Sunday Reading - Sheep and Bees

So I suppressed my blood pressure and decided to not write the rant post I was working on today. Perhaps I will write it up tomorrow after I think on it some more.

Anyway it was entirely too nice a day to waste inside really. Not especially warm as it only got up to about 50 degrees but I have been lagging and lazing about entirely too much lately. Once I got interested in some inside endeavors it has been hard to kick myself out of them and go out even into the only semi cold and do any outside work. Computer games and entertainment reading has taken up entirely too much of my time the last month or so.

The garden space is dust dry at this point. I have hauled at least a dozen 30 gallon bins full of wood ash into it this Winter so far and I can walk all the way out into the tilled area without a speck of mud getting on my boots even on warm days. There is absolutely no moisture in the soil and we haven't had enough rain or snow to even filter the wood ash down into the tilled soil. I cannot remember a January when I could walk into a tilled space without mud in my lifetime. This could be serious.

We are forecast to get some possible freezing rain tonight and then warmer temps and possible rain for the next few days so I am keeping my fingers crossed and praying to God we get it. Despite making it upto 50 today none of the hives had bees out but I took the opportunity to pop the top while leaving the inner covers in place and discovered many bees in the very top of the hives. This has me very concerned because the bees move up as they use the honey they have stored.

After the bee placement discovery I decided to feed some dry sugar. It wasn't warm enough for me to open the hives completely but with the workers already coming out the inner cover hole I figured placing sugar directly on top of the inner cover should work. I placed as much in each hive as I could, about a pound per hive and I hope they take it if they need it. With temps the way they are and the lack of moisture there isn't much else I can do but feed dry sugar and pray.

At the very least I can confirm all seven remaining hives have live bees in them and the solid cold period is almost over. Another month and we should begin getting some very nice days and the first of the real nectar producing blooms. If I get another day without rain and temps into the 50's I will go and check to see if they have taken any of the sugar feed.

Seed starting will begin tomorrow and we got out first load of lamb meat back today. The Mrs. was overjoyed and all the lamb cuts that filled the freezer. She ran some numbers and was elated after she saw how much money we saved so moving into keeping more sheep should now be a much easier sell.

So until later.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!