La Tire

I went with the Bible School students to la cabanes à sucre today. It was a uniquely Quebecois experience. Most Americans are familiar with the Maple tree, but many of us don’t even know the difference between real maple syrup and the imitation kind. Well, I now know the difference!!!

We had a tour of the facilities, which consisted of tapped maple trees, a collection shack, and a larger shack for boiling the sugar. Once the sugar is boiled enough, it is syrup.

We all headed outside, where there were long wooden boxes filled with packed snow. Each of us took a popsicle stick and waited for the treat, ‘la tire sur la neige.’ A pot of sugar was boiling in the sugar shack, and at the right moment, it was brought out and poured into the snow. That is when the sticks came in handy. We poked and twirled our sticks in the sugar and out they came. Maple popsicles!! Yum, c’est tres cool!!


I start classes next week. In a way, I am glad to have some time to rest a bit, but at the same time, I am working hard to strengthen my French now, in order to be able to communicate with my new friends.