We have been making liquid gold since the turn of the century.  It all starts in February when we tap the maple trees, then we wait for the temperatures to be just right for the sap to run.  If we are lucky, it will run until mid-April.  It takes 40 gallons of sap to make just 1 gallon of maple syrup, so we spend a lot of time watching sap boil.  It is certainly a labor of love, and we enjoy every minute.