HIVE AT SIX WEEKS: CAUGHT BY SURPRISE!

We opened the hive on July 22 (about 6-weeks) to check on things. One frame (#6) in the upper hive box was fully covered with comb that was 2/3 capped with tan wax (brood) and 1/3 capped with white wax (honey to eat later). The outer frames (#1, #10) were much more proportionately covered in white-capped honey stores. All seemed healthy. Too healthy! I was caught with my frames down. Needed to expand the hive asap to disuade "swarming" (colony abandonment of hive). Rush-ordered new hive eqpt from Georgia.

Portrait of Lee'z B'z

Well, I tried anyway. Ever tried to get 13,000 hard working little girls to sit still for a portrait? These little ladies are HARD workers !!!

Harney the Black Hills Pack Goat Gets His Day

This is about Harney, the herd runt:

Bear Butte, Buffalo Chip CG at Sturgis Before the Rally

I squeezed in a short afternoon flight to catch the shadow on Bear Butte and the Buffalo Chip campground. The Chip sure feels empty without the 10,000 motor homes and 30,000 bikers. In the center photo you can just make out the visitors' center on the southeast side.

SOLAR FOOD DRIER and COLUMBINES

Some folks will remember our over-engineered, over-sized smelter oven food dryer from 2008. We’re cutting back for 2009, with a new, improved more compact but higher capacity model.

We started with a $5 used window pane from the Re-Store here in Rapid City. Then added some lumber and screws. First-day performance is fine.

Sure is simpler than the “high performance” model in the books, with all the hardware, hinges, handles, sliders, etc. Heck, just make the darn thing, pick some vegies, lay them on the rack, and get on with life…

Oh. BTW. Here is a columbine flower growing next to the new dryer. It merits some attention. Don’t you agree?

We opened the hive at about one month old on July 4, 2009. In some spots comb was completely bridging between the tops of the three central frames. Therefore I broke some comb when pulling out the central frame. Never did see the Queen.

July 4th Picnic Hike With the Pack Goats

Some good friends joined us for an old time down home Independence Day family time. DeAnne, Jeana, July, Jolie and Alan stopped by for a quick lesson on making home made soap. Then we went for a hike, catered by The Black Hills Pack Goats. Then we opened the new Lee'z B'z (www.Leez.Bz) bee hive. July is one quite cool dude. See the next post...