We've been busy in small ways.
The barn is cleaned out in preparation for the "stuff dumping" that happens when the cold weather arrives. We also are making space to stock up on chicken feed so when Mr. PK arrives, we won't have to make the feed run for a month or so.
Some irises has been dug from a nearby house that's slated for demolition, as well as a few lilac saplings. We'll see what survives. Our flower collection needs to grow to support the bees.
Speaking of bees, our rescued hive died. James reports that the other two hives are full of honey and capped brood, so they are ready for winter. We removed the empty hive and sealed it up for the winter. Maybe next spring our hives will raise more queens and swarm. If we're attentive, we can set up another hive or two.
Weeding on the neglected strawberry and asparagus beds is moving along slowly. It's difficult with mosquitoes still in force due to the warm weather. Still, we're making a concerted effort to catch up.
Finally, the garlic was planted today. I saved the largest heads and planted about 30' in a double row. That's less than last year, but we have a better bed prepared and are hoping for consistently larger bulbs.
Until next time, remember, this is not paradise. It's Purgatory Ranch.
The barn is cleaned out in preparation for the "stuff dumping" that happens when the cold weather arrives. We also are making space to stock up on chicken feed so when Mr. PK arrives, we won't have to make the feed run for a month or so.
Some irises has been dug from a nearby house that's slated for demolition, as well as a few lilac saplings. We'll see what survives. Our flower collection needs to grow to support the bees.
Speaking of bees, our rescued hive died. James reports that the other two hives are full of honey and capped brood, so they are ready for winter. We removed the empty hive and sealed it up for the winter. Maybe next spring our hives will raise more queens and swarm. If we're attentive, we can set up another hive or two.
Weeding on the neglected strawberry and asparagus beds is moving along slowly. It's difficult with mosquitoes still in force due to the warm weather. Still, we're making a concerted effort to catch up.
Finally, the garlic was planted today. I saved the largest heads and planted about 30' in a double row. That's less than last year, but we have a better bed prepared and are hoping for consistently larger bulbs.
Until next time, remember, this is not paradise. It's Purgatory Ranch.
Sorry to hear about the bees. They're fickle creatures. One hive that we were sure had died ages ago suddenly had bees in them, but they were gone a day or two later.
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