The Last Boil and Baseball!

It’s been a fantastic maple sugaring season this year, one for the record books. But even the best things in life must eventually come to an end. Our backyard sugaring operation is pulling its last taps from the trees today, and boiling off the remaining sap. Exactly seven weeks after the first trees were tapped on February 9, this backyard operation is just over 50 gallons of maple syrup richer for their labors (compared to about 6 gallons last year). Once the final shine is put on the boiler and the remaining wood stacked for next year, the harvest will be divvied up among the volunteer households. A win-win experience all around. But before then, there’s still a lot more work ahead of everyone – last buckets of sap to be collected, pulling taps, cleaning, boiling, and cleaning some more.  All hands on deck for this final weekend. Of course, there will be one last celebration at some point because, in the end, backyard sugaring operations are about community and camaraderie as much as they are about the harvest.

Ah, Fenway!
(Fenway home-opener is on April 8)

As you contemplate the seasons changing and how life in New England changes along with them, we have added a new maple sugar-inspired recipe to our “Weather Cooks” page to mark the occasion - Maple-Glazed Walnuts. This weekend would be the perfect time to whip up a batch of these treats. Baseball season around here starts on Monday at 1:05 pm with a Red Sox-Yankees opener in the Bronx, and this snack food will sweeten your game-viewing experience, no matter who is winning.

Like most New Englanders, I am a die-hard Red Sox fan, but there are a few at Head in the Clouds Amherst (as happens to be true across our town) whose lifelong loyalties lean the other way. We’ve never tried to watch a Yankees-Red Sox game together, and likely never will, but if we did, Maple-Glazed Walnuts would certainly help!

God, Man, and the Universe

Circling Polaris in Winter, Amherst MA, Photo by S.Vardatira
(Taken with a Pentax P3 camera,
90 minute exposure, ASA 100 film)

To anyone who looks up at the stars at night and wonders about it all, it’s been a fascinating few months.  We’ve had a near-pass by an asteroid, a meteorite exploding across an entire region in Russia, the Pan-STARRS comet to keep an eye on, and last night’s green streaking bolide, seen across much of the northeast. And that doesn’t even count the brilliance of Jupiter on a cold winter night; the glittering, dependable march of the constellations, like Orion and Taurus with the Pleiades; the random meteors that grace our skies every night; the promised meteor showers arriving at the appointed time each year; and the moon waxing and waning through it all. And then, as if all those visual riches were not enough, over the past few months astrophysicists have also presented us with some tantalizing glimpses into how all of this has come to be - from confirmation of the existence of the Higgs Boson particle, to this week’s announcement about what the universe looked like some 370,000 years after the Big Bang. According to The New York Times, one cosmologist, Max Tegmark from MIT, described this week’s findings as “’very exciting.’ It could be, he said, that ‘the universe is trying to tell us something.’”

But what exactly is the universe trying to tell us?

More than 30 years ago now, I saw Saturn through a telescope for the first time. If you have not had the opportunity, I highly recommend it. As many photos as you’ve seen of Saturn and however blasé the images may now seem to you, trust me – there is nothing quite like seeing it with your own eyes. It won’t be as big as the pictures, of course, and you won’t be able to see the linear gradations of color on the surface of the planet or even discern the hundreds of clearly demarcated rings, but you will see Saturn and you will see its rings - sharp, clear, and stunningly real in that moment. Indeed, seeing Saturn for the first time can be an utterly transformative experience.  It was for me, as well as for countless amateur and career astronomers I have met over the years. Looking out into the night sky is always a reminder of how vast the universe is, and how small we are by comparison; paradoxically, in that very awareness of our smallness, we can also feel immutably connected to everything that exists. And, very often, gazing up also inspires us to ask the big questions: What is this universe we are looking out into? How did this all come to be? What does it mean?

I was an astronomy/religion double major in college. Aside from the occasional “oh, the study of heavenly bodies” quip (usually delivered up by science nerds, although we didn’t use that term then), most people reacted with confusion – “what in the world do those two fields have in common?”  And to answer, I would simply say, “the big questions.”

My honors thesis – entitled God, Man, and the Universe (and let me apologize right now for my pre-feminist consciousness title) – was an impossibly ambitious attempt to describe the intersection over the last two millennia between Western, science-based views of the universe and Judeo-Christian religious ideology about God and humanity. Simply put, I argued that religion has often been pushed to expand concepts of the divine as a result of scientific discoveries. And I also looked at how religious thought has permeated and driven scientific inquiry (as much as some scientists would hate to admit it). It may seem almost silly nowadays to imagine the Church going to such extremes to squelch Copernicus and Galileo, but their astronomical observations about the motion of the planets completely upended traditional theological doctrine, threatening (at least in the Catholic Church’s mind at the time) the centrality of God and humanity in the cosmos.

