Glorybee Apiary

There’s not too many places I get stung that cause me to stop working - but right at the base of my nose/top of the upper lip stops the show for a minute or two. Ouch!

I cant get over this spring: 23C today and the same for tomorrow. I keep waiting to see a last snow storm in the long range but nothing in sight. Went out to activate bear fences today after hearing about @ferriersmaplebeefarm and an early hit there. A number of my colonies were like this, busting out all over the place and clustering on the outside. The one frame I checked showed brood at all stages, pollen stores and on the flip side honey stores yet from last fall. I put a box of mini frames on them to populate in preparation for use in starting mini mating nucs. Someone pinch me!

Freddy the fearless fighting flamingo has returned from the south to take his place in the apiary - warding off bears. Sadly, Freda flamigo, Freddy’s friend took a side trip into fully opened Texas on the flight back, contracted COVID and .... well you can guess. So sad.

Easter is probably my favorite celebration of the year but this year is extra special.... first pollen sighting!

To all those who bought creamed honey off me before Christmas, I apologize. I botched the process by mixing it up when it was too warm. As a result it isn’t setting up properly into a finely crystalized state. The honey quality itself is fine, just didn’t cream up well.

Hundreds of dead bees litter the fresh snow. This is actually a good sign. These are older bees that have left the hive having finished their duty of helping to care for the whole population. The winter winter bees also house clean removing dead bees from the hive. The operation of the hive never ceases to amaze me.

Treating the leather on my barely worn leather hikers with my Glorybee Boot Balm. As you can see the boot on the right darkens very slightly.

Yesterday’s wax harvest. The bottom disc was what remained in the melter this morning and retained a bit of debris. It will have to be filtered again. Ill use an old crock pot for that. Cleaning up today and thats it for the season!

It’s a good time of year to get some preparation done for the spring. It’s easy to think Oh I’ll do it In April just before things start up and then find yourself running around trying to stay ahead of your hives. For me Im changing out old comb in my mini mating nuc frames.

Mum used to make a fruit cake every year using fruit soaked in sherry for a few days then wrapped in cheese cloth soaked in Sherry. It would mature for 6 weeks and get better after that. Mum hasn’t been able make it since moving into a retirement home but we have the recipe so Jan and I made our first one. We didnt have sherry so we used Grand Marnier and a bit of Drambuie to soak the fruit. After baking we wrapped it a Drambuie soaked cheesecloth. Now waiting for the tasty reveal!!!

First round of wax rendering done with the new melter - 13.5 lbs. There’s a bit of learning curve to it but i will become more proficient with subsequent renderings. Ready to start making candles again later this week or next!

For me it doesn’t get much better than this: a cold November day in the bush, miles from anyone or anything, with my dog Griff. My @solostove is rehydrating some chile and I’m reading about the Glory of God in nature ( Habakkuk 2:14). All I can hear is my heartbeat. Im so very blessed; a beautiful, loving and ( fortunately) patient wife, great children, a few really good friends. It’s a good day. I consider that our (my) present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us (me). Romans 8: 18. The rest of the chapter is an awesome read too