The inner lives of maple trees

Mid February. Temperatures were soaring. I knew that the ideal conditions for tapping a maple tree are 40s in the daytime and 20s at night – typical mid-March weather, but it was happening a month early. Thinking that there might be only a short window of opportunity, I utilized my husband and his power drill to put a hole in our sugar maple down by the road. It's the only one I know of on our property, but it's massive. We managed to (gently) hammer in the little "spile," a small metal tube that channels the sap flow, and with some difficulty hang the bucket with its sloping roof so that sap would flow through the spile into the bucket. Drilling the hole felt like an act of violence, but unless you drill too many, it doesn't hurt the tree; they can be tapped year after year. Apparently they produce more than enough sap to spare some.

syrup isn't so different from making wine, in that so many factors can influence the taste: the soil, last summer's weather, the way it's processed, whether it's early or late in the season.

Wild Things

I waited. Nothing happened that day. But the next day, the bucket started filling surprisingly fast. Amazing how drip ... drip ... drip can add up. I transferred the sap to a pot and put it on top of our woodstove to see what would happen next. It took about 24 hours, maybe, for the big pot of sap to reduce down to a syrup, sitting there steaming away. It's a delicate balance at the end: Leave it too long and it turns into a caramel-like goo that's hard to scrape out of the pot.

When I took that first exciting sip of my own homemade syrup, it was not what I expected. It did not taste, well, mapley, though its sweetness was intense. It didn't look brown like your usual maple syrup either, but golden. Maybe my tree was not a sugar maple after all? But the dead leaves surrounding it looked right, just like the iconic Canadian maple leaf, distinguishing it from red maple, silver maple, Norway maple, etc.

Jay Broekema, who owns Sugarbrook Maple Syrup in Kerhonkson and who gave me the tap bucket, told me that early-season syrup may taste less mapley. "Typically, light syrup has less maple flavor because there's not as much bacteria in the sap," he explained. Also, he added, boiling the sap causes chemical reactions that help create that flavor. It turns out, in fact, that making maple part of the stellium positioned in Pisces in your 10th solar house of career. Fortunately, the planet Mars falls in your 1st solar house of personality, allowing you to work at improving your career prospects in an organized way. This is the time to plan carefully before initiating the process to achieve the goal you desire. helping provide for their comfort. Their education is also of prime importance, and that's top of the must-do list.

So just letting it steam on top of the woodstove is not the way to get that flavor. Never mind. I'm sticking to my method, which consumes zero extra heat energy, moisturizes the air, and doesn't require much attention. It still tastes great. Drinking the icy-cold, clear, fresh sap is in itself a pleasure. It's water with a very faintly sweet taste, and according to the companies who bottle and sell it as "maple water,” it’s full of beneficial minerals and vitamins. Here's the thing about maples. They have a system whereby their sap flows down from the top of the tree when it's warm enough for the tree to thaw inside, and upward from the roots when it's below freezing at night. This is, as best as science can understand it, because of pressure changes within the tree as compared to the outside air. What? you may say. Water expands when it freezes, so how can it be flowing at all on cold nights? But that's not what happens in a sugar maple, due to unique cells that are filled with gas, not water; the gas contracts as it freezes, creating suction upward. The flow of sap into your tap bucket is dependent on a rhythm of freezing nights that draw the sap up, and thawing days that release it downward. The hole in the tree will eventually heal, like a cut finger, Broekema explained. Until it does, my tap bucket will fill again and again. "You should have four weeks or so, unless we get a really warm spell ... it doesn't heal as quick in the cold as it does in warm weather."

I find myself becoming more and more attuned to the inner processes of that tree by the road. Its outward stillness is an illusion. Imagining what's going on inside it, its marvelous survival mechanisms, I am filled by a sense of its presence, the presence of an awesome and mysterious being.

