Friday, March 14, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Blog 03/10/08
March 10, 2008
First, a note about the SVU Institute Choir’s performance as a prelude to the recent CES Fireside satellite broadcast. The Choir presents a fair share of challenges in that there is rarely a Wednesday night (Choir rehearsal night) that there is not a something else going on at the University. But Sister Cottle just hangs in there, working with those that come and encouraging those that do not - and the results speak for themselves. There was a good turn out Sunday night and they sounded great. The University is lucky to have Sister Cottle (for that matter- so am I!).
We now know how maple syrup (I'm talking about the real stuff - not the Log Cabin fake syrup) gets from the tree to table. Believe it or not - there is a thriving Maple Syrup industry in Virginia - some 50 miles north of Buena Vista - in Highland County (in the hills - population 2400 people and 3000 cows). Each year on the first two weeks of March the county hosts Maple Syrup days and one can travel the county and visit various Sugar Camps (as they are called) and learn about Sugaring. We went last Saturday and here is what we found out. Trees must be Sugar Maple trees. The tap goes into the tree about 1.5 inches. The trees must be tapped at a time when it is warm (above freezing) in the day and cold at night, usually starting in February and ending in March. The sugar water is collected from the trees by a series of tubes (no more buckets – the picture of the buckets on the tree that you see on the blog is for tourists only) running by gravity feed to a collection barrel. Oft times they will have as many as 70 tubes running into one collection area. When the barrel is full the sugar water is taken to a “camp” where it is heated and condensed by this crazy looking contraption that bubbles and steams and looks mysterious, and after 12 hours – whalla – maple syrup! It is then bottled and distributed. There are three varieties – Light, medium and dark amber – depending upon the strength of the maple taste. Dark has the most taste. Also, according to our guide, the real maple syrup is much better for a person that the fake kind (of course he was trying to sell us some of the good stuff). Most interesting and now I know something I did not know before.
A Happy Birthday to both Heather and Dillon this week. And is everybody gearing up for March Madness starting a week from Thursday?
Love
Elder/Dad/Grandpa Cottle
By the way, what's with that header picture? Who are those people and what possible crime could they have committed? They look so innocent!
First, a note about the SVU Institute Choir’s performance as a prelude to the recent CES Fireside satellite broadcast. The Choir presents a fair share of challenges in that there is rarely a Wednesday night (Choir rehearsal night) that there is not a something else going on at the University. But Sister Cottle just hangs in there, working with those that come and encouraging those that do not - and the results speak for themselves. There was a good turn out Sunday night and they sounded great. The University is lucky to have Sister Cottle (for that matter- so am I!).
We now know how maple syrup (I'm talking about the real stuff - not the Log Cabin fake syrup) gets from the tree to table. Believe it or not - there is a thriving Maple Syrup industry in Virginia - some 50 miles north of Buena Vista - in Highland County (in the hills - population 2400 people and 3000 cows). Each year on the first two weeks of March the county hosts Maple Syrup days and one can travel the county and visit various Sugar Camps (as they are called) and learn about Sugaring. We went last Saturday and here is what we found out. Trees must be Sugar Maple trees. The tap goes into the tree about 1.5 inches. The trees must be tapped at a time when it is warm (above freezing) in the day and cold at night, usually starting in February and ending in March. The sugar water is collected from the trees by a series of tubes (no more buckets – the picture of the buckets on the tree that you see on the blog is for tourists only) running by gravity feed to a collection barrel. Oft times they will have as many as 70 tubes running into one collection area. When the barrel is full the sugar water is taken to a “camp” where it is heated and condensed by this crazy looking contraption that bubbles and steams and looks mysterious, and after 12 hours – whalla – maple syrup! It is then bottled and distributed. There are three varieties – Light, medium and dark amber – depending upon the strength of the maple taste. Dark has the most taste. Also, according to our guide, the real maple syrup is much better for a person that the fake kind (of course he was trying to sell us some of the good stuff). Most interesting and now I know something I did not know before.
