Monday Morning This and That

Bee inspection with two 
little prospective beekeepers.

Life is filled with unexpected situations. Last week we lost one of our two beehives. There were only a few dead bees on the bottom board so it's pretty clear that they absconded. Why? Who knows? There are lots of reasons that could have caused it. We think they just couldn't find enough food and took off for greener pastures. The drought this summer has certainly affected the nectar flow. But we're sorry we didn't start feeding them early on. All was well only a week ago. So things can go South in a hurry. We immediately began to feed our remaining hive and they are emptying the sugar syrup bags as quickly as we put them in. Today I'll purchase another twenty pounds of sugar for the girls. We love beekeeping and hope to keep at it as long as we're able. We have another hive inside a wall around the pool, but decided to let them winter over there and remove them in the Spring. Hopefully they will survive. So far there are still bees going in and out the little knothole that's their entrance.

Our chickens continue to lay well and this week we had a full complement of eight eggs from eight hens most days. When my niece and her two little boys were here last week they loved going out every morning to collect the eggs. The four-year-old told his mom after they went home that his favorite thing at Camp Kreitzer was Whopper's blue eggs. They are pretty. I asked him if he thought they were blue on the inside and sent home two so the boys could each crack and investigate, and then, of course, eat them for breakfast. Their visit was a delight! They even brought little bee suits so they could go out and inspect the hives with me. So they were witnesses to the hive demise and saw a small wax moth walking around on one of the frames. I told them a little bit about beehive predators. They also saw some black hive beetles in the remaining hive and I told them how sometimes the bees will feed the beetles. Odd, isn't it, to feed the predator in your midst? Maybe that's a metaphor for charity. "Love your enemy; do good to those that hate you." I killed about a dozen. A strong hive can deal with them and we've never been successful with hive beetle traps. There are some other things we can try and probably should.

After my niece left with the little guys, my two sisters and I went "junking." I bought a few things for Christmas gifts. The grandkids get much more expensive items when I buy things at the little local antique and thrift stores. I also bought several dolls for my collection. I've been looking for nun dolls whenever I'm out and about and dickered for two at our church outreach store that were pricey. I didn't think they'd ever sell for that. Not many people collect dolls these days. I've found incredible buys for three or four dollars, and, in fact, my favorite purchase from our outing was a cute little boy doll with a smudge on his face that wouldn't come off. It faded a bit, but simply adds to his charm. He was $1.95 and I will get much more enjoyment from him than a $4 or $5 cup of overpriced coffee.

One of my sweet sisters bought me a chicken candle holder. Bees and chickens have become frequent gift additions from our children these days. Speaking of chickens, it's nine o'clock so I should go outside and say good morning to the girls. I hope you have a delightful Monday. I plan to.