The planetary lineup is very similar to the last edition of the horoscopes. The Sun, Mercury and Neptune are conjunct in the sign of Pisces, and they also square Mars. Venus and Jupiter are together (conjunct) in Aries, while the other four planets each occupy their own space but interact with all, but offer no cohesion. The full Moon is in the sign of Virgo and is trying to straighten out problems created in the past by organizing and structuring the relevant government facilities to ease the situation. However, the planets continue to function as they do, and that results in the continuation of the unusual weather patterns, including earthquakes and other unexpected events of the past few months.

ARIES: 3/21 to 4/19: Mars, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 3rd solar house of education and information with Jupiter conjunct Venus in your 1st house of personality. This combination places you in the enviable position of experiencing "good luck" flowing around you. The full Moon in Virgo allows you to organize the flow of information around you, making this a good time to contemplate some form of expansion to your business or to take time off.

TAURUS: 4/20 to 5/20: Venus, your ruling planet, is conjunct Jupiter and hidden behind the scenes in your 12th solar house. This may result in unexpected events of unknown origin occurring without your knowledge and then having to cope with them. Mars on the 3rd house cusp offers little help. The full Moon in Virgo will help you organize any response.

GEMINI: 5/21 to 6/20: Mercury, your ruling planet, is

CANCER: 6/21 to 7/20: The Moon child deals with the full Moon on the 7th in the sign of Virgo, with Mercury in your 9th solar house of education and communication. This results in your concentration on "what next?" You may want to take a course or two in an entirely different subject – to diversify or for creativity. Mars on the cusp of the 1st house certainly signifies energy. Just take the chance.

LEO: 7/21 to 8/22: The Sun, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 8th solar house where change takes place. It is also conjunct with both Mercury and Neptune, indicating your desire to be more creative. This may be an opportunity to take some courses that lead to an interesting hobby or even a part-time second income. Just give it a try and see where it leads.

VIRGO: 8/23 to 9/22: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned in Pisces in your 7th solar house of partnership. You may have recently met people who have led you to new creative ideas regarding a new business or a shift in employment. Mars, the planet of action, is positioned in your 10th house of career that will provide you with the energy to conclude the process and make it happen.

LIBRA: 9/23 to 10/22: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in an ideal location – your 7th solar house of partnerships. You may not be looking for a new relationship, but one can easily be found with Jupiter conjunct Venus making you seem more attractive than previously. However, you're hard at work with new ideas helped by Mars (action) on the cusp of your 10th house of career. One way or the other, you've done something right.

SCORPIO: 10/23 to 11/22: Your two rulers, Mars and Pluto, form the bookends of the planets as they appear in the sky. Pluto is on the cusp of the 4th house, home and family, and Mars is on the cusp of the 9th solar house of education. This time is spent taking care of children and

SAGITTARIUS: 11/23 to 12/21: Jupiter, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 5th solar house of children and creativity. Family seems to be your primary focus at this point, but sometimes the intensity becomes overwhelming. The planet of action, Mars, is about to enter your 8th solar house, suggesting you might want to make a change and develop new interests that add to your personal creative nature.

CAPRICORN: 12/22 to 1/20: Saturn, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 2nd solar house of money. While money may not be your primary goal, it certainly leads to power and leadership, which are your goals. The hard work you presently display adds to the well-being and affluence your family presently shows and is important for the way others view you.

AQUARIUS: 1/21 to 2/19: Uranus, your ruling planet, remains positioned in your 4th solar house and continues its emphasis on home and family. However, Pluto is thereby placed directly on the Ascendant – looking for control, possibly at work through innovative techniques or strong leadership. The full Moon on the 7th in Virgo will help you achieve the tactical skill to influence others.

PISCES: 2/20 to 3/20: Neptune, your ruling planet, continues positioned in the closing degrees of your 1st solar house of personality. It is also conjunct Neptune and Mercury, both of which show the spurt of creativity that has recently inspired you submit your work to the public's scrutiny. The results are shown by both Jupiter and Venus, the two benefic positioned in your second house of money.

