It's maple sugar time again. Being from Cumberland County I remember well the sugar woods in the springtime. The camp with the open roof and the sweet smell in the spring air of maple sap boiling in the big rectangle vats (evaporator pans) with the fire beneath being fed by wood chunks gathered earlier in preparation of this 'sweet' yearly event. The sap, brought to the sugar camp in the backs of horse-drawn wagons, was fed into one end of the long pan to mingle into the already boiling and thickening sap. At the corner of the pan on the other end, was a faucet and regular draws from the boiling sap were made by the attendees to check the thickness of the emerging syrup. Sugaring off day came at the end of the season and that was when the 'townfolks' would walk the path into the sugarwoods to learn about the process of making the syrup, candy and maple sugar. And, to be treated with 'candy' on the snow or watch the sugar farmer beat up a batch of soft, warm maple sugar. Of course with tummys full of sweetness they would most always make a purchase of cans of pure maple syrup to take home and enjoy on morning pancakes or to spread on a slice of fresh homemade bread. The process in the old days of collecting the sweet sap was far different from today's style. It entailed the placing of metal spiles into drilled holes in the maple trees. These spiles had a hook for hanging the buckets which were placed on each tree, sometimes more than one to a tree depending on the size of the tree. All if this was done by foot, walking and later gathering the sap to pour into barrels waiting on a wagon, while patient horses stopped and started at proper intervals. The days were bright and the sun gathered all its strength after its long winter rest in order to allow the trees to let go of this treasured spring pleasure. Little kids , like me at the time, would often scoop up some of the flowing or fast-dripping sap as it had a wonderful sweet taste all on its own. I recall the birchbark containers shaped much like today's wooden strawberry box, that contained the maple sugar or the candy. Even as a kid, I used to marvel at the making of these boxes out of birchbark and how sturdy they were and how convenient. Those were the days when everything got used and creativity was a necessity. Maple sugar madness was a welcomed yearly event that is still carried on today, but in a much different way.