Which brings us to this month’s revelations about Higgs Boson (often referred to as the “God particle”) and the Big Bang.  In his 1978 book, God and the Astronomers, astronomer and NASA scientist Robert Jastrow points out the religious implications of the Big Bang and some astronomers’ corresponding discomfort with what was, at the time, still a relatively new cosmological concept. Jastrow describes Steady State theorists as “being unhappy that the world began in this way,” preferring instead a theory of existence that does not require a beginning and, by extension I suppose, something to begin things. Jastrow ends his book with the metaphor of the scientist, for whom “the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to climb the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” When I first read this book back in the day, I loved this ending. Aside from the fact that it perfectly brought together my two fields of study, there was something wonderfully satisfying about the theologians  - perhaps through a mere “leap of faith” – coming to the same conclusion as all those scientists slogging through endless math equations and mind-numbing observations. 

What I notice about Jastrow’s metaphor now, however, is that both the theologians and scientists (all men, it should be pointed out) are sitting on top of the “mountains of ignorance” together.  Maybe it’s because I have three decades more living under my belt, but I have come to understand that “scaling mountains of ignorance” does not necessarily bring you to a “mountain of knowledge.”  But perhaps the most telling thing about this metaphor is that God is not there on the top of the mountain, hanging out with the theologians and scientist. In fact, although Jastrow may be implying that both groups have discovered God in the end, there is no evidence that this is the case. The scientist is simply gazing at the theologians in surprise, and they are all atop the mountain together.

This week’s news about how the Planck satellite’s image has changed our understanding of the universe may not change your day-to-day life in any marked way, but it’s exciting to think about just the same. I find myself looking out at night and seeing things differently than I did the day before, even if the whole scene appears identical. Of course, nothing about the universe is static, and especially not those first few fractions of a second. As the Christian Science Monitor (3/21) explained it, “The Big Bang – the most comprehensive theory of the universe's beginning – says the visible portion of the universe was smaller than an atom when, in a split second, it exploded, cooled and expanded faster than the speed of light.”

Wait. Read that sentence again. The visible portion of the universe was smaller than an atom. That would mean everything we can see around us, including the universe of stars and galaxies, was smaller than an atom. I was imagining how this could even be possible (how could all that potential mass exist in such a state, never mind travel faster than the speed of light?) when I thought about the Higgs Boson particle, that subatomic particle that is thought to imbue elementary particles with mass. Was that what enabled pure energy to transform to matter? And once you wrap your mind around that (if you can), the questions just keep coming.

Mind-blowing doesn’t begin to describe these concepts.

I never ended up working in astronomy or theology, but I still love the big questions. Because in the end, it’s not being on top of the mountain of knowledge (or ignorance) that’s important, but the climb. What Jastrow’s theologians missed was the exquisite beauty of the search – the amazing “ah ha” moment of first gazing at Saturn through a telescope or wondering what it means when a meteor steaks across the sky.

Ukko Snowfall Projections

This is the newest snowfall projection map from Matt Noyes (NECN weather forecaster), just released about 10 minutes ago. And we look to be in a pretty solid 6-8 inch snowfall zone. Ready those shovels everyone - it may not sound like a lot, but it will be a heavy, wet job!

And while we're on the subject of Ukko, what happens when we run out of letters in the alphabet? And, what's more, will we run out of letters before this season's end?  At the rate we're going, it definitely seems possible. And thus we may have discovered the biggest problem (but not the only one, by far) with the Weather Channel's naming-of-snowstorms phenomenon.

Winter's Knocking on Spring's Door

Shape of things to come?

Although the vernal equinox - the astronomical first day of spring - is two days away on March 20, winter is not done with us yet! A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for our area starting Monday night at 9 pm right through Tuesday at 8 pm. Be prepared for 6-10 inches of heavy wet snow and ice, a messy Tuesday morning commute, and probably a school closing on Tuesday as well. Heavy wet snow and ice also means possible power outages. Oh joy.

Although the temperatures the rest of the week get up to about 38-40 degrees during the day, there won't be a rapid melt as the temperatures fall below freezing every night as well. So this also means shoveling early on, unless you like to chip away at block ice.

