Yesterday was our last day of spring vacation. Since I had been bugged all week about having friends over, we invited several friends to come over during the day. That way no one was left out!
Nathalie's friend Jenny arrived around 8:30 AM. Nathalie and she quickly disappeared to the barns. Jenny has goats and just got her first chicks a few days ago. So she and Nathalie spent quite a bit of time checking out our herd and flock.
Abby and I finished rearranging the school room to accommodate the new furniture from my Mom. Then we tackled the mudroom (which STILL has no shelves). A couple of the bookshelves that we were able to empty from the school room will fit perfectly in the mudroom. This will make temporarily permanent shelving until Sam is no longer working 100 hours per week (Sometime in 2011, I think!) and has time to make me my custom shelving.
Phyllis and her gang arrived around 11:30 with Hannah's friend in tow. Rachel, Samantha, Grace and Dianna all found bikes and rode in the driveway, while Hannah and Samara went to check out Hannah's salamander habitat.
We all ate lunch together and afterward Phyllis and I sat down for a cup of tea while the children went in various directions. Some went for a walk in the woods, others headed for the stream to catch frog eggs, and still others rode bikes. Everyone got along and the moms got to spend a few minutes catching up!
Today we have a dump run, 4H camp clean-up, and a birthday party to go to. Of course that is in addition to animals to feed and milk, eggs to gather, and barn that needs cleaning too!
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
The Bees Are Coming!
My bees were supposed to be arriving from Georgia on April 12th. I was slightly perturbed by this since that also happens to be Easter Sunday. Not exactly when I wanted to be suiting up and dealing with 30,000 irritated stinging insects. I was hoping that the date would be pushed back a week.
No such luck. They've been pushed up a couple of weeks! My bees are arriving on March 27th! We did a quick check of my supplies to be sure I had everything I would need to set up three hives next Friday. It appears I am only short one bottom board. One of my original boards from 6 years ago, has finally been banged around enough to actually fall apart.
I went online to check out getting one shipped here in time. The shipping costs are nearly double the price of the board! Sam has agreed that making one is a better idea. He has some pine milled up in the garage and he will set to work on it this afternoon, using the broken one as a template.
I am happy to say that the one hive I worked on getting to winter over, was successful! I saw bees flying in and out two days ago and they were busily bringing in pollen from somewhere. Most likely the skunk cabbages are in bloom. I will be giving them some sugar for a little extra boost to get through the last few weeks until mid April brings about more blossoms.
Spring is officially here today and it looks like the calendar and nature are in sync!
No such luck. They've been pushed up a couple of weeks! My bees are arriving on March 27th! We did a quick check of my supplies to be sure I had everything I would need to set up three hives next Friday. It appears I am only short one bottom board. One of my original boards from 6 years ago, has finally been banged around enough to actually fall apart.
I went online to check out getting one shipped here in time. The shipping costs are nearly double the price of the board! Sam has agreed that making one is a better idea. He has some pine milled up in the garage and he will set to work on it this afternoon, using the broken one as a template.
I am happy to say that the one hive I worked on getting to winter over, was successful! I saw bees flying in and out two days ago and they were busily bringing in pollen from somewhere. Most likely the skunk cabbages are in bloom. I will be giving them some sugar for a little extra boost to get through the last few weeks until mid April brings about more blossoms.
Spring is officially here today and it looks like the calendar and nature are in sync!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Will Spring come?
Finally, things are settling down a bit around here. The newest chicks are in under their heat lamps. We didn't lose a single one this time around. Hannah is excited because her "free rare chick" has a crest.
The Chicken Emporium has been painted and the fencing assembled. Today we will introduce the older chicks to it. The four new Chinese Silkie roosters that Hannah adopted from the Humane Society yesterday are settled in their mini coop while they are quarantined for a few weeks. Their crowing this morning set all the dogs to barking, but it is nice to have crowing here again. We haven't had a rooster for nearly 4 years.
My bees are in their hives. Today I will check to see if they have released the queen. They were very reluctant to leave their boxes. I have never had that happen before. I think perhaps it was just too cold.
The two does who are due and past due at this point are looking ready to explode. Today is supposed to be nice; warmer and partly sunny. A good day to birth some babies.
Yesterday we observed a pair of wood ducks nesting in a tree in our goat pen. Seeing a web-footed creature 40 feet up in a tree is a sight to behold! We hope they stay and hatch their babies.
I cleaned the leaves off of my crocusi and daffodils. Perhaps Spring really will come? I look at my yard and I am anxious to get the winter debris cleaned up. Perhaps if the sun really does come out today, we will take the day off from schoolwork and work outside.
The Chicken Emporium has been painted and the fencing assembled. Today we will introduce the older chicks to it. The four new Chinese Silkie roosters that Hannah adopted from the Humane Society yesterday are settled in their mini coop while they are quarantined for a few weeks. Their crowing this morning set all the dogs to barking, but it is nice to have crowing here again. We haven't had a rooster for nearly 4 years.
My bees are in their hives. Today I will check to see if they have released the queen. They were very reluctant to leave their boxes. I have never had that happen before. I think perhaps it was just too cold.
The two does who are due and past due at this point are looking ready to explode. Today is supposed to be nice; warmer and partly sunny. A good day to birth some babies.
Yesterday we observed a pair of wood ducks nesting in a tree in our goat pen. Seeing a web-footed creature 40 feet up in a tree is a sight to behold! We hope they stay and hatch their babies.
I cleaned the leaves off of my crocusi and daffodils. Perhaps Spring really will come? I look at my yard and I am anxious to get the winter debris cleaned up. Perhaps if the sun really does come out today, we will take the day off from schoolwork and work outside.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Bee rated
One of my bee hives is dead. Thousands of dead bees litter the doorway of the hive. Thousands more are dead on the inner cover. I don't know exactly what killed them. I assume it was the bizarre weather. Sixty degrees for a few days and then below freezing for the last week. They just got confused and perished thinking it was Spring.
I haven't checked the other hive yet. I saw a few bees flying around it yesterday, but it certainly wasn't the amount it should have been. I fear if it isn't dead, it soon will be.
My new bees are coming on March 30th. At least now I don't have to worry about my backordered supplies making it here in time. I can just reuse the stuff I have. And now I don't have to worry about re-queening the hives either. And hey when my new stuff does get here, I'll be all set if there is a swarm this year.
I haven't checked the other hive yet. I saw a few bees flying around it yesterday, but it certainly wasn't the amount it should have been. I fear if it isn't dead, it soon will be.
My new bees are coming on March 30th. At least now I don't have to worry about my backordered supplies making it here in time. I can just reuse the stuff I have. And now I don't have to worry about re-queening the hives either. And hey when my new stuff does get here, I'll be all set if there is a swarm this year.
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