Maple Syrup

What to do when it's too windy for a paddle... Today I decided to boil down the sap I've been collecting and make some maple syrup. I've never done this before (Long Island is not known for its delicious Maple Syrup -something a close friend of mine pointed out). But, I tapped a few trees in my yard this year to see what, if anything, I could make of it. And today, I found out!

Because of the ton of steam produced in boiling off the water, I opted to do the work outside in my driveway, using my Coleman stove. Despite the freezing cold wind, my system seemed to work fine. It only took about 2 hours and the half-gallon of sap I had collected to make about 1/2 cup of maple syrup.

As it turned out, the syrup is actually delicious! Now I can't wait for pancakes in the morning!!!

Winter Kayaking

Ohhhh, the pleasures of kayaking during a Long Island winter. Especially when you leave your boat out on your car with plans of paddling the next day, only to find that it has snowed and now your seat has a layer of ice on it.