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Happy Spring!.
FYI... The egg trick does not work.
It is just an old wives tale.
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Good Morning Everyone;
As some of you already know, Casey's little roller~coaster ride continues...
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She had a doctor appointment yesterday (Friday) at the clinic here.
CaseyAnne -Skinny as all get out...
03/18/2009
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Dr. Szabo will speak with Dr. Sutherland on Monday.
I do like Dr. Szabo. He is not arrogant, and is not afraid to say when he isn't familiar with some things. There have been many times since Casey changed doctors that he has said, he would find out for us. (He is also not afraid to say "oh really?").
- He listens.
- He takes notes.
- He cares.
- He doesn't treat her like an imbecile.
- AND, he has a great sense of humor to boot..
She had her testing last Monday at Sutherlands office- (If I were rich, I might have my own little helicopter, or a camper for us).
Anyway...
... having driven back to Minnesota last Sunday, we had to stop and let The Punk go potty.
Seeing an exit in the middle of nowhere, I chose that one as I had seen a little dead end road running almost next to the highway. And separated by the highways fence.
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And so off we went!
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I spied a few things on that little dead end road, but Punk had to "GO" first.
("First Things First" applies; especially when a pups bladder is involved).
Taking care of that business, and turning around, I had to pull over and snap a few pictures.
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Someone was harvesting Maple sap..
Many maple trees with bags attached for collecting the sap.
These are only a very few of what they had tapped.
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A close up of those bags....
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Pa made our Maple Syrup- (Or as I have always called it, "SYRPLE").
Daddy didn't have fancy bags in those days. He used a spigot to tap the sap, and hung an ice cream pail on it. To that bucket, he added the cover with a slit in it to keep windblown debris (and bugs) to a minimum. (~Smart. ~Very smart).
***If memory serves right, it takes about 40 or 50 gallons of the sap, slowly dribbling out of the trees, to make one little gallon of syrup.
We had an old wood/cookstove in the basement where Dad would 'cook' it down. ***What comes out of the trees looks like little more than ordinary tap water, and is barely barely sweet.
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Our old stove was very much like this one,
though ours was white and had a larger 2nd oven...
Photo from HERE.
.My friend Val (aka Mrs "G"), has written about how Maple Syrup is made today, newfangled contraptions and all..
Read about her outing to Proulx Sugar Bush and Berry Farm, and The History of the syrup- From the native Tribes to the present
CLICK HERE for that story.
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Back to the little pit stop of "Ringle"
Driving up the road a spell, we saw what Ringle was really about.
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Casey now wants this truck for her own.
Gee, maybe I could park it right next to the old tiller I have.
(That won't be tilling the garden this Spring unless I get really lucky).
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"WELCOME TO RINGLE"?!?!?
(Must be Ringles own "Sugar Shack")!
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Reminds me of this from an email....
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I think I love these guys, syrple or not....
Maybe they are "The Maple Mafia" hehehe
And so we are back home once again. If you have not yet commented on Casey's blog about her next surgery, please CLICK HERE
She should find out on Monday or Tuesday when her next surgery will be.
(Back to dreaming about that camper).
But the people have been SO good to us at the hotel too. They don't remember me specifically by name when I call, but when they ask "for how many people?" -I say "for myself and Punk."
With the mere mention of "PUNK" they know exactly who's coming!
hehehe
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Here we are, living the first full day of Spring.
Thank God it has finally arrived- Winter was TOO long for many of us. While I am not looking forward to the 'hot and muggies', I welcome the arrival of warmer weather.
Before Casey's appointment yesterday I even pulled out a few weeds, (my leftovers from last Fall that I must not have had the energy to deal with).
Punk played around for a bit, sniffing everything and sneezing too- (In the Spring there are just so many important smells that must be attended to ya know)...
I had brought my soda out with me. And in my haste to leave, I had left it sitting outside.
I spied it this morning as I left Punk out to take care of her business earlier...
I came in and grabbed the camera because I knew if I didn't, simple "words" sure as heck would not describe it all...
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Yeah I know. Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humor..
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Have a "wunnaful" and 'warmish' weekend!
Love to all.
