It's no wonder we vacate campus in March. "Spring Break" is scheduled as we endure the harsh transition of late winter. 



It's a time of heavy, wet snow. Winds are heavy with moisture. It's a good time to be away. 
Unless you are a sugarer. Afternoon temperatures in the high 30s followed by cold nights prompt sweet sap to rise in maples. For those in the sugar industry, long months of preparation and anticipation are over. These few weeks provide a brief window to collect, boil and bottle.



Eric Johnson '88 is the owner and "boilmaster" of Tucker Mountain Maple, a maple syrup cooperative located at his property in East Andover. This week, he hosted Governor Maggie Hassan for an annual tapping out ceremony at Highland Farm, the home--a century ago--of Governor Nahum J. Bachelder.







Below, Highland Lake Inn keeper Pecco Beaufays with Eric's wife, Proctor science teacher Heide Novado Johnson, Stacey Viandier, and Eric's and Heide's daughters Britta and Annika '17.



My experience is that maple sugar producers are fonts of information! Spend time with Dave Pilla at Proctor, or with Eric at Tucker Mountain Maple (yes, you are invited!) and you learn much in a hurry. Eric is importing sap from twenty-three local properties. While Proctor's sugar house (which will come alive over Project Period) may yield 60 or 90 gallons of liquid gold each spring, TMM may produce 400 to 500 gallons. Eric's sap goes through a preliminary reverse-osmosis process that eliminates much water prior to the boil, saving time and cordwood.



Each year, Dave Pilla uses sugaring as a metaphoric life lesson for Proctor students. You can't control the weather, the flow of sap or the sugar content. There are good years, and disappointing years. You take them as they come, and do your best with what you get.




One thing is certain: what you get is precious and good!