Sugar and squares.

It is the last weekend before April 15... and I am not working.

Let me repeat that: I am not working.

I am not sure this has ever happened in the 15 tax seasons in which I have labored since 1993. (I was laid off for a couple years during the post-9/11 recession.) This half-time gig is awesome.

And now, a moment of silence for Carrie K., who IS working.

This past week I had several county meetings for this, that, and the other. During these meetings I discovered that it is sugaring time right now, and anyone who lives in the country or the woods is way busy, what with the tapping and the boiling and the bottling.

"Oh, you need to talk to Kris about that, but not this week. He's up to his eyeballs in maple syrup."

"Yeah, the sap is really running right now."

"I can take care of that next week. This week my wife and I are too busy sugaring."

And so it went. Somehow I had known that people tapped maple trees and made syrup in this part of the state -- the maple syrup I buy in the store here and even in the Twin Cities generally comes from Cumberland, only about 30 miles from where I sit -- but somehow I had not realized how significant sugaring time is hereabouts. The comments I heard this week taught me that it is akin to the fishing opener and the first day of deer season, a time of intense outdoor activity that occupies only a portion of the local population but somehow touches everyone else in the area. Pondering that realization, I now know why it took me so long to awaken to it: it obviously occurs during the latter part of tax season, a time of the year when I am consumed with working and only occasional moments off for eating, sleeping, and commuting.

Like I said, this half-time gig is awesome.

* * * * *

I took a little break from knitting the toddler sweater.

These are for Code Pink, a Radical Act of Knitting for Mother's Day, which I read about at Vicki's blog. I still need to make 2 more pink squares and 2 green ones before I mail them off on Monday. Those four remaining squares should take about 20 seconds. Four-inch squares of knitting worsted on US#7s go INCREDIBLY fast. Every single one of these squares has surprised me by being nearly done before I realized it.

My squares will be somewhere in that fence cozy.

Comments

[Chris]

Woe the CarrieK. Woe.

The fence cozy is going to be SO cool.

[Miss T]

I'm amazed you're not working.

[tammy]

You're off? Wow, that's brilliant! The fence cozy is an amazing idea.

[Carrie]

I like the fence cozy.

[Sheepish Annie]

Not working? I'm stunned! As I was pulling the trigger on my state tax return yesterday and watching it fly off into the interwebs, I thought of you. I figured you'd be in the salt mines. How odd that I was doing tax stuff while you were not! It's like the world has turned upside down!!!

[Vicki]

Those 4" squares ARE quick!! I thought I had one green square to go, but turns out I had it half-finished already, so 2 seconds later I was done!
; )

[Nora]

Dude, congratulations on your weekend off! That has to feel good. Enjoy!!

[LizzieK8]

I have some to send off, too! Won't we be proud when we see them on Mother's Day?

[Norma]

That IS amazing. I'm not working, either, but it's not nearly as significant for me. :D

[Heather]

I envy you your half time gig...but you've definitely earned it!

[Diane]

Mmmm, maple syrup. Aunt Jemima is not welcome in this house.

A weekend free should help you to be well-rested for next weekend's classes?

[soxanne]

Glad you could enjoy having the-weekend-before-April-15th off!

Now I'm off to make my squares for the fence cozy - thanks for the tip.

[Helen]

Must find pink yarn! Must knit for fence cozy! What a wonderful idea!
(And woot for you on not working today)