XOXO
Me
Anna~Anna
"Flintville Annie"
© 2006-2015
Saturday's Assorted Thoughts
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Ringle looks like a ghost town eh?
ReplyDeleteSpring isn't in a hurry is it? I sure wish it would know how to listen to dates on a calendar.
More prayers for you and Casey!
hehehe
ReplyDeleteSweet Oka;
Ringle wasn't all that bad... once we got away from that dead-end road anyway.
Glad I am not one to peek and run. I suppose there are those that get freaked out by something like this- Of course "they" would never pull off the road there in the 1st place...
The new snow is all gone already- but not the stuff by the woods and all.
Nor my snowbanks- although they do shrink a bit more every day-
This only shows me, little by little, how much of my driveway ended up on the lawn. hehehe
(Keeps me out of trouble).
XOXO
Me
Sometimes those trips off the beaten path will lead to all kinds of interesting things. Just never know what you'll find. LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteThe weather is nice here today---finally. It didn't start out that way..was chilly, cloudy and dreary but the sun is finally shining. Be glad when it's nice all day long so we can get out there and finish with the clean up from the ice storm. Going to be picking up twigs and sticks for months.
Keeping all in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted on Casey's next surgery.
I loved seeing the maple trees tapped! I got to go on that one tour with a certain family member but that was when I was little-er... I guess I appreciate the practical uses for that kind of stuff more now than I did when I was young... Although I haven't lost all the fun! Just the other day I was enjoying the sweet taste of syrup! It was sugar free, of course, but it was still SO GOOD!!!! Mmmm.... I wonder how many trees' DNA is in my one bottle of syrup! If it takes 40-50 gallons to make one gallon of syrup, I'm sure the big producers have millions of different samples of sap! That would be fun to find out one day...
ReplyDeleteI laughed out loud at your picture of your soda!!! That is just too great! Was it frozen, or did the snow keep it nice and cold for you? Mother Nature sure does have a sense of humor....
I can't believe how incredibly skinny I look in that picture of myself!!! Yucky! Hopefully when this next surgery is all done and I heal from it I can re-gain a few pounds... I was supposed to be at 105 pounds for this appointment with Dr. Szabo, and I was 98 pounds... Going backwards, fast... That is because of the nutrients that are not being absorbed correctly because of the colon... It's all a big mess which hopefully between Dr. Sutherland and Dr. Szabo we can get back on the right track, not the roller-coaster track...
I love that picture of the two guys on the bench! It's so great!!! "I wasn't finished!" I never though of that line before!
I can't believe the incredible pain I am in. I hate that about Dr. Sutherland: he's almost always right, which is especially not good when he says something not-so-good! In his own words (about the size of my colon), "You will probably be miserable until I do this surgery".... Great! Thanks doc.... At least his superior surgical skills make up for the bad news he sometimes has to give patients. And now, with him, there is always hope!!! This should be the last of the damage caused by the pancreatitis...
Alrighty, I should play on WOW today as I only have a few more days left of this trial... I want to see how far I can get! First, though, I have to get to my blog and respond to all the comments....
I love you Much Much!
~Casey
weet PeachieBaby!
ReplyDelete"Redneck Rustic" Oh I love that! And I do believe it is the decor to "have" this year!
About the egg trick... I couldn't find a decent picture- The claim is that the egg will stand on the narrow ed.
I generally use a wee pinch of salt, just to show the kids I can do it!
(But don't ever tell my kids that)!
The people at the hotel, save for a few maids, are ALL dog people. I believe Trent told me that the one is Phillipino and they believe that dogs are 'dirty'.
Once when we were all "playing" by the front desk, and no one was hanging onto Punk she went around the corner.
Oh that little lady screamed!
I apologized, but from the look on her face (pure terror), she is probably still shaking...
Even management apologized- (we were all there).
Oh and all the people there are of a "decent" enough age to know (from syndication?), who those pups are.
Dr. Szabo "Zay-Bow" is actually Scandinavian. I asked. He told.
Casey has had many many MANY Dr.s from India.
The only one I didn't like was Chari (at Mayo), that told her simply that nothing could be done for her, BUT that her pancreas would turn cancerous at some point and THEN they would do something.
