Early spring honey

Nothing tastes better!

Favas

Some of these favas are ready to pick!  The plants have taken over the garden walk way.

Why bike?

Lizzy from Timbuk2 used twitter to collect answers to a simple question:  Why do you bike commute? 

The article can be found on the Atlantic. 
Thanks Lizzy!  The community summed up my feelings exactly! 

Four days in bee time

Last year M took out two frames from the brood box to capture a swarm. (The swarm is doing great)  He didn't replace the frames, bee space was violated, and the girls built out comb.  They were given a new brood box (with frames!) and the old box with burr comb was left out for the bees to rob. Unfortunately,  a cluster of bees didn't leave. For two nights (temps were around 30 - 40 F) these bees sat out there on the wax. M realized there was some brood in the comb. We set the brood box back on the hive Wednesday afternoon.  Sunday morning we went out to remove the burr comb and found what they had made.

With water, smoke, and patient brushing,  the bees were returned to the hive and the comb left in a wine bucket for the bees to rob. 

I'm still amazed what these girls can do.

Fall and Winter

If there's a way to easily update the blog via smart phone (and I'm sure there is!), it's more likely this blog would have been more lively!  It's been a busy fall, and now we are in winter.  

Harvested honey and moved a hive

In the last couple of weeks, we've been busy!  We harvested our Urania hive, and moved our Terpsichore hive.  

Plum Wine, 2010

Mostly because I hated to see any plums wasted (and wasn't brave enough to try canning yet!) I decided to make a plum wine.  

Camping: Samuel P Taylor

We took off for a weekend of camping at Samuel P. Taylor Park. 

summer explosion in the garden.

The cool and wet spring has given way to a warm and sunny summer.  Our own little corner of the world is experiencing a typical season:  foggy cool mornings, clear and sunny afternoons with temperatures about 70 - 80 Fahrenheit.  I spent some time watering and weeding, and taking some photos.  

Bottling wine

In anticipation of the summer fruits, I bottled our Pomegranate 2007 wine into bottles.  

Capturing a swarm

I was at work Monday morning when one of our groundskeepers, Scott,  knocked on my door.  "A swarm has just landed in a tree!  You were the first person I thought of!"  

I followed him out of the building and towards a nearby tree.  

Virgil said that the bees "partake of an Essence Divine and drink Heaven's well-springs."

It's been a very busy April so far.  And we are left with muses!  

A Day in the Life of a Beekeeper.

M's gone pro.  After weeks of prep work, the bees all arrived and it was time to get them into their homes.  I took a day off work to lend a hand (not to mention a back, legs, feet, truck, etc...) and took plenty of photos.