A Happy Birthday to both Heather and Dillon this week. And is everybody gearing up for March Madness starting a week from Thursday?
Love
Elder/Dad/Grandpa Cottle
By the way, what's with that header picture? Who are those people and what possible crime could they have committed? They look so innocent!
Monday, March 10, 2008
nice picture!
Ok, I'm laughing out loud.... nice header picture! Shouldn't there be a sign somewhere there telling us what they're guilty of!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Blag - Holly Miller
Hey sorry it took so long to get on this. Mom and Amy told me that Randy had tagged me but I don't get on the computer much over the weekend until I get to work and I'm bord out of my mind. So anyway here is my answers to the blog tag. Enjoy! :)
The latest photo of myself I have handy...
(an amazing feet since I'm at work and don't have many handy)
10 years ago I was...
17 years old, in my final year of High School, no quite sure what to do with the rest of my life but ready for an adventure.
If I were suddenly a billionaire...
I would probably invest some of it some how so I could live off it for awhile. Then I would love to travel... everywhere
Things on my to do list today...
Get ready for and go to church, come home eat lunch then go to work, go to parents for dinner on my break, maybe play some x-box or Wii while I'm there, then come back to work for the 11 o'clock show. Go home, go to bed. Exciting isn't it?
Places I've lived...
Edmonton Ab, Rexburg ID, Orlando FL, (and hopfully somewhere else soon. Got any suggestions?)
The Best and worst job I've had...
The best - Roaring Fork @ Disney World
Worst - Roaring Fork @ Disney World (they didn't have very good management)
The best thing I did this year...
Go to Virginia for a visit and got a job in my field
My favorite purchase of the last year...
US Open tickets
Something that most people don't know about me...
I'm a dreamer. It sometimes gets me frusterated when reality doesn't live up to the day dream.
What I've been doing...
Last TV Show I watched - Simpsons
Last Book I've read (for fun) - Mary - Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret george
Last Movie I watched - I'm in the middle of National Treasure DVD, full movie was Singles 2nd Ward
Last Music I listened to - Pictures(?) by Coldplay (co-workers computer)
Last Website I visited (for fun) - mental_floss.com
Next, I tag JAMIE
(although I would like to hear from the non author members of the family too)
The latest photo of myself I have handy...
(an amazing feet since I'm at work and don't have many handy)
10 years ago I was...
17 years old, in my final year of High School, no quite sure what to do with the rest of my life but ready for an adventure.
If I were suddenly a billionaire...
I would probably invest some of it some how so I could live off it for awhile. Then I would love to travel... everywhere
Things on my to do list today...
Get ready for and go to church, come home eat lunch then go to work, go to parents for dinner on my break, maybe play some x-box or Wii while I'm there, then come back to work for the 11 o'clock show. Go home, go to bed. Exciting isn't it?
Places I've lived...
Edmonton Ab, Rexburg ID, Orlando FL, (and hopfully somewhere else soon. Got any suggestions?)
The Best and worst job I've had...
The best - Roaring Fork @ Disney World
Worst - Roaring Fork @ Disney World (they didn't have very good management)
The best thing I did this year...
Go to Virginia for a visit and got a job in my field
My favorite purchase of the last year...
US Open tickets
Something that most people don't know about me...
I'm a dreamer. It sometimes gets me frusterated when reality doesn't live up to the day dream.
What I've been doing...
Last TV Show I watched - Simpsons
Last Book I've read (for fun) - Mary - Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret george
Last Movie I watched - I'm in the middle of National Treasure DVD, full movie was Singles 2nd Ward
Last Music I listened to - Pictures(?) by Coldplay (co-workers computer)
Last Website I visited (for fun) - mental_floss.com
Next, I tag JAMIE
(although I would like to hear from the non author members of the family too)
Help the Homeless Snowman Cause
You can help a homeless snowman today by donating some snow. (this one has lost his home due to melting snow). No Hot drinks accepted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)