WHAT?!?! (I still haven't gotten over that one).
And he is supposedly a world clASS doctor.
XOXO
Me
Sweet Pam;
ReplyDeleteYes, those short little 'detours' are the very best! They remind me of our Sunday drives way back when...
Chilly here today too! But was outside playing for quite a while with the pup.
(I didn't feel like picking stones up from the lawn). Yet...
But like you and your twigs, it is me and my gravel. Wanna trade?
XOXO
Me
ReplyDeleteMother Nature is a WHACK JOB.
ReplyDeleteNo really, WAIT! I do have more to say...
hehehe
"weet" ????
ReplyDeleteIs that even a word????
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Dear Sweet CaseyFace, ~ aka ♫ BabyFace ♫
ReplyDeleteUmmm What "certain family member" ?
They took you out to visit a tree?
Quite like yourself, I wish I had paid so much more attention when I was a wee thing. Too late now, so I just recall what I can.
Took a bit, butt I found this "Some trees yielded up to 38 – 45 litres (10 – 12 gallons) of sap with a sugar concentration of two percent." http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-maple-syrup.html
So 10-12 gallons of sap from one tree is a lot, and takes time to dripple out too.
From another site:
More than 75% of the world's supply of maple syrup comes from Canada. (So does SNOW)!
It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup.
All of the world's maple syrup is produced in North America. Quebec is the leading producer, followed by Vermont, New York, and Ontario.
Maple syrup has about 50 calories per tablespoon.
There are four grades of maple syrup:
Grade A, light amber in color, with a mild, subtle flavor.
Grade A medium is a medium amber, with a mellow flavor, and is the most popular.
Grade A dark (formerly Grade B) is dark amber with a hearty flavor.
Grade B (formerly Grade C) is very dark (the least expensive) with a robust molasses-like flavor, and is used mostly by commercial manufacturers with other ingredients for 'maple flavored' syrups.
The process used to make maple syrup is essentially the same one that Native Americans first used hundreds of years ago.
http://www.foodreference.com/html/fmaplesyrup.html
AND,
December's ice storm is ensuring a not so sweet sugaring season that will drive up retail prices.
You said, "I was supposed to be at 105 pounds for this appointment with Dr. Szabo, and I was 98 pounds... Going backwards, fast..."
Yeah, no wonder you couldn't make it to 110 to be able to get in the Air Force Academy.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Hindsight is invaluable.
About the surgeon...
I am sorry that Dr. Sutherland had to say that to you. I would much rather have someone be straight with me than dance around the facts. I know you do too.
You go play WOW now.
I love you.
Forevermorelonger.
XOXO
Mama D.
PS...
Let me know when you find a sugar free tree...
Ringle looks like someplace out of a wilderness movie, lol. Waltons meets Swiss Family Robinson?
ReplyDeleteNow you have gone and gotten me craving maple syrup!!!
Sending lots of love and comforting hugs to you and Casey....bless you both!
How did I miss this one.. Im so tired I cant think.. I shall return..
ReplyDeleteLuv you
the easter bunny visited your soda. Did he leave you any candy bbs?
ReplyDeleteWow I learned something new about syrup. I couldn't help it but I wanted to call Ringle, Pringle. Sorry it was just one of those thoughts. I do hope things go well with Casey. You guys are so strong. What kind of tracks are those in the picture. I know it sounds naive but I am not real familiar with tracks. I am assuming it was a rabbit by all of the comments here. I feel like a dope. Anyway I hope things are well with you.
ReplyDeleteLots of love to you! XOXOXO
LMAO!!!
ReplyDeleteShe sure is sometimes! I think anyone who has been around here this whole winter would agree whole-heartedly with that statement!!! I couldn't believe we got snow last night, but I guess that's just Wisconsin for us...
Yeah, I'm not so surprised that I couldn't get into the Air Force... My pancreas was probably starting to go at that point and that's why I couldn't put or keep on any weight no matter what I ate.... Hey! That rhymed!!!!
ReplyDeleteI, too, was a bit unnerved to hear that from the doctor, but as you said, a truthful doctor is the best! I hate when they sugar-coat stuff or beat around the bush and never give you the full situation... That is one thing about both Dr. Sutherland and Dr. Szabo that I like and am so grateful to have!!!
