October already...I am not really sure where this year has gone. In a week my youngest grandson will be six months old. Always a joy he is a very smiley baby. It is hard to build a relationship with a baby but he does grin when he sees me!
Yesterday I opened the bee hives. I have not looked in them since they swarmed back in May. They are both thriving colonies. Many people have said honey production has been low this year but I had hoped my hives would be different. Sadly not. My first hive, an English one had five frames of honey out of ten. The new French hive I put the swarm in back in May barely had any. I just took from my first hive. For now I have left the super on the second hive but that will come off by the end of the month when I shut the hives down for winter. It is important to keep the hives as warm as possible. I de capped and span the frames yesterday and had a decent amount of honey in the extractor. The honey needed filtering as there was wax in it. I do not have the money for a proper filter system, maybe next year. I set up the sieve over a bowl and poured the honey in. Tiny bits of wax went through...back to the drawing board! Then I remembered the jelly straining kit! That filtered it fully but was very slow. I finally finished it all this evening. 7 full jars of golden honey and one little one I gave to our Gite guests. A little concern is a field of rape seed flowered last week about 1/2 mile Away! My bees will have found it so the honey may christalize so it is just as well I do not have enough to give away! Lessons have been learned to make things easier next year. on the crochet front I finished the Sea Spray blanket and it is now draped over the back of the sofa. I love the bright colours. Then I was reminded that I had the hydrangea kit so that came out! I took one look at the pattern and decided to do my own thing. Then someone encouraged me to use the given pattern saying it was easy and looks really good, like flower petals. So I undid it and started again. I am so grateful for the words of encouragement as I am now on stripe 6 and loving it! It really is the easiest yet! The colours are amazing, like dried hydrangea flowers. Lucy, at Attic 24 is so good at putting colours together. She is doing another crochet along in January which I will do! Looks like being autumn colours! The kit will go on sale next month! I plan to finish the hydrangea blanket before the new crochet along starts. On the home front I have adopted another cat! She came through a friend who has a holiday home here. They had been looking after her as her elderly owner died. They are due to return to the U.K. She is called Betty and was clearly loved as she is very gentle and cuddly. She has been with us since last Sunday and I now have her sitting on the sofa with the dogs. She has a refuge in the cloakroom. She has been very good about using the litter tray which is good as I have not let her out yet! I have yet to brave that. Before she goes out I need to take her to the vet to find out of she has been spayed and /or micro chipped. The evenings are drawing in now and tonight I have the wood burner going. It makes the room feel cosy! The frenzy of bottling and freezing is done for another year and the pantry shelves are laden. Work needs doing in the garden but I would rather be by the fire with my crochet.
3 Comments
Christine Elliot
10/6/2017 03:05:07 pm
You are so lucky to have your own honey - you'll get more next year I'm sure. I have joined a craft club and am busy knitting a "twiddle muff". I hope to learn to crochet but so far am happy to be knitting again.
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Aly
10/7/2017 12:12:53 pm
Good you are knitting again. What are you making?
Reply
Christine Elliot
10/8/2017 03:05:53 pm
Twiddle Muffs - they are things for dementia patients to fiddle with when they are restive. Look them up online Leave a Reply. |
I have lived in France for almost eight years now. In that time I have gradually simplified my life and worked at improving my carbon footprint. On a world scale there is little I can do but I can make a difference in my corner. I welcome comments but would ask all to maintain the peace that I work hard at promoting.
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