How about a post to start off the new year?
Well, I woke up this morning to frozen pipes, which immediately took all the air out of my plans to wash the dishes and cook up something healthy...ish.
Luckily, the water is running again, and hubby is still in bed; I didn't have to stress him out with the news. We'll probably still have to check for leaks, but the day isn't ruined! Have you ever spent a day either being the person-on-your-back-in-a-frozen-mudpit-of-a-crawlspace-with-a-flashlight-and-a-hair-dryer-in-eight-degree-weather, or as the one walking around above said person, yelling status reports down through the bathroom tile?
It's a good thing we have kids, because at some point we give up on through-the-floor communication, and set up a message relay - one of us in the room with the sink, one at the door, and one poor soul at the opening to the crawlspace, shouting updates to Dad. Yes, it's Dad in the crawlspace. I ain't that crazy. (Okay, so I'm lucky that the pipes tend to freeze on days that he is home. :D )
You'd think we'd replace the insulation that a raccoon took a liking to, two winters ago. But...yeah.
Okay, so back to the cooking. I have had a love-hate relationship with Crock-pots since the first time I used one. Sort of like my issues with electric can openers, but that's another story. A Crock-pot is a wonderful thing, makes your kitchen smell divine all day, and produces a delicious meal with very little work. You do have to remember to turn it ON (coming home starving, only to find a whole, raw chicken at room temperature is my favorite way to remind myself of this fact), and worse, you do have to clean it. Eventually. And that's where the problems really start.
This is how it usually goes:
I decide to let the broth or leftovers cool down (after all, I'm going to use them for some fabulous meal tomorrow, right?). My first mistake. The food is now out of sight, but it's there, and it's watching me. It either continues to sit there throughout the night (and looks decidedly gross in the morning), or I suddenly remember and stick the whole thing in the fridge, to deal with the next day...where it looks decidedly gross in the morning. Or is forgotten. Completely. Once we have reached the point of gross, or forgotten-and-biohazardous, I continue to procrastinate, thinking, hey, there might be an apocalypse any day now, why waste my last hours dealing with this?
Eventually, the crock and I take a trip Outside, where the contents can be disposed of without any deaths being caused by fumes. The last time I tried this, I could not get the lid off to save my life. Yes, I know I could have used a knife. Or heated things back up (!), and that I could have avoided this whole thing, if I'd used one of those nifty liners I'd bought. But I was TIRED of this crock-pot. It was a hand-me-down, with a broken knob and a plastic lid, and an 80s color scheme. We were in a harmful relationship, and it was just best if we parted ways. So we did. That's all I'll say.
Fast forward to the final days of 2008, and I am inspired to try it again. The Crockpot Lady at A Year of Crockpotting has posted some delicious looking meals (and desserts! and crafts! and...) that she made during a year-long challenge to herself: to cook something every day in a Crock-pot. I've been drooling for days, and finally convinced hubby to bring home a new friend from the favorite store to hate. I know, I know. But it's a new year! If everyone else can be in denial about their diet resolutions for 2009...
Besides, she makes it look so eeeasy...
Showing posts with label I'll Try It. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I'll Try It. Show all posts
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Bees Update
A friend said:
I suppose that’s alright if you will get to work on it later, right?
I suppose! LOL
Turns out I did work on it, but of course I waited until the last minute. I ended up ordering a complete new hive - get this, you can order them pre-assembled! for around the same price as unassembled - so that I wouldn’t panic, thinking I’d forgotten something. Besides, this way I will have extra "supers" (basically additional stories for their house, like the second box I added).
I also waited until the last minute to paint the hive. Something about that didn’t seem right, and sure enough, according to one of the books I have, the bees were likely to be "outraged" at the smell. Great. They were due in one day, and I had probably just royally offended them. The package arrived Monday, much to the joy of our local post office, I’m sure. The bees came in a box, with wire mesh sides:
They had a can of sugar syrup to keep them happy for a while, which was good. It was so cold here, I was worried about putting them in the hive, so they lived in my kitchen for a couple of days. Now THAT was interesting. Did you know they sleep sort of like bats? At least that’s what it looked like to me. They are quiet and still, and because they’re in a swarm, they hang like leaves, or almost like shingles on a roof. Once in a while, one will get fidgety, and a bee next to her will buzz irritatedly at her to settle down. Anyway, it was fascinating.
