug path to bulkhead 6 *rain *trip to Boston & Hanscomb Field *road in bad shape below E's *no sap, no boiling. Nothing! 7 *overcast, nothing day *no sap flow 8 *sun finally in late afternoon *some sap flow *windows in barn 9 *sunny; sap ran *boiled today: about a gal. of syrup 10 *snow in a.m., then rain *collected only about 40 gal. of sap 11 *turning cold, overcast *sap running *road in bad shape 12 *did not get up to freezing today *sap frozen in buckets *fixed road today 13 *overcast & cold *walked to Bear Top *A. measured for vinyl siding 14 *rain, about all day *collected sap *got price for vinyl siding *J. & D. arrived after dinner 15 *clear, cold (25°), windy; down to 10° tonight *boiled today; made 2-plus gallons *dealer found car for C., red 16 *cold today, below freezing all day *no sap run *walked up back with J. & D. *planted a flat of tomatoes 17 *temp. 20° at night to 40° in day *sap started at about noon *collected about 30 gal. only 18 *duplicate of yesterday *did not collect sap *J. & D. returned to Maine 19 *20° at night, 40° or so in the day *nothing sort of day; sap ran a bit *planted cantaloupe seeds 20 *boiled today *good sap run *B. got 4 gal. of syrup 21 *35° Tues. night, 60° during day *boiled today *sap run, slowed as day warmed *we got 3 gal of syrup *total syrup thru today: 10 1/2 gal; used all sap *furnace due tomorrow 22 *30° at night, to 50° day *warming, some sap running *collected 75 gal. of sap (36 buckets) *started to put in new furnace *put covers on cold frames 23 *warm to 70° ,sunny; no sap run *boiled today *made 2 gals of syrup (12 1/2 gals. so far) *2d day on furnace; not finished *first flowers on hill behind house: purple iris, yellow something 24 *warm, sunny & then overcast *no sap run *got C.'s car today *crocus and jonquil shoots up 25 *warm; rain last night; snow going fast *no sap running 26 *started putting wood in basement *removed leaves from asparagus bed *rebored sap holes, pails; moved some 27 *below freezing last night; today 35° & very windy, sunny *moved wood into basement & garage today; a lot more to go 28 *warm day *sap running *moved wood all day into basement 29 *overcast, showery today *collected sap a.m. & p.m.; total about 90 gals. *finished moving wood to basement & garage *all wood for furnace for next winter in place *boil tomorrow 30 *rainy, overcast, in 50's *boiled: 2 gals. of syrup; season total 14 plus gals. *A. called: vinyl to be delivered 4/3 31 *mild, overcast & foggy *boiled for final time: 2 gals; season total is 16 1/2 gals. -----Back to Top----- April 1 *40°-50°, overcast *started taking down sugar house *took down buckets from trees: 36 buckets up altogether *M., C. and I went to Bear Top this P.M. 2 *rain *replanted cantaloupes in flat *waxed new room floor *set place for freezer in barn 3 *overcast, cold, 40° *finished taking down sugar house *A. delivered siding for the house; did not return for rest of the week 4 *overcast, cool, 40°-45*deg; *removed leaves from grapes *planted rhubarb; fertilized with cow manure *planted lilacs in front of wall--from side garden *filled in front lawn (& walk) with dirt; seeded with grass seed 5 *snow overnight, very windy; snow melted *day boycotted 6 *cold, wet, drab: nothing day 7 *same as 6th *Benji [the dog--a German shepherd] disappeared after dinner 8 *warmer *put cabbage, broccoli, etc. in cold frame *walked to Bear Top 9 *snow last night and all today: 8-10 inches; 35° *Benji showed up at 2p.m.: broken right rear leg; to vet; travelling terrible 10 *warmer today; snow melting *a boycott day 11 *snow melting fast: in the 50's *Benji back from the vet in p.m.; leg in sling, confined to the back porch 12 *warmer; snow gone except across stream, patches in woods, north side of the barn * built dog house in walnut grove 13 *sunny a.m.; cloudy, windy & colder in p.m. *transplanted pear trees & 2 walnut trees into walnut grove *rototilled for peas; lime also *removed snow tires from VW; started both rototillers *phoebes are back 14 *snow again, slushy *put snowblower away for year *got big rototiller & lawnmower goving *otherwise: nothing day 15 *Easter: overcast & rainy, 40° plus *did nothing: again 16 *rainy & cold *a nothing day: boycotted 17 *some sun, some rain, some wind: 40°-45° *cleared out flowerbeds, back patio, etc. *painted dog house *crocuses up 18 *sunny, windy, 55°-60° *cut some wood along road *A. starts vinyl siding *spruce trees arrived; put in some across the road *crocus blooms 19 *sunny, very windy: 55°-65° *put in balance of spruce trees: 333 across road, 125-plus in field up back, 10 behind house, 30 at jeep road junction *Benji spent day in walnut grove--in dog house mostly 20 *cold last night: 25° or so; warmer today--to 65° *planted peas: 3 double rows *Benji to vet to have stitches removed; spent day in walnut grove *first daffodils, in front of porch 21 *finished clearing out wood by road *opened windows in basement 22 *put first wood in barn: 1/2 cord *E.s' 40th anniversary party 23 *75°, sunny *watered peas *first day of clearing wood up back *fertilized trees: fruit, walnut, etc. *daffodils on hill blooming 24 *75°, sunny *more wood up back; cut and stacked first sugar wood for next year *planted raspberries & 1 grape (concord) *transplanted celosia & gloriosa daisies in garden (from warm room) 25 *warm, overcast *pulled down wood & placed in barn: now have 1 1/2 rows *in p.m. pulled up wood for B. & wood for maple syrup 26 *rainy in later p.m. *limed & rototilled garden; put down black plastic for cantaloupes *put seedlings outside barn to "toughen" *first grape hyacinth on hill 27 *rain all day, warm *first sign of asparagus *took down plastic from barn windows & shelf 28 *sunny, 75°, rain in p.m. *cleared road scrapings & rocks from edge of grass *first sign of leaves on trees *birthday party for T.C. 29 *sunny, warm *built addition to Benji's house in grove *A. here in a.m. *walked to parking lot in evening *deer in field 30 *sunny, 65° *cleared logging road of fallen trees; brought down 3 jeep-loads of wood *peas are starting to appear above ground *M. planted flower seeds in flats in the barn -----Back to Top----- for May click here …and more … |
|
Page design copyright © 2002-2008 c. stockbridge. All rights reserved.
Diary © f. stockbridge 1979. All rights reserved.
Page last modified Nov. 26, 2008.