No, not that kind of big run. A sap run.
It warmed up quite a bit today, almost 50 degrees. So the sap was just pouring out of the maple trees (relatively speaking). Lisa had to run to the feed store and get another garbage can to store the sap.
All told, we've got about 35 gallons to boil down this weekend. Here's hoping it won't be too cold.
And here's the southern Vermont update:
Southern Vermont[3/27/08] Sugar makers in Southern Vermont are experiencing a season of extremes. Those at lower elevations, especially in Bennington County, are having what may turn out to be their best year ever. Syrup is light, flavorful and plentiful. Woodsheds are empty and sugar houses are filling with drums of Fancy and Medium Amber syrup. Producers are beginning to make some Dark Amber syrup, just in time for this weekend.
Those at higher elevations in the Green Mountains are still struggling through 2-3 feet of snow and their season is still in its early stage (Hooray! That's us!). Most report excellent quality and are hoping for slightly warmer weather.
In Shaftsbury, we have now boiled 14 nights and have made what we consider to be a full crop with more sap expected over the next five days. The same is reported by sugar makers in Rupert, Sunderland and North Bennington. Sugar houses will be welcoming visitors this weekend, particularly on Maple Sunday - remember to wear boots 'cause it's mud season!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
I'm With Annie
... at least, after a race. A regular run, not so much.
Nine miles so far this week. Not prepared to say I'm in a groove, just yet.
March 27, 2008
Personal Best
Yes, Running Can Make You High
By GINA KOLATA
THE runner’s high: Every athlete has heard of it, most seem to believe in it and many say they have experienced it. But for years scientists have reserved judgment because no rigorous test confirmed its existence.
Yes, some people reported that they felt so good when they exercised that it was as if they had taken mood-altering drugs. But was that feeling real or just a delusion? And even if it was real, what was the feeling supposed to be, and what caused it?
Some who said they had experienced a runner’s high said it was uncommon. They might feel relaxed or at peace after exercising, but only occasionally did they feel euphoric. Was the calmness itself a runner’s high?
Often, those who said they experienced an intense euphoria reported that it came after an endurance event.
My friend Marian Westley said her runner’s high came at the end of a marathon, and it was paired with such volatile emotions that the sight of a puppy had the power to make her weep.
Others said they experienced a high when pushing themselves almost to the point of collapse in a short, intense effort, such as running a five-kilometer race.
But then there are those like my friend Annie Hiniker, who says that when she finishes a 5-k race, the last thing she feels is euphoric. “I feel like I want to throw up,” she said.
The runner’s-high hypothesis proposed that there were real biochemical effects of exercise on the brain. Chemicals were released that could change an athlete’s mood, and those chemicals were endorphins, the brain’s naturally occurring opiates. Running was not the only way to get the feeling; it could also occur with most intense or endurance exercise.
The problem with the hypothesis was that it was not feasible to do a spinal tap before and after someone exercised to look for a flood of endorphins in the brain. Researchers could detect endorphins in people’s blood after a run, but those endorphins were part of the body’s stress response and could not travel from the blood to the brain. They were not responsible for elevating one’s mood. So for more than 30 years, the runner’s high remained an unproved hypothesis.
But now medical technology has caught up with exercise lore. Researchers in Germany, using advances in neuroscience, report in the current issue of the journal Cerebral Cortex that the folk belief is true: Running does elicit a flood of endorphins in the brain. The endorphins are associated with mood changes, and the more endorphins a runner’s body pumps out, the greater the effect.
Leading endorphin researchers not associated with the study said they accepted its findings.
Nine miles so far this week. Not prepared to say I'm in a groove, just yet.
March 27, 2008
Personal Best
Yes, Running Can Make You High
By GINA KOLATA
THE runner’s high: Every athlete has heard of it, most seem to believe in it and many say they have experienced it. But for years scientists have reserved judgment because no rigorous test confirmed its existence.
Yes, some people reported that they felt so good when they exercised that it was as if they had taken mood-altering drugs. But was that feeling real or just a delusion? And even if it was real, what was the feeling supposed to be, and what caused it?
Some who said they had experienced a runner’s high said it was uncommon. They might feel relaxed or at peace after exercising, but only occasionally did they feel euphoric. Was the calmness itself a runner’s high?
Often, those who said they experienced an intense euphoria reported that it came after an endurance event.
My friend Marian Westley said her runner’s high came at the end of a marathon, and it was paired with such volatile emotions that the sight of a puppy had the power to make her weep.
Others said they experienced a high when pushing themselves almost to the point of collapse in a short, intense effort, such as running a five-kilometer race.
But then there are those like my friend Annie Hiniker, who says that when she finishes a 5-k race, the last thing she feels is euphoric. “I feel like I want to throw up,” she said.
The runner’s-high hypothesis proposed that there were real biochemical effects of exercise on the brain. Chemicals were released that could change an athlete’s mood, and those chemicals were endorphins, the brain’s naturally occurring opiates. Running was not the only way to get the feeling; it could also occur with most intense or endurance exercise.