So on Wednesday afternoon, it was time to "install" the bees in their hive. I’d spent two days listening to them, talking to them, feeding them sugar water, reading the beekeeping forums at beemaster.com (the guy I linked to in an earlier post about smaller cell size posts there!), and watching installation videos on Youtube. That last one was a big help. Watched one more to get my nerve up, fired up the smoker, put on a long-sleeved button-up shirt, hat and veil, and got started.
I opened the package, was overcome by the swarm of Africanized killer bees that came boiling out, and was stung to death.
Okay, okay, it went just fine. I didn’t get stung at all, unless you count the bee I accidentally squished when I was picking up my supplies to go back inside. I felt a slight prick through my glove and found her. :(
All in all, it was a rush! I was ready to do two more when I finished. I could have climbed a mountain, right then! lol
My two youngest kids shouted instructions to me from a distance (they’d watched the videos, too), and my oldest took pictures, probably hoping for something she could send to America’s Funniest Home Videos. Anyway, if I can get that posted on Youtube at some point, I will.
I shook out the bees, but apparently I don't shake very hard; there were still tons of them in the box, so I propped it against the base of the hive. Here's a pic of the rest of the them marching into their new home, and checking out the paint job:
I went back out yesterday to make sure they had released the queen - ooh, I didn’t tell you about the queen. She comes in her own little cage, with a couple of attendants to care for her. In one end of the cage, there is a candy plug. I removed a cork covering it, and placed her cage between two frames in the hive. The bees then ate their way through the candy, and by the time she was released, they had become familiar with her, and accepted her as their queen. At least, that’s what I hope happened. At any rate, when I checked, she had been released.
I refilled their Mason jar of sugar water, moved it to the front entrance and removed the extra box I had used, took out the empty queen cage, and then pulled out a center frame to look for the queen. I didn’t see her (I asked to have her marked when I ordered, she has a yellow dot on her back), but the bees had started to draw a small amount of comb. I hope everything is well, I felt clueless standing there looking at it. Will have to do more reading, and check again in a few days.
Well, that’s it! I hope the pictures aren't too huge. It may not sound like much, but I definitely recommend beekeeping. It’s a strange combination of both an adrenaline rush(I’m going to get stung, I just know I’m about to be stung), and zen-like calm (just staaaaaay calm….you’re not being stung). LOL
I suppose that’s alright if you will get to work on it later, right?
I suppose! LOL
Turns out I did work on it, but of course I waited until the last minute. I ended up ordering a complete new hive - get this, you can order them pre-assembled! for around the same price as unassembled - so that I wouldn’t panic, thinking I’d forgotten something. Besides, this way I will have extra "supers" (basically additional stories for their house, like the second box I added).
I also waited until the last minute to paint the hive. Something about that didn’t seem right, and sure enough, according to one of the books I have, the bees were likely to be "outraged" at the smell. Great. They were due in one day, and I had probably just royally offended them. The package arrived Monday, much to the joy of our local post office, I’m sure. The bees came in a box, with wire mesh sides:
They had a can of sugar syrup to keep them happy for a while, which was good. It was so cold here, I was worried about putting them in the hive, so they lived in my kitchen for a couple of days. Now THAT was interesting. Did you know they sleep sort of like bats? At least that’s what it looked like to me. They are quiet and still, and because they’re in a swarm, they hang like leaves, or almost like shingles on a roof. Once in a while, one will get fidgety, and a bee next to her will buzz irritatedly at her to settle down. Anyway, it was fascinating.
So on Wednesday afternoon, it was time to "install" the bees in their hive. I’d spent two days listening to them, talking to them, feeding them sugar water, reading the beekeeping forums at beemaster.com (the guy I linked to in an earlier post about smaller cell size posts there!), and watching installation videos on Youtube. That last one was a big help. Watched one more to get my nerve up, fired up the smoker, put on a long-sleeved button-up shirt, hat and veil, and got started.
I opened the package, was overcome by the swarm of Africanized killer bees that came boiling out, and was stung to death.
Okay, okay, it went just fine. I didn’t get stung at all, unless you count the bee I accidentally squished when I was picking up my supplies to go back inside. I felt a slight prick through my glove and found her. :(
All in all, it was a rush! I was ready to do two more when I finished. I could have climbed a mountain, right then! lol
My two youngest kids shouted instructions to me from a distance (they’d watched the videos, too), and my oldest took pictures, probably hoping for something she could send to America’s Funniest Home Videos. Anyway, if I can get that posted on Youtube at some point, I will.
