Beekeeping trials and tribulations

So, there's been a dearth of beekeeping posts and it's not due to lack of adventures in the apiary - quite the reverse is true. Unfortunately, our adventures have tended more toward the hard-knocks variety instead of the easy-peasy types. 

Ash has requeened about 6 or more times - all but one queen were raised by him. We have had hive losses, queen losses and even a laying-queen hive that we managed to requeen.  

Here are just a few recap photos of a learning/experience-rich, honey-poor season. 

Marking one of our new queens with a blue paint pen (this year's color). 

Queen cells on a brood frame. 

Old, empty queen cells. 

Treating hives for mites. 

There's obviously a liter haven't documented this summer. It seemed like every hive check presented a new problem to solve. There was so much swapping and reswapping of brood, queens and nukes, that we could hardly keep track. We are just hoping to get some healthy colonies to survive the winter and maybe next year we'll be able to get back to honey-making. If any fellow beekeepers out there run into some weird challenges with your apiary and need a sympathetic ear - we're your folk to go to. ;) 

Beekeeping: Early Mite Treatment

So before we put our honey supers on, Ash decided to do a quick treatment for mites.  A friend and fellow beekeeper had some mite trouble already this year and we thought we'd avoid any problems since it will be few weeks before we do another big hive check.

Afterward, we put on our queen excluders and honey supers and on our newest hive, we added another deep:

Since I spent 20 minutes staring at the openings of the hives waiting for the mite treatments, I got an up-close-and-personal look into bee activity.  I watched as bees came out to defend their hive from little beetle-like intruders.  They tried biting them, and then ended up pushing them off the edge of the platform.  Since it was evening (best time to treat for mites because you catch the largest percentage of bees at home inside the hive) I watched the bees stand on their "front porch", put their tushies in the air and fan their wings like crazy.  This was their way of calling bees to come home by wafting their queen's specific pheromone scent.  I still enjoy helping Ash with the hives, although it is a bit stressful for me when one of our girls gets smashed between hive boxes.  I think I'm too soft-hearted to be a super efficient beekeeper.  ;)

Time With Kids is Too Valuable to Let Slip By: Summer Plan 2015

Confessions of a Planner
Ok, call me uptight, but I'm the first to admit to being a planner.  Don't get me wrong, spontaneity can be fun, but when it comes to filling your memory bank with life experiences, I'm all about a plan.  Every summer I ask the kids what they want to do, see, learn or accomplish during the summer months (it usually spills into October) and we compile our Summer Plan.
Planning the No-Plan Days
The kids get 1 "lazy day" for each summer month.  This means, they sleep in as late as they want, don't have to practice the piano or do other chores.  They can lounge about as they wish.  (Yes, this is how we planning-types appease the kid complaints that their friend's moms never make them do stuff like this during the summer.)
The Basic Routine
Otherwise, the rest of the days we stick to more or less of a routine.  We get up to have family prayer before my husband leaves for work, and then they can go back to bed for another hour or so (as we hit the teenage years, the wake-up time is getting a bit later).  All the regular chores remain in place: laundry, housecleaning, cooking once a week, emptying garbages, dishes, etc.  with the addition of a weeding assignment in the yard that must be weeded (and checked) every 2 weeks.  We try to get the work and chores done in the morning so the kids have the afternoons free to hang out with friends, earn money or whatever.  Reading is a big part of summer as well, and we usually have some sort of reading competition or reward activity. (Plus their grandparents pay them for book reports. . . spoiled kiddos!)
It's Intentional
I try to make sure that the kids are involved in learning homemaking skills such as sewing, baking, canning, etc. so we plan those "training sessions" in as well.  If I was just concerned about getting the projects done in an efficient manner, involving kids would never happen.  So this way I intentionally make the focus on training them, not achieving a perfect outcome or end-product.  I no longer make my 15 year old boy do full-on sewing projects like when he was younger, but the occasional mending project fits the bill nicely for his training.  We've done ironing days also to train and hone their ironing skills.  By now they're pretty good at ironing, so we don't include that in our plan anymore.
The Crux
My hope is that besides training my kiddos to have good life skills, I'll also fill their memory banks with some really fun experiences and traditions.  So, without further ado, here's the plan for summer 2015:

Beekeeping: Start of Our Second Season

It has been too long since I've posted on our beekeeping adventures.  We lost both hives over the winter.  One hive was weak going into the winter months and the other froze during a couple artic-blast wind days we had after Christmas.  Even though hive loss is common, I still felt like such a bad bee-parent!  So we ordered 2 packets from Deseret Hive Supply and were excited to start again in April.  (Yes, Ash was the one to clean all the dead bees out of the hive.)  This year the queens came premarked in our packages.  Blue dot is the color of 2015.

