the maple trees are blooming - can spring be far behind?

With the spring-like weather we've had for the past couple of days, the silver maples have burst into bloom - and so ends maple syrup time. But that's okay, because out of the 8 trees I ended up tapping, 5 quarts of dark amber maple syrup were produced! Slightly less than my previous estimation, but certainly plenty for one household. French toast has been on the breakfast menu several times already. My favorite way to make it is to dip thick-sliced sourdough bread into a lightly-beaten egg (no milk, cinnamon, etc.), fry it up and serve drenched in warm buttered maple syrup with a hot cup of strong coffee on the side. Now that's breakfast!