I shook out the bees, but apparently I don't shake very hard; there were still tons of them in the box, so I propped it against the base of the hive. Here's a pic of the rest of the them marching into their new home, and checking out the paint job:
I went back out yesterday to make sure they had released the queen - ooh, I didn’t tell you about the queen. She comes in her own little cage, with a couple of attendants to care for her. In one end of the cage, there is a candy plug. I removed a cork covering it, and placed her cage between two frames in the hive. The bees then ate their way through the candy, and by the time she was released, they had become familiar with her, and accepted her as their queen. At least, that’s what I hope happened. At any rate, when I checked, she had been released.
I refilled their Mason jar of sugar water, moved it to the front entrance and removed the extra box I had used, took out the empty queen cage, and then pulled out a center frame to look for the queen. I didn’t see her (I asked to have her marked when I ordered, she has a yellow dot on her back), but the bees had started to draw a small amount of comb. I hope everything is well, I felt clueless standing there looking at it. Will have to do more reading, and check again in a few days.
Well, that’s it! I hope the pictures aren't too huge. It may not sound like much, but I definitely recommend beekeeping. It’s a strange combination of both an adrenaline rush(I’m going to get stung, I just know I’m about to be stung), and zen-like calm (just staaaaaay calm….you’re not being stung). LOL
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
I'll Try It Again: Keeping Bees
Okay, this one's getting started, because now it's official - a few minutes ago, I ordered a package of bees, to be shipped on April 29th. Woo hoo! I got an adrenaline rush, just making the call.
*gulp*
Okay, so now on to the details. I have my old hive, which has been damaged a bit by exposure and high winds. It's still usable, but I need a few new pieces, and I think I'll give it a fresh coat of white paint, even though the bees won't mind the grey of weathered wood.
I've also been doing some reading, trying to catch up with the current state of beekeeping. The big concerns last time were varroa and tracheal mites, treating your hives for them,and the concern that feral honeybees were disappearing across the country.
Those are still a concern, but now there's something bigger: CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder. Unexplained disappearance or dwindling of hives, on a large scale, and showing up everywhere. Coincidentally, in the UK, they're calling it "Marie Celeste syndrome" (that's the third time that name has come up for me this week, including on this board!).
Tons of theories flying, no one thing pinpointed yet. Is it the mites? Is it a new virus? Is it that they're foraging in pesticide-laden fields? With GMO crops? There does seem to be some sort of immunity compromise. But again, nothing conclusive. Then, other factors:
- It's more prevalent in commercial hives than in smaller hobbyists' yards.
- Beekeepers managing their hives organically are not reporting issues with CCD.
That has added other potential influences. Commercial keepers are more likely to feed their overwintering bees with HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) than sugar syrup or honey (not to mention the fact that the corn used may be GM).
Commercial hives are moved often, being rented out to orchards and other farmers who need the pollination. This stresses the bees.
Non-organic beekeepers use more chemicals, pesticides, medication, etc.
Something that I didn't know, and found interesting: The standard starter combs used in the industry, [url=http://bushfarms.com/bees.htm]have larger openings than that drawn in a natural hive[/url]. This apparently produces larger bees, as well as leaving more time for mites to get into a cell before it is capped off. Organic keepers are now switching to the smaller cell size.
Many keepers are now using plastic starter frames, rather than wood and beeswax. Bees sometimes have a hard time adapting to the plastic. I tried a couple of frames last time, but the bees never really built on them.
And organic management means being far enough from pesticide-treated fields to avoid having it show up in the honey.
There are many other common practices that might be factors. Some may even be reducing the quality or quantity of propolis that the bees are producing - their natural sealant, used to protect the hive from germs or pests.
It already suits my nature to lean toward the idea that the more naturally you manage a hive, as with most things, the better results you are likely to have. Hopefully there is still room in our chemical-laden landscape to do that. Looks like I will have to do some digging into this idea of organic/natural beekeeping.
*gulp*
Okay, so now on to the details. I have my old hive, which has been damaged a bit by exposure and high winds. It's still usable, but I need a few new pieces, and I think I'll give it a fresh coat of white paint, even though the bees won't mind the grey of weathered wood.
