My 55th Birthday! February 24

I'm 4 days out from my birthday, so before I forget exactly what made this year's so special, let me reflect just a bit. It really was a wonderful day. I started out with a song from my granddaughter in Maryland singing Happy Birthday on Facetime with our phones. It was so cute. We chatted a bit, then began our days. I love seeing them act and have fun over the phone, even if they do get rather crazy and funny. A short time later I talked to my other daughter from Maryland also, and caught up on her recent jury duty, and what else is going on with her. She and her husband are planning on coming up here the middle of March for sugar season. It is always fun to have visitors during this time. And..............their big news? They are expecting their first baby on September 9th (and our 3rd grandchild!) We are so excited. I can hardly wait to see her. I have sent some clothes down her way already, but we will do some shopping while they are up here since I have direct access to maternity clothes! Shortly after I finished that phone conversation, my sister called me from Arizona. She was on her way to work, so we chatted until she got to her office, maybe about 20 minutes. It was nice to catch up with her.
We were planning on going out to eat for dinner, but ended up going about 2 o'clock for a late lunch instead. They were predicting some heavy snow starting in the late afternoon, and we decided to beat it by eating early. We had a delicious lunch at Chow Bella in St. Albans, soup, sandwich and dessert. I was so full! But that was good, because despite the snow coming down by the time we got home, the temperature was warm, and the sap was running. So we bundled up, and met the neighbor down the road, and 4 of us managed to empty the buckets and get back to the sugar house about 6. We had a glass of wine and they decided to wait to boil it down until Saturday. I had missed a call along the way from my sister in New Hampshire, but caught the call from my daughter down in Dallas shortly after we got back from the sugar house. She and her boyfriend had sent me beautiful flowers, from others I got perfectly needed shoes, a fun yogurt maker, wonderful smelling soap, yummy chocolate, and lots of cards and well-wishes. It really was a great birthday.
The next night we went over to our neighbors' for a get-together dinner to share with one who's mother had just passed away. Its always a special time with all of them, and we had a fantastic meal, and then a tiny little cake in honor of my birthday, plus a Burton knitted purple hat as a gift from one of them. It was cute. I feel very grateful to have all of these people in my life. And another year ahead of me to celebrate. Thank you everyone.

We tapped our maple trees today, and although the sky was just as blue today as it was in this photo from last year, the biggest difference was that there really isn't any snow on the ground! Out in the woods there is some ground cover, but nothing like the thigh-deep stuff we climbed thru in 2011. But the buckets are hanging, and some of the taps were even running as soon as they were pounded in, and we'll probably collect maybe tomorrow and Tuesday because the weather looks warm and sunny. Some of the nearby neighbors gathered yesterday and got thousands of gallons of sap! It should be an interesting season.

This is our old, mighty maple that sits on a hill across from the meadow. The first year we moved in he had 5 buckets hanging on his massive trunk. They didn't tap it at all this year. It is sad not to see it with even one bucket on it, but he needs his rest now, and the sap he produces he should keep to feed his weary branches. He will stand proudly and watch as the trees around him give forth their sap, as the children run and gather nearby, but from here out he will just be supervising all of the younger maples.