Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Revisiting Our Birch "Sap-Cicle"

If you saw my post on last Saturday, the 11th, you know about the "icicle" forming on one trunk of the twin birch tree outside our window.


A couple of days ago, the temp was just warm enough (after a dusting of snow the night before) that the bottom of the birch sap formation was dripping.  We placed one of my big stock pots on the ground to try to catch some of the sap.  (You can just make out the formation in the picture above immediately to the left of the apple tree in the distance.  This perspective also gives an idea of how high up on the tree it is.) 

But it was a gray and cloudy day with a strong wind blowing that sent the droplets of sap just about everywhere except into the pot on the ground.


The formation of the birch sap coming out of the tree has continued every day and our sap-cicle, as it's now known, has been growing by leaps and bounds.  It's currently more than five feet long and is quite the spectacle.  (I tried to get Papa Pea to get out the extension ladder and climb up next to it for perspective, but that idea didn't go over well.)

So very interesting, the ways of nature.

13 comments:

wisps of words said...

Ohhhhhhh, look at that *sucker*!!!!!

It is a long one!!!!!

Put on your thinking cap,
I have a question for you tomorrow.

πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ

wisps of words said...

Mmmmmmm, how Wise is Papa Pea, for not going along with your *suggestion*... About how to provide your blog photo, with "perspective."

Yes, that Man is a Wise One!!!!!!!

(As if you would make such a suggestion! After the memory of _his_ unwise move, last year, climbing and fixing some 'dern thing,' way up high....)

Put on your thinking cap,
I have a question for you tomorrow.

πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ

Mama Pea said...

wisps of words - Hope you know I wasn't serious in thinking he should climb up to pose beside our sap-cicle. No sense doing things like that when it's not necessary! *I* was the one who should have gone up for comparison as I'm much shorter than he and that would have made the sap-cicle look all the bigger! ;o)

Can hardly wait for your question tomorrow!

tpals said...

Speaking of taking chances: someone on a forum I read went up a ladder to cut down a broken branch, fell and broke ribs. All because he was stuck at home and it was on his to-do list. Ouch.

Very glad you are not taking foolish chances.

Michelle said...

Have you thought of harvesting your birch water frozen?

wisps of words said...

I'm back!

And here is my Question!!!!

And thank you so much, for showing comments right away! I had a horrible time, remembering how to do a click-able link!!! After all these years. Of doing so, on Automatic. Grrrrrr...

But here it is, I hope!!!!

So.... What happens AFTER??????

Mama Pea said...

tpals - We all have heard that most accidents happen at home! And, of course, now with people "at home" in a way of never before, I can see how something like that could easily happen. There has probably been more than one person falling off a stool while cleaning kitchen cupboards because they currently had time to do it! Can't be too careful, can we?

Michelle - Great minds! I've been giving some thought as to how we could knock some of that frozen sap off and catch it in . . . what kind of a container? Maybe a clean sheet held to catch it so it doesn't land on the "dirty" ground? Or how about spreading the sheet on the ground?? Although the whole operation reminds me of when I was a kid and my brother and I were knocking big, frozen icicles off a roof overhang. One came pointy end down right on top of my head. I had a winter hat on, luckily, but it cut my head and drew blood. Funny to think about now, but it could have been darn serious! That's what I've been keeping in mind when wondering how to knock our "sap-cicle" down.

linnellnickerson@gmail.com said...

To harvest it maybe stand back with a big long pole and whack it!! It looks pretty high up. Maybe Papa Pea could help you! xo

Kris said...

I'm with linnellnickerson -- spread a sheet, grab a pole and whack away. Popsicle piΓ±ata!

Mama Pea said...

linnellnickerson - Yep, if we went for it, I'd enlist Papa Pea to do the whacking as he's nearly a foot taller than I am.

Kris - The whole top half of the sap-cicle (the thickest part) is adhered to the tree trunk so I don't know if big chunks would come off or we would be making crushed ice! Oh, the dilemma! ;o)

wisps of words said...

April 18, 2020

Thank you
πŸŒΈπŸ’œπŸŒΈ

Mama Pea said...

wisps of words - You're so welcome. XO

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