I've also been doing some reading, trying to catch up with the current state of beekeeping. The big concerns last time were varroa and tracheal mites, treating your hives for them,and the concern that feral honeybees were disappearing across the country.
Those are still a concern, but now there's something bigger: CCD, Colony Collapse Disorder. Unexplained disappearance or dwindling of hives, on a large scale, and showing up everywhere. Coincidentally, in the UK, they're calling it "Marie Celeste syndrome" (that's the third time that name has come up for me this week, including on this board!).
Tons of theories flying, no one thing pinpointed yet. Is it the mites? Is it a new virus? Is it that they're foraging in pesticide-laden fields? With GMO crops? There does seem to be some sort of immunity compromise. But again, nothing conclusive. Then, other factors:
- It's more prevalent in commercial hives than in smaller hobbyists' yards.
- Beekeepers managing their hives organically are not reporting issues with CCD.
That has added other potential influences. Commercial keepers are more likely to feed their overwintering bees with HFCS (high-fructose corn syrup) than sugar syrup or honey (not to mention the fact that the corn used may be GM).
Commercial hives are moved often, being rented out to orchards and other farmers who need the pollination. This stresses the bees.
Non-organic beekeepers use more chemicals, pesticides, medication, etc.
Something that I didn't know, and found interesting: The standard starter combs used in the industry, [url=http://bushfarms.com/bees.htm]have larger openings than that drawn in a natural hive[/url]. This apparently produces larger bees, as well as leaving more time for mites to get into a cell before it is capped off. Organic keepers are now switching to the smaller cell size.
Many keepers are now using plastic starter frames, rather than wood and beeswax. Bees sometimes have a hard time adapting to the plastic. I tried a couple of frames last time, but the bees never really built on them.
And organic management means being far enough from pesticide-treated fields to avoid having it show up in the honey.
There are many other common practices that might be factors. Some may even be reducing the quality or quantity of propolis that the bees are producing - their natural sealant, used to protect the hive from germs or pests.
It already suits my nature to lean toward the idea that the more naturally you manage a hive, as with most things, the better results you are likely to have. Hopefully there is still room in our chemical-laden landscape to do that. Looks like I will have to do some digging into this idea of organic/natural beekeeping.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Spastica said:
Holy C**p! They send you bees in the mail? A box containing 12,000 bees?
That’s insane! And so, so funny! I can’t even imagine the postal workers… "Whatever you do, don’t drop it…" "Wha? Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!"
I can’t stop laughing. That image is so funny.
The cool thing is that a swarm of bees, whether in a box, or hanging from your porch railing or from a tree branch, is actually not as dangerous as messing with a hive of bees. When you see one, you know they are on the move, looking for a new home. They are usually full of honey (or sugar water in the case of the box), stored up for the journey (and for building new honeycomb in their next home), and that keeps them pretty calm. Same reason you use smoke to work in a hive; something about it, possibly the instinct to evacuate the hive in the case of a fire, sets them to gorging themselves on honey, which keeps them busy, then calm.
Ever see one of those crazy people who make a "beard" of bees, or cover their head with them? Those bees are in a swarm. They’re just hanging out in a cluster, waiting for one of a few scout bees to come back and tell them she’s found the spot for a new hive.
If you do see a swarm hanging out around your house, and you’re worried about them building, say, in the walls of your house (or even if it’s just freaking you out), you can call a local beekeeper to come and get them. They are usually glad to come, because they can take the bees back to their own beeyard, to set them up in a new hive.
You’d also be doing the bees a favor; due to various mites and viruses, honeybees are in danger of being wiped out in the wild.
Holy C**p! They send you bees in the mail? A box containing 12,000 bees?
That’s insane! And so, so funny! I can’t even imagine the postal workers… "Whatever you do, don’t drop it…" "Wha? Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!"
I can’t stop laughing. That image is so funny.
The cool thing is that a swarm of bees, whether in a box, or hanging from your porch railing or from a tree branch, is actually not as dangerous as messing with a hive of bees. When you see one, you know they are on the move, looking for a new home. They are usually full of honey (or sugar water in the case of the box), stored up for the journey (and for building new honeycomb in their next home), and that keeps them pretty calm. Same reason you use smoke to work in a hive; something about it, possibly the instinct to evacuate the hive in the case of a fire, sets them to gorging themselves on honey, which keeps them busy, then calm.