The problem with the hypothesis was that it was not feasible to do a spinal tap before and after someone exercised to look for a flood of endorphins in the brain. Researchers could detect endorphins in people’s blood after a run, but those endorphins were part of the body’s stress response and could not travel from the blood to the brain. They were not responsible for elevating one’s mood. So for more than 30 years, the runner’s high remained an unproved hypothesis.
But now medical technology has caught up with exercise lore. Researchers in Germany, using advances in neuroscience, report in the current issue of the journal Cerebral Cortex that the folk belief is true: Running does elicit a flood of endorphins in the brain. The endorphins are associated with mood changes, and the more endorphins a runner’s body pumps out, the greater the effect.
Leading endorphin researchers not associated with the study said they accepted its findings.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The Lands That Time Forgot. Newsweek, Too.
Here's a nifty little set of heat maps from OJB (Online Journalism Blog) that shows how different organizations cover different parts of the world. Talk about very cool research.
Whew.
Another run this morning. Shoulder blade was the tiniest bit tight, and my left knee was pulling a bit, kept waiting for something catastrophic to happen. Nothing. I warmed up after a mile or so. Held myself to three miles, which is fine. Not great; just fine. And I think I'll be happy to be just fine for quite some time. The exercise just makes all the difference in the world.
Deal du jour: Went into Brattleboro yesterday to pick up a prescription (and to take Will to the game store so he could spend some birthday money). Stopped by the co-op's bulk outlet and scored -- ta-da! -- 50 pounds of oats for only $20.
That's a lot of oats.
Can't resist this one:
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Back on My Feet Again
Got ambitious this morning and did three very, very slow miles after taking the boys to the bus stop. It felt ... good.
And my shoulder didn't even break off. It was a bit chilly at first, around 20 degrees, but I worked up a sweat.
Busy week in kid-dom. Have to take Will to town so he can spend his birthday money on a couple of Wii games. After two years, I finally discovered a Wii at retail price and figured, hey, he's been so good for so long that he deserves it. He had a one-word reaction when he opened the present:
"Sweet!"
He's also got a student leadership meeting Wednesday night. John is going to NYC Sunday and Monday on a combined biology/Western Civilization field trip (insert your own joke here).
The first batch of maple came out great. Just no comparison between doing it yourself and buying it, none at all. It took Lisa about 20 gallons of sap to get a half-gallon of syrup. We may try again for some more this weekend. As it stands, we've got about three pints in a jar in the fridge, and bought a half-dozen tiny, half-pint gift tins for relatives.
Scary news in the world of chickens. I'm hearing that one of the larger hatcheries had an avian encephalomyelitis outbreak. If true, sucks to be them, and and anyone who bought chicks from them.
I bought one batch while I was flat on my back from McMurray; the first box arrived dead. Some doofus put them in the back of the truck in subzero weather. The second replacement batch was delivered to the wrong post office, and someone else picked them up. Instead of giving McMurray another chance to abuse me, I ordered a batch from Cackle. They've been fine so far; no evidence of AE, anyway.
Gotta get cranking on some work.
And my shoulder didn't even break off. It was a bit chilly at first, around 20 degrees, but I worked up a sweat.
Busy week in kid-dom. Have to take Will to town so he can spend his birthday money on a couple of Wii games. After two years, I finally discovered a Wii at retail price and figured, hey, he's been so good for so long that he deserves it. He had a one-word reaction when he opened the present:
"Sweet!"
He's also got a student leadership meeting Wednesday night. John is going to NYC Sunday and Monday on a combined biology/Western Civilization field trip (insert your own joke here).
The first batch of maple came out great. Just no comparison between doing it yourself and buying it, none at all. It took Lisa about 20 gallons of sap to get a half-gallon of syrup. We may try again for some more this weekend. As it stands, we've got about three pints in a jar in the fridge, and bought a half-dozen tiny, half-pint gift tins for relatives.
Scary news in the world of chickens. I'm hearing that one of the larger hatcheries had an avian encephalomyelitis outbreak. If true, sucks to be them, and and anyone who bought chicks from them.
I bought one batch while I was flat on my back from McMurray; the first box arrived dead. Some doofus put them in the back of the truck in subzero weather. The second replacement batch was delivered to the wrong post office, and someone else picked them up. Instead of giving McMurray another chance to abuse me, I ordered a batch from Cackle. They've been fine so far; no evidence of AE, anyway.
Gotta get cranking on some work.
Monday, March 24, 2008
I'll Shut Up Now
... but only after posting this snippet from an interesting WSJ article on the return of Malthus:
But Mr. Stiglitz, the economist, contends that consumers eventually will have to change their behavior even more than then did after the 1970s oil shock. He says the world's traditional definitions and measures of economic progress -- based on producing and consuming ever more -- may have to be rethought.
