Cool weather, cool garden

With the shorter days and cooler weather, things have slowed down outdoors.

Ridge Trail Service Day.

I didn't realize there was something that could get me out of bed on a Saturday morning at 5:30am until yesterday:  The Bay Area Ridge Trail - REI Service Day! 

Fall garden, fall bees

 I took a sample of each of our harvests for comparison.  If this was good science, they'd be in identical jars and identical volumes.  But instead, we have this!

Applied the second of three powdered sugar treatments to the hive, a hike in the east bay, the garden is growing strong, and will these raccoons please leave? 

Growing Challenge: tiny seedlings for a big garden

"Lettuce" show off the seedlings!  :-D

October Honey Harvest

An overcast Sunday was the perfect time to do what we think is the final harvest of the summer on Urania, as well as start the fall preparations. 

My impression of the work today - we're getting the hang of this!  

growing challenge: Cool garden check in.

It's been one week!  According to the chart, we should see lettuce, cabbage, bush beans, spinach, sugar snap peas, and turnips.  And what do we have?

Four out of six!!!

drones v. workers, cool weather garden, and kitty-be-gone

The cool weather garden was planted today! 

Most of us *erhm* got out of bed after going through the bowl of seeds (a bowl that holds all of the envelopes and seed packets).  The garden dirt was turned once more, and the planting started.

because Amanda said she missed my updates. ;)

We're in a bit of a holding pattern.  Wine is aging, the garden is having a short rest before the winter planting, and the bees are abuzz.  Last Saturday a group of us went up to hike Sibley Park to celebrate the last weekend of Summer.  It was amazing to see the views - last trip it was so fogged in! 

Last Friday I took a case of honey to work.  Fridays are the quietest day on the campus.   I sent out an email to all users and said "$10 per jar, stop by" and went about my work, no where near the computer.  Within a few minutes I had my first customer (that wasn't in my department!) asking for three jars.  I was floored.  I wasn't sure I'd sell any in my remote and locked room, and suddenly I wondered if I had enough! 

Fall Garden

Compost tea, worm castings, a sturdy shovel, hand spade, hand rake, and good clippers.  

Getting the garden cleaned up from summer and ready for fall.  

All of the plants were fed compost tea.  The vegetable garden soil was turned with fresh worm castings.  Everything was left to rest and combine before planting.  

We picked up seeds at OSH for the fall garden, going by the advice of a fall and winter garden article sent out by Park Seed.

A full day of beehive inspection and garden work called for some cool drinks! 

It's tiring work! 

September 6 hive inspection.

Last weekend there was a hive inspection of Urania and garden clean up.  Part of this was inspired by the September Bee Guild meeting - It's time to get ready for Fall! 

Encapsulating August.

Chronological would not really be possible at this point without cross referencing, so - topics!  Compost, garden, bees and honey, wine, and house. 

August has flown by.

I can't believe the end of August is approaching! Summers tend to fly by as it is - it's the busiest time of year. The long daylight hours support work, volunteering, gardening, wine making, beekeeping, hiking, travel, birthdays, and everything in between. I'm always surprised by how quickly the weekends book up, and by how soon the summer seems to draw to a close. Driving through Highway 9 today I realized how many of the trees have leaves changing color.

cycling

I. am. dying. with. laughter.

Thanks to the Timbuk2 blog for pointing out this gem: Performance.

(says the person that has a bike with brakes and gears, but it's been pointed out to me on the train that I could get a faster street bike. And I have not one, but two timbuk2 bags.)