Volume 20, Number 48
Serving Durham, Middlefield and Rockfall
www.TownTimes.com
Friday, March 21, 2014
Late winter means it’s time to make the syrup By Diana Carr
cause it’s stayed cold. It’s the variation in the temperatures that makes the sap run.” Tom learned how to make Syruping is a family affair for the Breiningers, of maple syrup by reading books. “I wanted to do this Durham. Tom and his wife, Mary because I can get something Ann, their sons, Kyle, Eric, out of a minimal amount of and Nathan, and Tom’s work,” he said. “That’s why I brother, Will, have been mak- liked raising bees. The bees ing maple syrup for 27 years. did all the work, and I got a Every year it’s a roll of lot of honey.” They tap seven trees evthe dice. Mother Nature decides just how often they will ery year-four on Tom and be sitting down to pancakes Mary Ann’s property and swimming in the sweet stuff. three on the neighbor’s. “You “We usually start on want trees with a lot of fine Valentine Day weekend,” branches on the top,” Tom Tom said, “and we’re done said. “The sap runs up into by April 1. The best tem- those little branches, and peratures for this are 20 de- when it comes down, it goes grees at night and 50 degrees into a vein, which is what you during the day. That gets the tap. The vein is above the sap running. We can get sap root or below a big branch.” if it’s a couple of degrees be- A hole is drilled into the tree, low freezing at night and than a spile (a spout which a couple of degrees above draws off the sap) is banged freezing during the day, but into the hole. A hose on the Will, Eric and Tom Breininger mind the sap during a recent boiling day at their Durham we won’t get as much. This hasn’t been a good year beSee Syrup / Page 2 home. Annie, Will’s dog, keeps the men company. | Diana Carr / For Town Times Special to Town Times
Middlefield family featured in issue of ‘Golf Digest’ By Mark Dionne
Town Times
A chance pairing of an older and a younger golfer at Lyman Orchards Apple Nine course resulted in a story in “Golf Digest” magazine when the older golfer finished the round impressed with the young man’s golf but especially his story. It is not surprising that a visitor to the Apple Nine wo u l d b e pa i re d w i t h Christopher Fosdick, considering how much golf the 13-year-old plays. “Everyone knows Chris because he lives there,” said his father, Dr. Gordon Fosdick. According to the elder Fosdick, the family atmosphere of golfing and the con-
up. “He’s been golfing since about 6 or so,” Fosdick said. “He loves golf. That’s his passion.” Jen Huddleston of Indian Springs Golf Course was impressed enough with Christopher’s swing, when he was learning the game, that she suggested he pursue extra coaching at a Nike camp in Hartford. The coaching, along with Christopher’s skill and drive, led to competitive golf at the age of 10. Christopher won the Christopher Fosdick, 13, of Middlefield, appeared in a state player of the year title recent issue of “Golf Digest.” | submitted photo from the Junior Professional centration of the game were her death, Lyman Orchards Golf Association for the 10-12 especially important after the opened its nine hole course age group. “He just sleeps and eats family lost its mother, Julie close to the Fosdick home in Fosdick, to liver cancer. Middlefield and Christopher’s golf,” Fosdick said. “He lights About the same time as interest in the game picked up with competition. If he has
serious competition he plays much better.” Golf has other benefits besides titles, Fosdick pointed out in the Golf Digest article and in speaking to the Town Times. Fosdick found that after such a tragic loss, an activity, especially a focused and communal activity like golf, can provide a healthy atmosphere to counter grief’s “deep end.” The game of golf is a good fit for Christopher for reasons other than just his skill and the course’s location. In the Golf Digest article, Fosdick said, “In other sports you’re either on or you’re off, but with golf it’s OK to just hang around.” See Golf / Page 2