I love having a marked queen - makes spotting her so much easier.  Ash has learned how to mark a queen - a video of which he will hopefully upload soon to our youtube channel.  Ash has adopted the practice of marking the hive box with the color of the queen to help keep track of which hive has which age queen without having to open it up and find her.  A little dot on the corner will keep track of the bee-history.

Ash has been taking care of his family's North Ogden hives as well.  One out of the three hives survived the winter, so we ordered a couple packets from IFA which weren't delivered until May.  When he went to install them during his lunch break, he found that one of the empty hives had new occupants - a swarm had moved in!  That was a pleasant surprise - free bees!  So he took the packet back to work and stored it in his office until he came home.

Luckily, I had painted the peach hive boxes and so he installed the packet in our new peach hive here in Kaysville.

If you are wondering what the little brown and green boxes are doing there - they are nukes that Ash has filled with splits of bees he took from the one hive that survived the winter.  It was doing so well early this spring with all the warm weather that the hive was growing rather rapidly.  He decided to try his hand at raising some queens with the help of a coworker.  It worked wonderfully and we now have 2 nukes (like a bee condo instead of a house) with 5 frames full of bees.  He can use these to help populate some of the new packet hives, or if a queen dies, we have one ready to go.  When we were checking these nukes when the new queens were just hatching, we could hear some queen "piping".  It's a special and distinct noise that the queen makes to call the other queens - kind of like a lethal game of marco polo since the queen is trying to locate the others so she can kill them become queen bee.  Yeah - it's quite the drama - Shakespeare eat your heart out!
Even though Ash ends up doing most of the North Ogden hive care alone after work, I do try to help with every hive check I can.  I finally got to see him mark a queen using a mesh-covered peanut butter jar lid and a crayola paint pen.  I had to include this photo of a cute gal on my arm during a hive check.

Because of the cold, wet May we've been having, all the hives have had a rather spotty brood pattern:

Hopefully, once the weather dries out and warms up, the brood patterns should fill in more uniformly.  It will be interesting to see how the swarm hive does in comparison to the packet hives.  My raspberries are happy to have bees around and we're excited for another adventurous season of beekeeping!

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 1 Day to Go

So by now, your schedule should be free, DVR set or whatever it takes to be able to watch conference.  It is a faith-building experience that is not to be missed.  Share conference with a friend, family member or co-worker that you think might need a little boost.

Let your faith show as you Watch LDS General Conference and share it with others - tomorrow!

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 2 Days to Go

Some may look at this old boat as run-down, broken and now useless.  I see it as just about the most charming little tugboat ever!  When you look in the mirror, don't give Satan the satisfaction of seeing only your mistakes.  You are a beloved child of God - and as such, you have divine potential.  Say that to the mirror on your next bad-hair day, or hard-life day.  

Choose wisely who you listen to.  Listen to living prophets as you Watch LDS General Conference in 2 days.

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 10 Days to Go

General Conference just seems to get better and better.  Nothing compares to listening to the words of living prophets and apostles.  In anticipation of general conference April 4-5, 2015, I decided to post some of my favorite quotes from past conference talks.  Because praying for actual rain has been in my thoughts lately, I thought I'd start with this one.

Need a little help getting through your "rainy" patches? Watch LDS General Conference in 10 days.

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 9 Days to Go

One of my favorite places to scramble over rocks that have not been washed away is in Arches National Park.  It's beauty is breathtaking, but after putting this quote to this picture, it will always inspire me to be a bit stronger and live a bit closer to the Spirit.

Become a stronger rock by making it a priority to Watch LDS General Conference in 9 days.

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 8 Days to Go

I know of so many friends and loved ones that have lost someone close to them in the past few months.  This mossy cemetery in Alaska was a somber reminder of the temporary nature of this mortal life. This quote is especially poignant for all of us at one time or another.

Need a little reminder of the right perspective?  Watch LDS General Conference in 8 days.

Countdown to General Conference: 7 Days to Go

This is one of my favorite photos - I think we took in in Alaska.  The photo however is beside the point.  The point is that life is hard and often seems unfair.  Still, we can choose to keep swimming and come out stronger, or choose to stop swimming and drown spiritually.

