Puzzle Description:

And the sap is running

#1: Donald Clysdale (don) on Mar 10, 2021 [SPOILER]

Many the time I was the sap running around carrying pails, at my in-laws sugar bush.

All came together at the end when I got the man finished. I am sure the reward of fresh maple syrup was worth it (the running around not being a sap!).

As soon as I read "And the sap is running" my head replied "yeah, and he's about to run right into that tree!" :)

All my life I have wished to be a part of gathering and boiling the sap...now that I am old, maybe I could only watch it...but I would love this. I'd love to be a part of this on a small family operation. It will probably never happen, but I can hope. It is good to have dreams in your heart. I came from a farm where I milked cows and even got to take lunch to the men in the field when they still threshed oats with the old big steam threshing machine. The men came in for dinner at noon...oh! my memories...I wouldn't trade those farmhouse days for the world!...it was another world...one you only read about in books now.

I was a city girl most of the time, but I begged for every day, minute, second on the farm...unlike my brothers and sisters. As a result I spent most of my childhood there, content to be separated. I loved it there. My parents didn't understand it...and truth be told, my aunts and uncles on the farm didn't understand it, though they loved having me. Aunt Lizzie said to me, "What do you see in this dirty old farm?" She thought living in the "clean" city was nicer. Not me! Give me the earth for growing up every time!

As I was finishing, I imagined a tree with a beer toasting the impending arrival of spring. Now, all I see is person "walking like an egyptian" after tapping the tree.

Thanks so much for your comments. Since creating a few puzzles, I realized we do it for the nice comments, not just the puzzle. JoDeen, in my farm days, we combined, and I only threshed once. Can you capture your memories? Writing a book is a lot of work, but families and local colleges love oral histories, which are easy to capture on a phone, tablet, PC or even tape recorder.

I've thought about it, Don. We do tell the stories over and over. My adult children love the stories as much now as they did when they were kids. I come from a German background and I must say, the old Germans had a certain, peculiar sense of humor. At least these Germans did. They would laugh at people's foolishness. This was all well and good...unless it was YOUR foolishness it was at which they were laughing. Children in particular were the target of this kind of "fun." I took a lesson from this...and never did it to others when I grew up because I didn't like being laughed at. Old Uncle Pete, when asked whether he wanted cherry pie or apple always answered, "I'll have both!" That was considered both very impolite and a great joke because he always did it and it was expected...and always drew a great laugh from all the farmers sitting around the noon table...and he was always served both kinds of pie! It was my job to bring the dessert out to the men. When I did, every time one of them would HAVE to say, "Say, JoDeen, have you got stuck in any cream cans lately?" Then they would all laugh...EVERY TIME. I mean I sat in an empty cream can ONE TIME when I was TWO and got wedged tight. You'd think they could forget it, but nooooo...every year, threshing time, same old joke, every day....

A little odd, but a very clear image. I knew what it was before I read the caption. Great job.

JoDeen, I should have got back to you earlier. These stories told and retold form the community, and including you means that you are a part of the community. Too bad for the little bit of Schadenfreude that comes with it. Don

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