On the upside, we can now answer the question that has been plaguing us for weeks - was Phil the Groundhog right or wrong? (Wrong, obviously.) Let's just hope that unofficial spring doesn't arrive six weeks late. Stay safe out there, and feel free to complain early and often. Complaining about the weather is, after all, our distinctly New England prerogative.

Morning on Saturn

View from the Driveway, Friday Morning, 3/8/2013

Looks are deceiving this morning. At first glance out the window, the world appears to be buried in snow. But when when you walk out into it, you realize there's no more than an inch on the ground here in Amherst. It just looks deeper. The flakes are big, the snow is wet, and everything has been blanketed in a layer of white. The "Winter Weather Advisory" of yesterday has given way  to a "Winter Storm Warning," something I learned last night somewhere around 2 am when Jim Cantore's phone call came in from "Notify by The Weather Channel." (Note to self: adjust the Notify settings.) The projected snowfall amounts have been slowly but steadily inching up over the last two days, now standing at 4-8 inches. I'd expect to be on the lower end of that spectrum around here. After all, it's been snowing all night, and we only have an inch on the ground. Still, Saturn is not done yet. Our area's Winter Storm Warning is in effect through 1 pm today. The temperature currently stands at an even 30.0 F, with the snow falling lightly. I want to walk down to Puffer's Pond, but work calls and the snow will have to wait. It won't wait for long, of course. Tomorrow the temperature climbs to almost 50 degrees, with sun. Spring is knocking, no matter what it looks like outside right now.

Saturn's On the Way, Oh Yeah!

There's something about the no-nonsense NOAA typeface that makes you sit up and pay attention. So rather than pretty it up, I thought I'd copy it here, exactly the way NOAA tells it. Notice how they are still not entirely confident about the snowfall amounts for this one? The amounts have inched up just a bit for the Amherst area, from this morning - from 2"-4" to 3"-6". So this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
920 PM EST WED MAR 6 2013

...HEAVY WET SNOW EXPECTED THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY...

.A STRONG OCEAN STORM WILL SLOWLY PASS WELL SOUTHEAST OF NEW
ENGLAND THROUGH FRIDAY. STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY WET SNOW WILL WRAP
TO THE NORTH OF THIS STORM. THE HEAVIEST SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS
PARTS OF CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS AND NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND. THERE IS
STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY REGARDING EXACT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS...BUT THIS
STORM WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND.

MAZ002-003-005>011-014>016-026-071030-
/O.CON.KBOX.WW.Y.0009.130307T1200Z-130308T1800Z/
WESTERN FRANKLIN MA-EASTERN FRANKLIN MA-CENTRAL MIDDLESEX MA-
WESTERN ESSEX MA-EASTERN ESSEX MA-WESTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-
WESTERN HAMPDEN MA-EASTERN HAMPSHIRE MA-EASTERN HAMPDEN MA-
SOUTHEAST MIDDLESEX MA-SUFFOLK MA-EASTERN NORFOLK MA-
NORTHERN MIDDLESEX MA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLEMONT...GREENFIELD...ORANGE...
FRAMINGHAM...LOWELL...LAWRENCE...GLOUCESTER...CHESTERFIELD...
BLANDFORD...AMHERST...NORTHAMPTON...SPRINGFIELD...CAMBRIDGE...
BOSTON...QUINCY...AYER
920 PM EST WED MAR 6 2013

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THURSDAY
TO 1 PM EST FRIDAY...

* LOCATIONS...MUCH OF WESTERN AND NORTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING
  METRO BOSTON.

* HAZARD TYPES...HEAVY WET SNOW AND STRONG WINDS.

* ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 3 TO 6 INCHES.

* TIMING...MOST OF THE ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL FALL FROM THURSDAY
  EVENING INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...TRAVEL MAY BECOME DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY LATE
  THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY MORNING WHEN ROADS COULD BECOME SNOW
  COVERED AND SLIPPERY. STRONG WINDS MAY RESULT IN POWER OUTAGES.

* WINDS...NORTH 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S.

* VISIBILITIES...AROUND ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR SNOWFALL BETWEEN 2 AND
6 INCHES. PLAN ON EXTRA TRAVEL TIME DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY AND
SNOW COVERED ROADS.

Three Weeks in The Sugar House (or "What don't you understand about 'all the time, anytime'?")

