Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: One day in 1928 , while walking through some woods collecting sap for maple syrup , Copeman noticed that slush and ice flaked off his rubber boots rather than adhering to them .
Simplified: One day in 1928 , while walking through some woods getting sap for maple syrup , Copeman saw that slush and ice came off of his rubber boots instead of sticking to them .