There are less painful ways to strengthen your faith as well - like choosing to Watch LDS General Conference in 7 days.

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 6 Days to Go

I love watching conference with my family (and knitting as I listen - let me tell you that a few rows twice a year means I might just finish the fisherman's sweater before I die).  Another place I love being with my family is the temple.  Being righteous in the temple isn't hard at all - the test is when you come home.  

Find inspiration to strengthen your family and home as you Watch LDS General Conference in 6 days.

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 5 Days to Go

I love both this quote and this place.  This is a local fishing hole (where I've yet to catch a fish), but fishing is really just a footnote.  I love the peace and love that I feel here.  The same goes with this quote.  How much peace can we find when we truly internalize this truth!

Find peace and reassurance as you Watch LDS General Conference in 5 days.

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 3 Days to Go

I know, again with the moving vehicle thing - so I'm no photographer.  I loved this shot because it sort of captures the hectic pace our lives can take.  And above all the noise and traffic and deadlines and bills, we would do well to remember this:

Feel Heavenly Father's love for you personally as you Watch LDS General Conference in 3 days.

Countdown to LDS General Conference: 4 Days to Go

Ok, so taking a photo out the window of a moving vehicle never turns out well, but I just had to capture the amazing effect and atmosphere.  We were driving up the coast of northern California and a big fog-bank rolled in.  We could hardly see anything, and as we drove through this very murky and almost spooky-looking, primeval forest, the sun started to penetrate the gloom.  It was really neat and I thought it would make a great analogy for the power of prayer to work miracles in our lives.  He, the Son, can always dispel the gloom if we will but ask.

Seek for your own miracles as your prayerfully prepare to Watch LDS General Conference in 4 days.

Partially-Paralyzed Pirate Post-Script

Just thought I'd give one last pirate-update. There is real physical power in prayer and priesthood blessings. I have been blessed with a quicker recovery than I imagined due in large part to the faith and prayers of so many friends and family members. Thank you all!  Here's my recovery status at 3 weeks out:

- I no longer have to tape my eye shut at night (my eyelashes are happy about that). 

- I can drink fairly well in public from a straw or cup. 

- My tastebuds are about 75% back in working order. 

- While I still cannot swish a normal punt of water in my mouth without some mess, I am able to whistle somewhat and swish a tiny bit. 

-My smile is a bit wonky but it's getting there. 

Overall, I'd say I'm at about 75% and I'm thrilled with that!  Life is such an amazing and fragile gift. I hope that this sense of gratitude and purpose doesn't fade as my symptoms do. Life is good and I am very blessed. 

Partially-Paralyzed Pirate Lessons (final installment): Savoring life - taste and the whole shebang

I had to use one last pirate photo - my dear friend helped me see the humor in my situation by giving me this fabulous pirate bandana. 

Let me just say that one way to avoid weight gain over Thanksgiving is to lose your sense of taste.  ;(  I knew that my tongue was numb, but I didn't know just how much taste I'd lost until I had a tear run down my cheek into my mouth and it had absolutely no saltiness. It was surprisingly unnerving.  (My husband claims that he has no idea what tears taste like, but women certainly do.) 

So I've gained a real sense of gratitude for the blessing of taste. Appetite, cooking and finding enjoyment in food is a wonderful part of our mortal design and one thing I look forward regaining. 

I've decided that there are two types of tender mercies: 

1- sweet bonus blessings

2- tender as in tenderizing (going through something painful) experience that brings mercies, understanding and empathy. 

I've seen both types in this adventure and uniquely felt the love of both my Savior Jesus Christ and my Father in Heaven. I also have to say thanks to everyone that has been so patient with my challenges. I honestly love laughing with people about my lopsidedness, so keep the smiles and laughter coming - it brightens my day. 

Partially-Paralyzed Pirate lessons: the blessing of duck-face??

Ok, this one sounds like a stretch, but bear with me. It has a lot more to it than the hokey-selfie-pose lips. Here is why I'm grateful for lip musculature:

1. Speech - consonants like p and b are particularly tricky if you can't seal your mouth shut. 

2. Brushing your teeth - you can't spit in the sink, nor can you hold water in your mouth to swish after brushing. 

3. Whistling - out of the question.

4. Drinking from cups - without making a seal around the cup it gets hard. Luckily I can wedge a straw into the left side of my mouth pretty well. 

5. Licking your fingers - doesn't work without some serious lip muscles that you never before considered. 

6. Avoidance of biting said lips - it becomes tricky to get the food in while keeping your lips out of the way of your teeth. 

