Moving and Extracting

I figured out how to download pictures, but something just ain't right about this..













I can't get my words to go under the picture, like I used to.  Bear with me, or is it bare with me, no I'm pretty sure it's bear....anyway, be patient.  More so than I am being OK?  This....hey look....my words are suddenly under the pic.....I am in no mood for it blogger......So anyway, we are moving this weekend.....partially.  This is where I'll be living for a while.  Probably a year or two.  In a basement efficiency.  So, I'm trying to figure out what to take and what to store.

 
 My cousin came over this week to help me clean the living area so we can move into it.

Who likes to clean as much as she does?  Who?  Tell me.













Being the beekeeper that I am, a conscientious one, I was worried about my bees.  So I spent all last week and the week before going through my beehives, instead of packing. The beehives were FULL.  The bees had no more room whatsoever.  I had to extract honey.  11 supers FULL of honey.  Supers are the boxes (below) that hold the frames that the bees fill with honey.  There are 9 frames of honey per super.  So I had 99 frames of honey to extract.  

Now I have tons of honey for sale.  Too much.  

So, if you live in Kokomo, and would like to buy some honey, let me know. 

If you are going to be visiting Kokomo, and would like to buy some honey, let me know.

If you are going to be driving through Kokomo, I'll stand on the highway and toss it to you as you drive by!!!!  Just let me know!!!!!

Do I sound desperate?  This is a lot of honey blogettes.

Now, here's you beekeeping lessons for today.  If a hive swarms, Fiona, the entire hive does NOT leave.  Just part of it.  What happens is they get too crowded, so the bees start making a new queen by feeding the larvae royal jelly.  I know...amazing...you don't have to tell me.  The new queen emerges and the old queen leaves with half of the hive.  The bees will first go into a tree, or a mailbox, or anywhere really, and they'll stay there anywhere from three hours to three days.  The whole time they are there, waiting, scouts will be flying around trying to find them a permanent home. When they find it, they tell the Queen who leaves and they follow.  It's natures way of making sure the life of a honeybee continues.















And this goldenrod is in a field behind our house.  You can be sure my bees are all over it, making goldenrod honey.  I'm going to let them keep it.  I am done extracting.  I have even left one full super on each hive for the winter months.  I've never had so much honey.  Ever.

Now I have to get moving...for real....I'm moving....so I should say I need to get packing.  I hope I don't forget to take pictures.  I have been forgetful lately.  Go figure.  The other day I was talking to someone and forgot what I was saying right in the middle of the sentence. And forgive me if I don't blog for awhile....I won't have Internet service out there.  Maybe I could attach little notes to my bees legs and have them carry comments to you....like little carrier pigeons....or maybe I'll take my laptop to Groovy Girl yarn...she has wifi and she likes it when you come in and hang out.  Either way, I'll figure it out.
Chat later,
Cindy Bee

now let's see if this works.....

Moving? Extracting! Posting....

Seriously blogger...I don't need one more change in my life right now.
It looks like blogger has changed their format once again, and it also looks like I have about half of the links I'm supposed to have to post.....I was going to be nice and just go with it, but I can't even figure out how to post a picture.  Their tutorial and my actual post page do not look the same.
Just so you don't wonder where I've been....I've been extracting more honey than I've ever extracted...EVAH!  And we are trying to move this weekend.  Trying....I guess it's supposed to rain tomorrow and we got news last night that out of state family will be here Sunday.  Next weekend is just as busy so we're just going with it for now. 
And I won't have internet at our new place, not for awhile. 
Right now I have two options.
1) Change my phone service so Ican hook up my phone to my computer...apparently wifi stops about half a mile down the road.  Same with cable tv.  Or
2) Carry my computer with me to all the places in town with wifi.  I still have my weathered leather satchel!
So let me say I've been trying to read your blogs whenever I have a chance, but who knows when I'll have a chance to get back online.  I want to stay connected.  You all have become like friends.

Cindy Bee

Tuesday Ripple

Lawdee, Lawdee, Lawdee!!!
Last Tuesday was a mess!
First of all, Groovy Girl was trying to talk Granny Bee out of making slippers that would fit "Big Foot!" Granny Bee kept insisting she needed big slippers because she wears socks under them.

And Mrs. Coke was just trying to make her second slipper. What started out as a little knot

turned into this!

