January 2010 - Planning

The Cordovan and Carniolan bees have survived the winter thus far. It has been a very cold and wet winter. In Dec 2009 we had 26 inches of snow and last night it sleeted. It's suppose to rain through the weekend.

I am surprised that the Cordovan have survived being that they came out of California. They are my favorite. When I take off the top cover they all point their little bottoms at me showing their swords (stingers). I get a laugh out of this that they love their little home so much they will die for it.

My dad has been talking about raising goats, geese, and cows. I would love to have a Highland cow of my own.

Things to do:

inventory wooden ware and get it cleaned up
order more bees
order some chicks
secure an area to keep chickens
hay bales for vegetable seedlings
burn off dead vegetation in garden to get ready for Spring
select vegetables to grow

Blizzard of 2009 - Dec 19 2009

Two feet of snow. Drifts up to the entrance. Will need to clear the entrances for ventilation.

Is it a plane? Is it a bird? No...it's a...BEAR!!

An hour after I fed the bees my mom caught this dare devil bear in the tree.

Feeding Bees - Dec 4, 2009

Temps approximately low 60s, sunny, and breezy.

I made a sugar pie for the bees. My intentions were to make sugar candy but the sugar syrup never reached hard ball candy stage and I ended with ewwwy goooey sugar syrup. So I mixed in some comb honey I had from my bees, confectionary sugar, and the sugar syrup. It turned out to be a pie. I put the yummy pies into the hives and girls loved it. Only four hive beetles were located and killed.

The bees appeared to be healthy so it was a good day. Reduced the entrance to prevent mice and other critters from entering the hives.

My Father's Garden

My dad loves to garden and I suppose it's his Scottish roots and his love for the outdoors. I hope you enjoy the slideshow I've put together. The pictures were taken by my mother and the plants lovingly placed in the soil, nurtured, and tended by my father's hands.