14 COUNTRY-MAGAZINE.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018
Ember Evans (with her
dad, Cory) watches
her grandpa Steven
Yettaw boil sap to
make maple syrup.“On these still-cold days, when the clear air is heady
to breathe, it is wonderful to put on my warmest
old clothes, go outside and feel the weather.”
— JAN BLANKENBURG Donnellson, IowaThe First Harvest of Spring
V
ermont is usually what comes to mind when
people think about maple syrup. However, in
the hills of northern Michigan, maple trees
abound, and there are many folks who head out to
the sugar bush to tap trees each spring. My family is
among them.
In early March, Dad shovels out his “sap shack” to
get ready for the impending start of the sweet stuff.
As a child, I always loved maple syrup season because
it meant longer days outside enjoying 45-degree
weather (practically tropical after a long, snowy
winter) and gathering buckets full of sap.
My folks always made it fun. While the sap boiled
down into a delicious syrup, we had a cookout. Mom
made potato salad and baked beans, and we roasted
hot dogs on the fire, with s’mores for dessert.
I moved away after college, but five years ago,
my husband, Cory, and I decided to return home to
northern Michigan. Our daughter, Ember, was born
in March 2016—a lucky month, I think! The following
spring, she helped her daddy and grandpa make
maple syrup for the first time. I am blessed to see her
savor the sweetness of spring with her grandparents
just like I did as a child.
JESSICA EVANS
Harbor Springs, Michigan