Helluva ‘winter’ here in the Northeast Kingdom.  Ever since the January thaw, it hasn’t snowed much at all, hasn’t gotten cold, hasn’t done the things it’s supposed to do so the plow guys can make a few bucks and the snowmobilers can come up from down country and spend their dollars here.

Fortunately, lots of the plow guys also sugar and when the sun came out on Thursday and the temperatures went to near 40F, the sugar maples started dripping sap, and a tradition that has gone on for hundreds, if not thousands of years, kicked into gear.

On Saturday, staff photographer Alyssa Nichols captures these photographs at the sugarbush of a schoolmate.  Under achingly blue skies, temperatures which started out in the upper teens went into the mid 40′s, the winds calmed down and the sap started running.

Amazing what these sugar maples do, eh?

Tomorrow, we ski.  It’s better here.