Maggie's Farm

A sugarbush here in Michigan is the building where you make maple syrup. In my wayward youth, the neighbor across the section had a log-cabin style sugarbush in the woods that ran down the middle of the section. It was wood-fired, a large shallow pan was placed in the center of the building on top of a large open hearth. Wesley (the neighbor) used to escape his harpy wife and nagging father by going out there to make his syrup. My mother would let my brother and me stay out there all day long helping Wesley. Our job was to keep the sap in the pan moving along with large wooden paddles (so it wouldn't burn), and to bring in the wood. We'd happily work all day for the maple candy Wesley made from the crystalized sugar on the pan lining. And he'd send my mother home some maple butter he made each day from the good cream from his dairy. I guess you could say it was our first jobs for pay at 7 and 6 years old..... fond memories!