Joanne can be reached at 561-744-9962. She is available for private telephone consultations if you want more information relating to your personal chart. Treat yourself, and you will learn what to expect from the current transits and receive an overview of long-term goals. Remember to read both your Sun sign and your Ascendant.

For The Family

Rosendale Seniors monthly meetings

The Town of Rosendale Seniors meetings are held at the Rosendale Recreation Center, 1055 Route 32, Rosendale, twice a month, excluding November and December, at 1 p.m. every second Wednesday (March 8), for a social meeting and fourth Wednesday (March 22) for a business meeting where members are kept informed of the resources available to them. Their event on March 8 is an auction, so bring a new or nearly new wrapped item, worth $5 to $10. The Rosendale Seniors’ first trip of the year on May 4 is hosted by their very own tour guides, Hal Sampson and Chicky Sterritt. The trip is to the Riverview Inn for a show featuring comedian JoJo Russell in “ Back for More.” The Seniors will also sponsor a tour to Branson, Missouri, courtesy of Diamond Tours, Sept. 16-24, nine days and eight nights. The tour consists of motorcoach transportation with eight nights lodging including four consecutive nights in the Branson area, 14 meals of eight breakfasts and six dinners, and admission to six fabulous shows – three morning shows and three evening shows. Cost is $1,029/pp double occupancy. Call Chickie at 845-658-2414 or Hal at 845-658-9020 for more information. For videos and group pictures, visit grouptrips.com/chicky.

Rondout Valley Lions Club New members, men and women of all ages, are wanted and encouraged to join the Rondout Valley Lions Club, serving the towns of Marbletown, Rochester and Rosendale since Oct. 18, 1950. During this time, they have helped those in need, whether it is for sight, hearing, medical emergencies or any worthwhile cause. “We serve” is their motto, and this is what they do. The Lions meet at 5 p.m. on the second Wednesday (March 8), and at noon on the fourth Thursday of every month (March 23) in the conference room of the Rondout Municipal Center, 1925 Lucas Turnpike, Cottekill. For more information on being included in the club’s next meeting, contact Sue Curcio, president, at otrlsc@gmail.com or Janet Sutter, treasurer, at janet.sutter@aol.com.

Second Sunday Supper The Rondout Valley United Methodist Church will host its Second Sunday Supper at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 12, (at the earlier time for the winter months), at the church, 25 Schoonmaker Lane, off Route 209, Stone Ridge. All are invited to meet and greet other members of the community, dine together and enjoy one another’s company. Second Sunday Suppers are free and held on the second Sunday of every month (except July and August). Sunday worship at RVUMC is in person at 10 a.m. or online anytime at rvumc. org. For more information, call 845-6879061. Need prayer? Call Pastor Caroline at 845-687-9090.

Homeschoolers Maple Sugaring at Minnewaska Join Park Preserve educators and other homeschool families, 1-3 p.m. Thursday, March 16, to experience the magic that is maple sugaring. In our area, mid-February to mid-March is when sap is typically collected for producing maple syrup. In this program, the group will discuss clues to identify maple trees and the process of making maple syrup. They will also share some maple sugaring legends, and if the conditions are not too cold, tap a sugar maple tree using hand-powered tools. If the sap is flowing on the day of the program, each child will be able to taste maple sap. Additionally, each child will be able to taste-test maple syrup and at least one kind of maple candy. This program is recommended for children between the ages of 7 to 10 years old, accompanied by a parent or guardian over the age of 18. As always, well-behaved younger siblings capable of participating are welcome to join. Meet at the Lower Parking Area. Preregistration is required by calling the Lake Minnewaska Visitor Center at 845-255-0752.

Marbletown Seniors meetings and next group trip Open to all those over 55, whether living in Marbletown or not. The Seniors hold their meetings at the Marbletown Community Center, 3564 Main St., across from Key Bank in Stone Ridge, at noon on the first Friday, April 7 (bring a dish to share or drop $3 in the basket on the food table), and at 1 p.m. on the third Friday, March 17 (bring a dessert to share or drop $2 in the basket on the dessert table), each