It was a beautiful autumn day; the sun was high in the sky and on it's autumn axis unable to deliver much heat. The air was crisp and aromatic; it found it's way to my senses, and it smelled the freshest it had ever smelt. I felt as if I would be able to hike another ten miles. The forest was filled with a plethora of color. Leaves were falling as if a giant was plucking them, to find out if his lady friend loved him or not. There were more Acer saccharum then I had ever seen in one place in all my fifty-four years and the sight of them excited me. Walking at a brisk pace my mind began to churn, I began to think of the knowledge I have acquired over the years about the Sugar Maple. I remembered that the Sugar Maple has roots that are deep and strong. My family has lived in Oswego, New York for about 35 years. Oswego is where I met my wife and where all four of our children were born. Our family roots are here in Oswego and like the Sugar Maple are deep and strong.
The Sugar Maple's branches spread out in all directions. Our son, the eldest of our four children, branched out to the southern tier after graduating high school, where he was wed and has four children and a foster child. Our eldest daughter got married and now resides in northwest Ohio, along with her husband and three girls and two grand children. Our middle daughter, who wed after graduation and branched out, is now divorced and living back in Oswego. She has two boys, one age nine and the other age four. Last but now least is our baby, who is twenty-nine years old, she is wed and branched out to New Jersey with her husband and daughter. Our children went forth and were fruitful and multiplied. Like the Sugar Maple our family has branched out and reproduced. .
In the autumn many people tap the Sugar Maple for the sweet fluid (sap) it willingly gives up. Once the sap is collected, it will then be boiled down and it turned into thick sweet syrup, which we call Maple Syrup.