What the H?

The rest of us were trying to decide if I should add another shade of gray, which we decided I should not, after I stitched a few ripples of it, and did not get a picture.

"K" decided to work on her ripple, which is starting to become a bit annoying because she finishes everything first.

Just look how long....then "K" stuck her fingers in the yarn mess

while Groovy Girl said, "NOTARO (aka Granny Bee) Give me that yarn"......and proceeded to make a slipper for her that fit like Cinderella's glass slipper!

And I stitched a couple more granny squares after tiring of ripples.

And finally....

at the end of the evening....the yarn mess was resolved. And no, that is not a cigarette in the background of this picture. It's the crocheted cigarette...which every now and then...on a stressfull evening...Groovy Girl gets it out to help her relax. Who knows why, she doesn't even smoke!

And this...has nothing to do with Tuesday Ripple, but I think it's cute. My niece, who wants to do all things crafty, made doll furniture out of 'Dixie' cups and cardboard.

Cindy Bee

PS - I will get back to the bees, honey, and MOVING in my next post.

The Center of the Swarm

This is honey in it's purest form. You'll never taste anything sweeter or better than this! Mmmmm I want some right now!

But the reason for this post is to show you this.....I was pulling frames yesterday, getting ready to extract honey, and right after I pulled a couple of frames, the hive I was working in started swarming. Look at the little dots flying all around me.


I grabbed my camera and started snapping pics, but it's hard to see what you are taking pictures of with a bee hat and veil on and it's hard to push the picture button with bee gloves on. I managed a few.


Very amazing to be in the middle of this. I don't think I've ever been in the center of a swarm in the ten years that I've been beekeeping.

Not one sting either....as I've said before, honeybees tend to be gentle while swarming.

This is a small swarm. And not worth breaking my neck to get to. Unfortunately, swarms in the fall tend to not be worth getting unless you have an empty hive full of honey and frames. Most beekeepers do not.

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy being in the center of a swarm!

Cindy Bee

Tuesday Ripple

So, it's Tuesday ripple.....

and I have worked a bit on my ripple this week. I just had to see how it would look on our bed so far. I've discovered a random ripple can leave you wondering at times if you are going to like it or not.

After I put it on my bed I decided, yes, I do like it!

Thank goodness because these rows are loooonnnnggg......
What do you think?

Anyway....

Last Tuesday, we did not ripple.

Groovy Girl taught a couple of us how to make slippers. I showed you mine in my last post. L.O.V.E. Them!

The rest of our group prepared for a show in Camby, Indiana. We have some very talented people in our group.

These are rug hooking patterns that Granny Bee was working on. I think the Groovy Girl drew them, if I understood correctly, and G.B. traced them onto linen cloth to sell at the show. They were very cool Halloween pictures. I really liked them a lot, and I don't rug hook. I do have an Oxford punch though, which would probably also work.

Barb was working on a needle case....very Victorian looking. Love it.

She was also teaching us some sign language signals! I think we are going to be learning sign language. I hope everyone practiced last weeks lesson.

And Kathy was making some "pennies"....I think that's what they are called.

The Groovy Girl showed off the wrist band she made. I'm sure she'll wear it tonight, when she watches Sons of Anarchy, with a Miller light in one hand, her wrist band in the other....don't even think about calling her during this time. I have never watched it, and she says since I've missed the first four seasons I probably wouldn't get it. Oh well....I'm not really an anarchy kind of person anyway. I mean, I want a skull wrist band too, but I want a pink one! And speaking of anarchy, our group name is now Groovy Girls of Anarchy. The voting was all very dramatic with three and three tied up, but "K"s vote changed the tie. Good thing she showed up

and of course, she had her bag all done she was working on a couple of weeks ago. Pretty cool huh?

Cindy Bee

Nap Time!

Look at me....

all nice and snuggly

on this rainy ole day,

working on my ripple blanket, wearing my toasty slippers I just made.

Hmmm....I think take a nap.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............................

Oh yeah .... check out these vintage buttons I put on them.

What kind of person do you think had those buttons before me?

Cindy Bee

Poor Miss Maple

Just a couple of short years ago, Miss Maple was a happy tree and the subject of a lot of blog 'gossip'

Miss Maple on the right.

Cindy Bee