Sunday Reading - Another Warm Day

Not being able to use my photoshop program is really annoying me. I need to get this issue fixed so I can continue taking some pictures for the blog especially with Spring fast approaching. Not to go into too much detail or spawn some operating system/computer debate I had to make a change to my startup file to run another program that got updated and it shut down photoshop in the process. I guess I can look into some multiple boot type thing or break down and upgrade my computer I just haven't decided which yet.

Ok so I got that off my chest, not that it has anything to do with prepping/homesteading/sustainable living or bashing feminism but hey it's been on my mind today. Besides I somehow bet the Feminist teachers had something to do with it anyway :)

It got up into the upper 50's or 60's today and the bees were out all over. They completely filled the pie plate feeders I have out for them and had went through over a pound of sugar in each feeder more or less by mid afternoon. I was a bit worried because when I went to refill the feeders this morning there was zero activity from any of the hives, my guess is that it still hadn't warmed up enough for the girls to get to work yet. Ya they were sleeping in.

By the time I finished cutting a truckload of wood and went and checked on them again around 2:30 they were completely covering the feeders and had already carried off most of the feed I put out for them. I hope they got enough because tomorrow temps are forecasted to drop once again into the 30's and 40's with night time temps in the 20's for the whole week. I am just praying they have enough food stored to carry em through. It isn't simply a food issue either as it is hard for the ball of bees to maneuver from one hive area to another sometimes so it is possible for them to starve even if they have honey inside the hive if it isn't close enough for them to break the ball and get it. This is what happened to the last hive to die out last week.

We are seeing some buds on the trees now though and as I was unloading the large pieces of wood I cut that needs splitting this afternoon I came across the squashed body of a very small snake that must have been wedged in between the wood and bark somehow more than likely sunning himself. So if the small snakes are out then Spring cannot be far off.

My tomato seedlings are all popping up but the broccoli and cauliflower are lagging some. This week will be round two as I fill in any that didn't sprout and transplant a few that had more than one sprout in the pot. I even have some peppers that came out fast this time around which is very unusual for me anyway.

It's time to start switching gears into Spring mode now. I have some more bee boxes to make (Bee boxes covers woodenware and swarm traps) along with three raised beds I am adding to the main garden area now.

Looks like the short but boring Winter days are coming to an end. The verdict still isn't in on my old apple tree yet. I can't tell if it is going to come back or is completely dead yet. Keeping my fingers crossed for a rejuvination.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!