a full weekend

We are working on all sorts of projects on the farm right now. It was a beautiful weekend and fairly productive. I got all the last of the chickens moved into there out door pens so they get to enjoy this nice weather too! Brian has been diligently working on our downstairs bathroom re model. The old bathroom left a LOT to be desired so we ripped out old drywall, the dropped ceiling, cupboards you name it the works! I wish I had remembered to take a before photo... ahh well.... the new bathroom will feature some beautiful clear redwood we salvaged about 10 or so years ago and have been hauling around ever since.. It gonna be a fun way to use it. Three of the walls will be red wood paneling a la the rest of our house : ) this is one of the walls as brian was conceptualizing and levi acting as general.

 

levi putting his paw of approval on brian's design 

While Brian worked away on sunday Laura came over and we moved in the new bees she brought me (thank you laura!!)  and we got the swarm I brought home last week a little more settled in... so crossing fingers all the hives stick...

And last but not least Laura and I managed to plow a bed in the garden. We have more to go but things went very well and as usual I'm indebted to her for her help 'workin' the land' here at big table farm! This photo looks a little empty with out the horses but there where there maybe next plot I'll get a shot of them working our land.

 

BTW on the photo size discussion - for inquiring minds I think I'll stick with this size when there are lots of 'snap shots' and use the bigger size when there is some really nice ones I want to share... 

spring is in the air!

We have been getting some really beautiful days starting this weekend - so while the bees were busy working we did our share. We brought the cows down off the hill Sunday to there new spring pasture right around the house - I love having the cows around the house where I can watch them. They are getting ready to have there spring calves which should be any day now!  They'll be around the house for about a week and then we'll move them on. This is the one pasture I do go through and pick up the poo from then I'll mow the grass and pretend I'm actually civilized and don't graze livestock 4 feet outside my door : )

The new ducks could not be any cuter!

 

 

a really nice weekend!

It has been a super weekend! - All day Saturday I was at Dunaes house working the boys to get them ready for plowing next weekend! They defiantly got a work out! This is them post plow defiantly done for the day .. Thank you Daune as always for the coaching and friendship!

If you don't have plans to do so do come out to the plowing competition in McMinnville!! it will be loads of fun!

Yamhill Valley Heritage Center 11275 SW Durham Lane, McMinnville, Oregon
(Intersection of Highway 18 & Durham Lane)
April 14, 2012
10 am—4 pm
Largest Gathering of Draft Horses & Mules in Oregon to compete in plowing competition
$3 per person — Kids 12 & under FREE



In other news we got a new (old) piece of equipment for the farm ...It's new 'new idea' manure spreader - but this concept is not so new .. this brings us one step closer to really utalizing the horses benifits! Now not only will there compost be on the garden we will be spreading any extra on the fields for more fertilization - the hope is this can be pulled by the tractor as well as horse power it's a larger size but I'm hoping the boys can muscle it - that should pretty well ingratiate them to Brian completely! : ) .. more on that as we start fillin' her up with poo!




I finally got the third hive set up that Laura made!


I'm excited and hopeful that we can have some bees either move in or catch a swarm... which will swell the ranks to three hives!!... Our first hive died off this winter but as luck and good fortune would have it this past weekend another swarm decided they liked that hive just fine and moved in... so we seem to be back up and running with two hives - hopefully the fruit trees will get going soon so those little girls can get some food!



Easter was a nice day went to our friend tessa place and saw this cuteness! : )

BEES = HONEY!!!

Today the lovely Laura came out and we collected the honey from the top box of our first hive!! it was so exciting!! - I got to help out holding the knife, brushing off bees, handing her stuff and finally getting to wear the bee netting my sister gave me.. : ) --- I took LOTS of photos for you all and thought I'd give you a step by step of the whole process...

Laura gave me a very specific supply list and I got all the stuff together we needed.



She arrived with bee suit and smoker and all the knowledge!

First step was to visit a bit then we headed out and Laura suited up and lit the smoker...





We headed for the hives... she smoked the bees just a little bit as they seemed pretty calm...
first she took off the top roof part and then the 'insulating' box that is full of straw ..then she preyed open the hives and took off the box we were gathering...











then there was some clean up of the comb on the hive we left so she could put the hive back together.





then Laura started the process of pulling out each bar and comb and scraping off the comb into the pail all while trying to not crush or piss off bees in the process I helped by brushing off bees and opening and closing the lid to keep the bees out of the comb we collected.














After we were all done we put the empty box where the bees could go back over the next 24 hours and collect any left over honey and take it back to the hive... then after that Laura re-assembled the hive and the bees seemed to settle right back down...

The next step was to take the comb back to the kitchen where we crushed it up with a potato masher and then started the straining with this clever home made honey strainer system using tape screen and two mason jars with lids : )







we also saved a bit of the comb with honey still in it ...










total is a little over a gallon of honey!! pretty exciting!! BIG HUGE THANKS to Laura!!