Thursday, October 16, 2014

Autumn

A few (or more) scenes from the start of Autumn in these parts....


                    Honey Harvest

Despite one weak hive (which swarmed twice this summer and has since died) we had a good harvest.  I pulled two full supers off my older hive, and a nearly full super off the strong new hive from this spring.  Both should be in good shape going into winter.  Last year we bottled directly out of the extractor, wax chunks, dead bees and all.  This year we opted to strain it through cheese cloth into the beer brew bucket (hey, use what you've got, right).  The plan was we'd have less crystallization without the chunks.  But it backfired.  I think because the process was so slow this year, taking nearly a three days to fill the jars through the small tap, the honey was exposed to air too long.  Half of our jars have already begun to crystallize.  Oh well.  It doesn't effect the quality and it makes for some interesting looking jars.  The taste is still amazing.   



Hay (in the neighborhood)



  A visit to Lake Champlain and Burlington, VT a few weeks ago.  Such a treat to see mountains!




    Apple (and raspberry!) Picking at Hope Orchards

    Heide's Ice Cream sandwiches at the Belfast Farmers market

    Applesauce!

   Pine needle carpet in the play yard


     Mac and Cheese's last afternoon.  They had a good one.

    Not many, but a few more pears on the tree this year

Fall in the cranberry bog--it looks like no berries this year.
Its always a mystery to me.  Some years are  fantastic, others nothing.


A month ago Rob finished this little addition onto the barn.  We call it B barn (to distinguish it from A barn?  The kids came up with it.)  Its just right for housing bicycles, bee equipment, and the boat and Adele off season.  It will make Rob's job plowing much easier as he won't have to move bikes and sleds out of the way to get the tractor out.




Fall lettuce, in need of weeding (it won't happen).





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