1:26 AM Forum Check

Good morning Eggheads…

It was ‘syrup-making-time’ and we were all gathered by the big vat waiting for the fire to get going good. There was a chill in the air but no rain was expected. We had about three acres worth of sugar cane piled up and ready to be fed into the cane press. I had helped cut it by hand using a cane knife, then load it on the sled to be pulled over to the where it was stacked.

The same horse that pulled the sled was now attached to a long pole that stuck out about twenty feet from the top of the cane press. My Dad told me to lead the horse around in circles while they started feeding the stalks of sugar cane into the press where it would suddenly be changed from round to flat as it came out the other side. More would be fed into it and more mashed cane would come out the other side. This would go on until the last of the cane was used up.

Shortly after the first few stalks went in we started to see the cane juice trickle down and into a big tub. Eventually, the tub had a lot of juice in it so I was told to stop the horse so they could take the juice over to the big cooking vat that was now on top of the fire. They would pour it in and there was a quick sizzle announcing that this syrup-making project was finally underway. It would go on non-stop like this all night and into the next day.

I don’t know exactly when I had to stop but sometime during the night I was curled up asleep on a blanket or something close to the warmth of the fire. That old horse just kept walking around and around and around, stopping when told to ‘Wough’ and starting back up with two ‘clicks’ from my grandfather.

I didn’t wake up until just before dawn when I heard someone say ‘biscuits.’ I was hungry enough to eat the whole plate of ‘em. My grandfather dipped a ladle into the vat and brought out some hot syrup and poured it into a hole poked into my biscuit. I took a bite and instantly wanted another one for my other hand. It tasted better than any candy I had ever eaten. They let me have some coffee that had been boiling on the hot coals, only they added a lot of milk and some cane juice to mine. It was also delicious. I ate ‘til I couldn’t eat anymore.

A few hours later it was time to start putting the hot syrup into syrup cans. There were large cans and small cans. Each was filled to the top and a lid hammered on. This went on the rest of the day until the last of the syrup was gone from the vat. We then started hauling the cans to the smoke shed where they would remain until needed or sold.

Suddenly, my sensors informed me that pressure was building in the plumbing and steps would need to be taken to correct the problem. I sprang slowly from my recharging station and off I did go. I made it to the maintenance department in plenty of time to pull on the pressure release lever to save the day.

Then I moved on to the communications center to check the Forum. It was functioning but only a few were reporting. I checked to confirm how many Eggheads were signed on and the records indicated that 34 Members and 347 Guests were indeed on duty. No matter, I’m so tired from making syrup and full from eating biscuits that I must return to the recharging station.

Say goodnight Leroy.

Spring “Canned And Abled” Chicken
Spring Texas USA