Spring is in the air!!

[kathyp]

love that pic.

other than the horses i already have, i am limiting new critters to those that are edible or produce something edible.  still thinking about how to make a mini-milker work.  fixing the chicken coop this summer. 

[Dane Bramage]

"We eats them!!"

Actually Icelandic Sheep are a true triple purpose breed; milk, meat & wool.  The meat is especially mild and even those who don't normally have a taste for mutton tend to like it.  I get some yummy Nubian goat's milk from a small farm nearby, else I would be milking the sheep more often (have only done it for a little while last season).  The wool is excellent, very soft & luxurious.  Not that I'm trying to sell you mine, lol - but they are a good breed (good grass mowers too!). 

More info here.

[KD4MOJ]

   HHmmmm Mutton.... never had it that I know of. 'Course that certain ***** restaurant down the street..... never know!

...DOUG
KD4MOJ

[Dane Bramage]

Bump - new year new Spring.... finally!!!  We set records for most rainy days in March (29/31), most consecutive rainy days, latest ever to hit 60°F, etc. ,etc.,    Sheesh!  Bees overwintered amazingly well though (was a mild Winter) and are doing very strong in spite of the weather.  Warmest day of the year so far today.. of course, more cold and rains is forecast (tomorrow straight thru until next Saturday!).  :'(

Pear Blossoms:

[Mshel]

Really good pictures.

[Dane Bramage]

Really good pictures.

Thanks Mshel.   

These next one's aren't as nice, but I wanted to share my first swarm capture of the year.   Unsure where they came from but they were just down in the wetlands from all my colonies.  The weather has been so crappy, delaying splits... still, could have been from one of my own.  I'll know better this next weekend when I break into them and do splits and super up. 

This was a perfect swarm to catch.  Good size (~4#?) and about 9' up on a smaller tree suspended between two branches.





The ground was really mushy (wetlands with record rains, after all), but not bad.  I was able to situate an empty box directly underneath.  First test was a shake of the smaller limb, which brought down 1/3 of the swarm.  Landed right on target.  So a kick to the main limb brought down the rest.







I grabbed two frames from another hive (capped & uncapped brood, etc.,) and, within 30 minutes or so they were all snug. No stragglers above even.  I'd say a 99% capture (a couple of dozen landed in the wet and didn't survive).

So, despite the weather.. I guess it really is Spring! 

[gardeningfireman]

What great pictures! Speaking of rain; we had over 9 inches in April. Broke the all time record here. And it is still raining pretty much every day.

[SerenaSYH]

OH, MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!! These are BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS DANE! I wish we were neighbors so I can have your bees visit my garden! as well as to test out my Baby Girl Eluane (she's a border collie) to see if she retained sheep herding "talent" in her. She is a way too timid and docile for a border collie unless it comes to the rabbit or the vacuum which she will herd like a crazed lunatic. Or if it comes to Agility, which she is as bold and as faaaast as they come!  Beautiful lambs, Dane! and the detail of the honeybees and wonderful closeups are dazzling! It'd give me such a thrill to see a swarm too!

All the excitement I'm missing out on stuck where I am at  where honeybees are a rarity...