Flipping Bees

What should I be doing to manage my bees?  

Flip hives, like any good BBC drama, it's time for upstairs to become downstairs, clean off the bottom boards of all the dead bees, debris, and bits of uncapping wax.  

It always makes me a bit nervous as this is the time of the year where starving can occur.

  I prefer when the overwintered hive is in the top box and I can see them when I open the lid.

Now they are moved to the bottom to allow for brood rearing.  

Keep buzzing girls so I know you're alive.

I've also fed them supplemental pollen patties even though I've seen pollen loads coming in.  

Time for a little supplemental syrup as well.

How can you not love this amazing creature?

Pick A Pear

Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?

 ~Rumi

Osprey

Change Me

I read somewhere that the Chinese primrose, sometimes seen in greenhouses here, will bear red flowers if it is grown at a temperature of about 60 degrees.  If it is grown at a higher temperature, however, the colour of the flowers will change from red to white.  We can turn up the temperature and change the appearance of the flower.

In all sorts off ways too we can alter the "temperature" and "atmosphere" of our surroundings in a way that changes people as well.  A little more warmth of friendship, of sympathy, of encouragement on our part and what a difference it can make to those with whom we come into contact, who may be feeling lonely, depressed or discouraged.  Let's turn up the temperature and look for the changes it can make!

Wooden Shoe

Spent the day in Woodburn, Oregon at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival.

 

It was a rainy, overcast day but still the beautiful colors were shining through.

Willamette Valley Bound

Of all my years in Oregon, I have never traveled over the mountains to visit the tulip festival. 

 

I think it's time we did.  Love the flowers in bloom

And the fun experiences we share.

Soft Boiled

Once you prefect the soft boil

Nothing else will do

One Springy Dingy