Needless to say, to quote Larry the Cucumber, "I love my lips" but until now I didn't know just how much!  Another reason that reinforces my belief that we are divinely created. What a blessing to have such an expressive and multifunctional facial feature as a mouth - take care of it well and watch, what goes in as well as what comes out. ;)

Partially-Paralyzed Pirate lessons: the blessings of blinks

So, one of the things I'm most grateful for now comes from one of the smallest muscles in my face - that of the eyelid. With this paralysis, my eye doesn't close. Few things are quicker than the blink of an eye, but although it maybe just a fraction of a second, you miss it in the oddest places. 

Washing your face or taking a shower, wiping a tear away (fingernail to the eyeball), walking in a breeze all are more complicated without the ability to blink. At night I tape my eyelid shut so that I can rest without my eye drying out completely. Throughout the day I manually have to close my eyelid and of course eyedrops are my

So you may not think much about that small flap of skin aside from putting makeup on in the morning, but it is a huge blessing.  What an intricately, divine creation our bodies are and what a marvelous opportunity and responsibility it is to be entrusted with this mortal machine. 

So take a few extra-long blinks and enjoy the blessing of opening and shutting that shutter to your soul. 

Partially-Paralyzed Pirate Lessons

 

So it has been an interesting few days as I'm learning how to live with half a face. Above all, I have to say that I am so blessed to be experiencing these lessons on a micro-scale as opposed to those that are so strong as they deal with paralysis on a grand scale. My admiration goes out to those people and those who are blessed to care for them. You are inspiration embodied. 

Gratitude lesson 1: Opposition

Contrary to the obvious opposition lesson of having sickness to appreciate health, the opposition I've learned to appreciate is that of physical restraint. 

The left side of my face is very tired lately as all my facial muscles have been allowed to contract without any restraint. Having an opposing set of muscles is not just aesthetically pleasing, but essential for any amount of comfort or normal muscle function. Laughing and smiling hurts since the left side of my face just contracts like nobody's business without the right side to pull back in opposition 

So I'm very grateful for the restraint of opposition that normally keeps healthy, good muscles in check and keeps them from over exertion. And yes- there is a deeper level of meaning in that analogy that God no doubt is trying to teach me. 

Stay tuned for more lessons from this partially-paralyzed pirate. 

Much Overdue Bee Update: June to mid-August

What with pioneer trek, family reunion, and a knee surgery, I've been a bit remiss in blogging our beekeeping adventures as of late.  And even though we've not added any more bee videos to our youtube channel, at least I can give you a few snapshots that show some of the things we're learning during our first bee season.
First week of June:

• We took our feeder boxes off and we also got a nice view of the "honey dome" which is a sign of hive prosperity.  

Second week of June: 

• Can you spot the queen, newly hatched eggs and royal jelly?  Plus there's some newly hatched brood - they are the really hairy ones.  

Third week of June:

• We noticed our bluebell hive was practicing making queen cups.  To our relief we learned that this is normal behavior and doesn't always mean a swarm is imminent.  They were just practicing.  Sorry, no still pictures of this, a little later on we'll get you some video.

Fourth week of June: 

• I wasn't there for this hive inspection (family events).  Ash reported nothing spectacular, just more of the same.  The hives were building up the comb and filling up the top brood box.

First week of July:

• When helping my father-in-law inspect his hives, some burr comb broke apart between frames and exposed this immature, bee pupa.  Yeah, she's not going to make it once her cell was opened prematurely.  Still, sort of interesting, in a really morbid and somewhat sad way.  
• Also, in the lower photo, can you spot the drone cell?  They really stick out in comparison to other brood cells.

Second week of July:

• No hive inspection due to pioneer trek.  

Third week of July:

• We decided to put a honey super on to see if we could get them to draw out comb and fill it in time to harvest this year.  Both brood boxes were drawn out and almost filled so we put a honey super on.  We also had a harvested (super) frame we borrowed from a friend that we put in the honey super which really got the bees going on drawing out the comb in that super.  Did not put the queen excluder on right away since we didn't want to discourage the bees from working up there.

Fourth week of July:

• Decided to put the queen excluder on.  

First week of August:

• Bees have filled and are starting to cap the honey in the "borrowed" super frame.

That's about all we have for now as far as updates.  Now that Ash is down with ACL repair, it will be just me doing inspections for the next little while.  Also, my father-in-law should be harvesting soon so I'll be sure to chronicle that.  Bees are amazing!