I played W.O.W. for a while... I think I will be going to bed now though, I'm pretty tired...
Love you Much Much!
~Casey
Oh, I don't know if I will ever find a sugar-free tree! I did find sugar free maple syrup though and that's great for me!
ReplyDeleteSweet BethieBaby!
Going out on a limb here (no pun intended), but I would be willing to bet that at least one household in Ohio will be having pancakes, or the like, for breakfast!
hehehe
Gods blessings to you as well
XOXO
me
Sweet Beep!
ReplyDeleteThat kind of *tired* is such a happy place!
Hope you got lots of zzzz's
XOXO
me
The Easter Bunny is dead. Dead bunnies do not doo~doo.
ReplyDeletehttp://flintville.multiply.com/journal/item/157
XOXO
Me
I love to visit little "Rustic Redneck" towns. (Notice I said "visit" and not "live in".)
ReplyDeleteAbout Ringle, Wisconsin (Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringle,_Wisconsin)
Ringle is the home of the Polka America Corporation.
According to Polka America Corporation's official website (http://www.polkaamericacorporation.org/officers.html) Polka America Corporation "is a non-discriminatory organization that encourages, supports and promotes Polka music at all levels."
(Polka America Corporation's mission statement brings to my mind several questions that are begging to be answered like -
WHO would they discriminate against? People who don't like Polka music? And why would people who don't like Polka music want to be a member anyway?
They "promote polka music at all levels" - I wasn't aware that there were different "levels" of Polka music, (but then again I know nothing about Polka music other than I think, as a child, I may have heard it played once or twice on the Lawrence Welk Show while visiting my grandmother way back in the early 1960s).
So what would the different Polka levels be?... Easy listening Polka? Jazzy Polka? Country Polka? Progressive Polka? and let's not forget Acid Rock Polka (I don't even want to think about what kind of music an accordion player on acid would crank out).
The fact that Ringle is practically the Polka capital of the US is probably why you didn't see any people around. They were all together practicing their Polka playing and dancing for Ringle's not to missed upcoming Polka Festival in May.
(Now aren't you glad you got back in the car and left while you could! If you had hung around taking pictures any longer you might have been kidnapped and forced at gun point to dance to Polka music at small town Polka Festivals for the rest of your lives! MAN!! - are you ever LUCKY to have have gotten away unharmed!!)
hehehe My Gawd, what on earth do you do at dances then?
ReplyDeleteBut Sweet RT;
I am the Polka Queen! Had I not escaped, I do believe I could have taught them a thing or two!
I can polka, forward, backwards, in a circle, standing still, adding toe taps, and while I play Rummy 500 (without ever showing my hand mind you)!
I love your questions!
And I never knew that about Ringle.... Not that I have ever been there before!
I do know that the POLKA is Wisconsin's Official "dance" though
And I do know that Pulaski Polka Days brings in people from all over the world!
Cool, eh?
XOXO
Me
"Apples, peaches, pumpkin pie, who's not ready? Holler "I"...
"Roll out the barrel, we'll have a barrel of fun"...
Polka Queen huh? Well I'll be. That's something I'd like to see!
ReplyDeletewe have an old little town here named nowhere Arizona that is what ringle reminded me of instantly, I just noticed on our drive to Laughlin that the population in nowhere went down from five to three people! Punk is adorable as usual, I love the new picture of you by the way :)
ReplyDeleteHi ya rock!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all.. what egg trick?
Im glad Casey has finally gotten doctors that care and listen.. both very important qualities in a doctor or nurse for that matter.
What a cool find.. so did you steal even a little bit of syrup? hehe But thats exactly why we have specific spots we stop at.. on our trips there are rest areas in really good places with just the right amount of distance.
Sorry it took so long to get back here.. Hope your having a great week and Miss Casey is doing better.
Mucho hugs
beepluvsrock.com
Oh that is soooo cool. I love the different type of bag, at Proulx they just had the lovely silver buckets (and modern maze of pipework), but the bags make much more sense for collecting the goo (but bad for the environment!!!! Tut tut!!!).
ReplyDeleteHugs to you and yours xxxx