By all accounts, this has been quite a maple sugaring season. I have no idea if it's "one for the record books" - I'll leave maple sugar producers to sort that out - but our backyard operation informants tell me they have barely paused over the past month. And with temperatures still fluctuating between below freezing at night and above freezing during the day, the sap is still running. I assume it stops at some point, even if the weather is favorable, and I'll let you know when that happens. But for now, because not everyone has the great good fortune to be embedded with a local backyard maple sugaring operation (or to be on their email list), I thought I'd try to capture the flavor (yes, pun intended) of this uniquely New England experience by sharing excerpts from the past three weeks of emails sent out by our local head "sapmeister." Our three weeks begins on February 13, about four days after the first trees were tapped and buckets hung:

Wednesday, February 13

Seven of us gathered sap today and hung 19 more buckets.

Thursday, February 14

Drip, Drip, Drip, Gush!

Friday, February 15

We will definitely be tapping 20 to 30 more trees and getting more firewood in.

Saturday, February 16

We will get more sap tomorrow. Then none for a few days while temperatures plummet.

Monday, February 18

Cold and windy today. No sap run, of course. The buckets have from almost nothing to ¾" of sap frozen solid in them.

Tuesday, February 19

We have 118 buckets to visit. Come help if you can.

Friday, February 22

Last Tuesday we collected 24 gallons of sap and threw out a lot of ice. The ice is almost all water. Almost all of the maple sugar is left behind in the liquid. We save a lot of firewood by throwing out the ice. If we put it in the evaporator we would not only have to heat it up and convert the liquid water to steam, we would also have to convert the ice to liquid water. The latter takes 80 calories of heat per cubic centimeter of water compared to 1 calorie of heat per cubic centimeter of water to raise the temperature of water 1 deg. C. Melting ice takes a lot of firewood. I think I once calculated that it takes about 10% more firewood to get syrup from ice sap than from liquid sap.

Saturday, February 23

This is promising to be a really good season. Fantastic sugarin' weather so far, and more predicted.

Sunday, February 24

Prepare for MUD  . . . . A good bit what happens in The Sugar House is several people sitting around watching others work. Don't hesitate to come just for the warmth of the fire and the smell of boiling syrup.

Monday, February 25 (morning)

Low last night was 28 deg. F. High today predicted to be 41 deg. F, then down to 22 and back up to 42 Tuesday. I keep pinching myself to be sure I'm not dreaming. This could hardly be better. Yesterday we got almost all of the syrup from our first 420 gallons of sap canned.

Monday, February 25 (night)

We collected a whopping 122 gallons of sap from 122 buckets. Yup, exactly one gallon per bucket.

Tuesday, February 26

We collected a whopping 129 gallons of sap from 126 buckets. That's even more than the one gallon per bucket we got yesterday. Another really good run. Last night, like the night before, the sap kept dripping until the temperature dropped below freezing, then started dripping again this morning when the temperature rose above freezing. That was a long time dripping, even more so than last night because the temperature was below freezing only for a short time. In fact, I thought it probably wasn't a cold enough night to produce a good sap flow today. Wrong!

Wednesday, February 27

It's raining, light but steady. Mud everywhere. We even have puddles in The Sugar House.

Thursday, February 28 (morning)

Little dripping in the sugarbush. We need a cold night. Maybe that will be Friday night according to the weatherman. . . . It did run some before the lack of cold nights had their insidious effect.

Thursday, February 28 (evening)

- 1:30 p.m. to whenever:

- Wash the filters that we used yesterday

- Inventory syrup

- Wash and store jars of syrup that we canned yesterday

- Can the remainder of the syrup that we have on hand

- Wash stuff, stuff and more stuff

- Split wood and bring it in

3:30 p.m. to whenever but not later than 5:30-6:00 p.m.

- COLLECT SAP (highest priority)

- Split wood and bring it in

Friday, March 1

I'm using a lot of exclamation marks this year. The season deserves it so far.

Sunday, March 3 (12:56 AM)

The hot dogs cooked in maple syrup were very good today (Saturday). . . . I’ll restart the boil tomorrow (Sunday) morning early and keep it going until about noon. I'll also build a platform around the sap barrels. The mud is getting quite annoying.

Monday, March 4 (afternoon)

Our total to date is 21.7 gallons of syrup from 935 gallons of sap (43:1).  We don't know what to make of the Batch #3 ratio of 36, then the Batch #4 ratio of 57.  That's what our records show.  ??

Monday, March 4 (evening)

Did it get cold enough last night? YES

Will it get warm enough today? YES

Will we have sunshine? Not much, but it didn't seem to matter.

And what don't you understand about "all the time, anytime"?