Ever see one of those crazy people who make a "beard" of bees, or cover their head with them? Those bees are in a swarm. They’re just hanging out in a cluster, waiting for one of a few scout bees to come back and tell them she’s found the spot for a new hive.
If you do see a swarm hanging out around your house, and you’re worried about them building, say, in the walls of your house (or even if it’s just freaking you out), you can call a local beekeeper to come and get them. They are usually glad to come, because they can take the bees back to their own beeyard, to set them up in a new hive.
You’d also be doing the bees a favor; due to various mites and viruses, honeybees are in danger of being wiped out in the wild.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
I'll Try It: First Things First
Well, as soon as I declared this project, I went into rebel mode. Couldn't think of anything good to try, couldn't find any of the hundreds of lists I've already made. Go figure.
So, I decided to think about other things. Yesterday was a fairly warm day; it feels like spring is just waiting around the corner (Sorry, spastica! I know you just got more snow!). As great as that sounds, it also reminds me that I'm behind on all of my grand plans. Every year, February is "crunch" time, time to make final decisions on some of the projects I typically like to start. I'm supposed to already have all of this year's seeds ordered (I don't). If I want to order chicks for spring delivery, February's the time, but I think I'll hold off on that this year. So, what's left?
Bees!
If I want to keep bees, I need to order them in February! Ack! I hadn't decided! Was this the year I would take it up again? Was it too late to order?
Long story (sort of) short, I think I'm going to try it. Technically, the bees I kept the first time came to me already in their hive; I bought them from a keeper who helped me get started. This time, I would have to receive a 3 pound (@12,000 bees) swarm in the mail, in April...and put them in the hive myself...and I'm so there.
Looks like there will have to be categories in this blogging project. I think this one can fall under: I'll Try It, Again!
In the meantime, I’ll have to come up with some more immediate things to try. This really wasn’t a weasely attempt at procrastination.
So, I decided to think about other things. Yesterday was a fairly warm day; it feels like spring is just waiting around the corner (Sorry, spastica! I know you just got more snow!). As great as that sounds, it also reminds me that I'm behind on all of my grand plans. Every year, February is "crunch" time, time to make final decisions on some of the projects I typically like to start. I'm supposed to already have all of this year's seeds ordered (I don't). If I want to order chicks for spring delivery, February's the time, but I think I'll hold off on that this year. So, what's left?
Bees!
If I want to keep bees, I need to order them in February! Ack! I hadn't decided! Was this the year I would take it up again? Was it too late to order?
Long story (sort of) short, I think I'm going to try it. Technically, the bees I kept the first time came to me already in their hive; I bought them from a keeper who helped me get started. This time, I would have to receive a 3 pound (@12,000 bees) swarm in the mail, in April...and put them in the hive myself...and I'm so there.
Looks like there will have to be categories in this blogging project. I think this one can fall under: I'll Try It, Again!
In the meantime, I’ll have to come up with some more immediate things to try. This really wasn’t a weasely attempt at procrastination.
I'll Try It!
I have this crazy idea, and I'm going to run with it. It's inspired by a few things, including Make Magazine, and their series of short, do-it-yourself projects on Youtube, and also the website, 43things.com, where you set up a list of things you'd like to do in your lifetime, and then interact with others who have one or more of those same things on their list.
I'm planning on blogging about my attempts at various activities. Could be anything from making a Japanese bento box lunch, to skydiving, who knows? (Don't count on that last one) Not sure how often I'll add posts, or how long it will last. But I am still hoping that this will be the Year of Doing. Maybe this will be the boost I need, to get me going!
After I get an idea of how I'm going to do this, any suggestions for things to try will be cautiously considered...please, no jumping off of cliffs! :O
Links:
http://www.43things.com/
http://www.makezine.com/
I'm planning on blogging about my attempts at various activities. Could be anything from making a Japanese bento box lunch, to skydiving, who knows? (Don't count on that last one) Not sure how often I'll add posts, or how long it will last. But I am still hoping that this will be the Year of Doing. Maybe this will be the boost I need, to get me going!
After I get an idea of how I'm going to do this, any suggestions for things to try will be cautiously considered...please, no jumping off of cliffs! :O
Links:
http://www.43things.com/
http://www.makezine.com/
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