He said he took "semi-re­tirement" six years ago, and his syrup business "got bigger and bigger." Someone told him he had a small maple syrup equip­ment supply business for sale, and, as O'Brien remembers it, "In a weak moment … " An equipment supplier was born, one of a few in Ontario. O'Brien said he particularly enjoys helping first time syrup makers get started, and enjoys giving them tips about the process. "There were not a lot of peo­ple out there who sold sup­plies and had made maple syrup," he remembers. "They really hadn't done the work." He warned beginners, though, that maple syrup mak­ing is no activity for the inside a house, because of all the water evaporating from sap. He said of one such beginner it was fortunate because, "He want­ed to take off that wall­paper anyway." O'Brien said because he is good at research, he began to gather all the information that he could, and one thing he started to do was leave his sap lines up in the bush all year to save on labour. He was one of the first in the province to do that, although they are still cleaned annually, by flushing. Couper does the same thing. He said cutting down on labour is something any farm­er, including a tree farmer, has to be aware of. And maple syrup makers are as astute about their trees as a wise old farmer studying a handful of oats or surveying the growth of his corn. Couper has to thin his bush regularly for healthy trees and new growth, and said maple trees with a good canopy also provide the most syrup. "If the trees are healthy in the summer, the more light and the more they grow, the more sap they produce." He and O'Brien are friendly rivals in the business. Couper said when serious syrup makers get together they will often pour a shot glass of their product and compare tast­es, and they are looking for nuances just as a single malt scotch aficionado would when it comes to those tastings. "Each [sugar] bush tastes different," said Couper. There are many species of maple trees in Ontario, but the sugar maple is the one tapped most often, although black map­le can be just as produc­tive. Some producers will also tap red maple and silver maple trees. The sugar maple trees can grow to 100 feet and be nearly 40 inches around. Couper said he is unsure of how many people are producing syrup as a part of their income, but noted the Waterloo-Wellington Maple Syrup Producers Association has from 100 to 150 members. Couper and O'Brien agree that the tapping of trees is likely to start in the next couple of weeks. While warm days and cold nights are good indications the sap is flowing, Couper said sap can run hard in just about any weather. He remembers last year the sap was particularly fast flowing while local highways were closed and weather alternated be­tween hard snow and freez­ing rain. Professionals like O'Brien and Couper offer three brands of syrup. Different areas grade syrup differently. In Ontario, the grades are extra light, light, and medium. Those first two are usually the most popular. The third brand is the last part of the run and has a richer, darker colour, and a heavier maple taste. Couper uses wood in his operation, and O'Brien uses oil for his heat. Couper runs sap to tanks, through filters, to his evap­ora­tor, and noted the sugar hut can get very warm inside, not to mention damp.

He said he wears very light clothing and has holes in the roof for the steam and smoke to escape, even though it might be well below freezing outside. "The sap becomes maple syrup 7 degrees Fahren­heit above the boiling point of water," said O'Brien. Couper showed his special thermometer that contains the unusual, printed 7 on the dial for the perfect temperature. O'Brien recommends plac­ing syrup in smaller jars or bottles and putting them in the freezers. Good maple syrup will not freeze solidly. Couper said he fills his bottles and lays them on their sides outside the hut until they cool, then washes and cleans the spills on them. He recom­mends laying the bottles on their sides in the freezer. Special benefits "You have a product from nature," said O'Brien of the process. "It has all the qualities needed for staying alive." He noted, in particular, maple syrup has the same amount of calcium that milk contains. He said many naturopaths who put their clients on a fasting regi­men recommend they drink water laced with maple syrup because it is so healthy. Couper added that because the syrup is natural, it can be used by diabetics, being no dif­ferent than people eating a piece of fruit. And maple syrup is for more than just pancakes, too, although that treat seems to be the standard for everyone with some available. Couper said he uses maple syrup in salad dressings, with ham, and also roast beef. Oth­ers use it as a glaze on pork ten­derloin. And that is just the syrup. Some refiners take the sap and boil it down to maple candy, and even to refined sugar. Just to demonstrate that the start of syrup production is flexible, Couper tapped into one of his favourite trees for a photograph. It might be two weeks until the sap is running hard, but that tree was dripping sap when he withdrew his drill bit, so he promptly placed a pail on to gather sap and continue the syrup making tradi­tion.