Indeed, the true lesson of Thomas Malthus, an English economist who died in 1834, isn't that the world is doomed, but that preservation of human life requires analysis and then tough action. Given the history of England, with its plagues and famines, Malthus had good cause to wonder if society was "condemned to a perpetual oscillation between happiness and misery." That he was able to analyze that "perpetual oscillation" set him and his time apart from England's past. And that capacity to understand and respond meant that the world was less Malthusian thereafter.
But Mr. Stiglitz, the economist, contends that consumers eventually will have to change their behavior even more than then did after the 1970s oil shock. He says the world's traditional definitions and measures of economic progress -- based on producing and consuming ever more -- may have to be rethought.
Indeed, the true lesson of Thomas Malthus, an English economist who died in 1834, isn't that the world is doomed, but that preservation of human life requires analysis and then tough action. Given the history of England, with its plagues and famines, Malthus had good cause to wonder if society was "condemned to a perpetual oscillation between happiness and misery." That he was able to analyze that "perpetual oscillation" set him and his time apart from England's past. And that capacity to understand and respond meant that the world was less Malthusian thereafter.
Fresh Maple Syrup
We're working on it.
Lisa got up around 7a Sunday and started the boil on the old propane grill. I got up a couple of hours later, and we went out to collect more sap. Still a bit cold, so we only had a total of 17.5 gallons to work with, kept in a 32 gallon plastic trash can.
(We asked the folks at the feed store if there were any problems with keeping the sap in a plastic trash can, and one of them said, "Not that I know about," while jerking his right arm up and down. Real comedians in our part of the world).
Ideally, the sap is ready when it's at boiling temperature plus seven degrees. Of course, boiling temperature depends on altitude and barometric pressure. Our boiling point (we guesstimated) is about 209.5 degrees. And it ... took ... for ... freaking ... ever to get there.
Again, we were using a propane grill, stock pot, and three metal casserole dishes from Wal Mart to transfer cold sap to warm sap to hot sap to boiling sap, so it took a bit more time. Here's one of the bigger problems with using a propane grill, even a big one -- the flame just isn't close enough to the pot. We easily went through seven gallons of propane through the day.
Resolution to self: Over the summer, we need to build a big stone evaporator that can double as an outdoor grill. And think hard about a sugar house. There's a good reason people in Vermont have sugar houses. They keep the wind out. And they're warm.
Beyond that, I'm not so sure.
Anyway, approximately 14 hours after starting, Lisa had the sap boiled down to one gallon, which she took inside and put on the stove. The reason why she didn't do this earlier? If you boil sap in your house, you can expect three things to happen. None of them are good:
1. The steam should clear around July.
2. No matter how careful you are, you'll be left with stickiness until August.
3. Any wallpaper you have will fall down. Guaranteed.
I was exhausted, for no good reason, and went to bed around 11p. Lisa boiled until midnight, when she decided she'd need a felt strainer to get the last bits of gunk out of the rapidly solidifying sap. Alas, there aren't any 24-hour maple supply places open on Easter Sunday in our neck of the woods, so she's off to get some today.
And people wonder why the stuff is $50/gallon.
Lisa got up around 7a Sunday and started the boil on the old propane grill. I got up a couple of hours later, and we went out to collect more sap. Still a bit cold, so we only had a total of 17.5 gallons to work with, kept in a 32 gallon plastic trash can.
(We asked the folks at the feed store if there were any problems with keeping the sap in a plastic trash can, and one of them said, "Not that I know about," while jerking his right arm up and down. Real comedians in our part of the world).
Ideally, the sap is ready when it's at boiling temperature plus seven degrees. Of course, boiling temperature depends on altitude and barometric pressure. Our boiling point (we guesstimated) is about 209.5 degrees. And it ... took ... for ... freaking ... ever to get there.
Again, we were using a propane grill, stock pot, and three metal casserole dishes from Wal Mart to transfer cold sap to warm sap to hot sap to boiling sap, so it took a bit more time. Here's one of the bigger problems with using a propane grill, even a big one -- the flame just isn't close enough to the pot. We easily went through seven gallons of propane through the day.
Resolution to self: Over the summer, we need to build a big stone evaporator that can double as an outdoor grill. And think hard about a sugar house. There's a good reason people in Vermont have sugar houses. They keep the wind out. And they're warm.
Beyond that, I'm not so sure.
Anyway, approximately 14 hours after starting, Lisa had the sap boiled down to one gallon, which she took inside and put on the stove. The reason why she didn't do this earlier? If you boil sap in your house, you can expect three things to happen. None of them are good:
1. The steam should clear around July.
2. No matter how careful you are, you'll be left with stickiness until August.
3. Any wallpaper you have will fall down. Guaranteed.
I was exhausted, for no good reason, and went to bed around 11p. Lisa boiled until midnight, when she decided she'd need a felt strainer to get the last bits of gunk out of the rapidly solidifying sap. Alas, there aren't any 24-hour maple supply places open on Easter Sunday in our neck of the woods, so she's off to get some today.
And people wonder why the stuff is $50/gallon.
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