Newsletter #299 2025 Mar 10 Monday
It has been a big week, and a good week. Of course there were challenges, but I am pleased with the work we did get done.
Primal Woods
Pure Maple Syrup
We were this afternoon collecting, with evaporation on tap for tomorrow. Some additional hands came to help today, so I’m hopeful that we can get some video of the Oxen moving with the Sap Wagon in tow. (That part didn’t happen.)
The percent sugar in the syrup is measured by specific gravity; the above scale is in degrees Baume; at 211F the syrup needs to float the top red line, and at 60F it needs to float the bottom red line. Too much sugar can also be a problem, as in the bottle sugar that cannot be held in solution will drop out and form rock candy in the bottom. By the way, for that reason there is no such thing as “extra thick” Pure Maple Syrup; if you see that on a bottle you’re actually dealing with corn syrup flavored as maple. We are good to go. And the taste tests came back “awesome!” from yours truly.
We are done with sap flow until a week from today; the spring-time work is endless, so that break in the season will allow us to get to other projects, including a milling job, or two. It’s already time to work on this year’s pigs, and a couple of other animal related ideas my friend Mark and I are working on.
Sawmill Services
Rob’s logs that I first showed last week are on the schedule this week; the ultimate goal is flooring for the house under construction in the background. As I’m fond of saying, “you can’t buy that with a MasterCard;” flooring from trees removed to make room for the house cannot be found in any store.
I think that will be it for milling this week; Joel’s logs are next in the queue, followed by Lazaro’s “cookies.”
We are off to a fast start with milling, I cannot explain why, but we are certainly grateful.
Homestead Rebel
I got a little lazy, but not as lazy as last week; or maybe I just went from no time to a little bit to spare! Anyway, here is a little 11 minute compilation video of the week. Pretty much unedited; no time for editing.
News and Notes
In the lead-up to ‘16 was the first time I was labeled “fascist” by some truly ignorant soul, it was not much later I signed off of Facebook. But, I’m guessing it is not much different now. Gee whiz, the last thing I might be is a fascist, since I have little time for either Big Business or Big Government.
Twenty billion here, 20 billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking about real money.
And I put up two notes on tariffs.
Property taxes; the Lord knows I hate them with a passion; but, this post does not even mention that particular tax. Allowing the feds to directly tax the people, without involvement of the individual states, was one of many evil deeds of Woodrow Wilson; how the 16th Amendment ever made it through ratification by the states is beyond me. But, in yet another example of the “slippery slope,” or “gradualism” used by “progressives” to institute massive change, the income tax started as a 1% tax on the top 1%. Now the feds take more than $2.2 trillion off the top of American’s earnings. The minimum tax rate is 10% and goes to 37%, the minimum amount that can be made without taxation, wait for it … $0.
Books & Such
I’m buttoning up my reading of Raised to Obey, by Agustina Paglayan. As time allows I will put together the post. It’s hard to disagree with the author on the original “why” of indoctrination through compulsory education, but this all started in the middle of the 19th century; actually I take that back, it started in the 18th century, and came to fruition in the 19th and 20th centuries. What is going on now? I do differ with the author on what she thinks should be the goal of education, but I’ll save that for the post to come.
All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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All the best, and may God bless you and yours,
John & Geri
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