The Year's First Hive Inspection

Yesterday, Ruth and I did our first hive inspection of the year.  Beautiful afternoon, sunny, breezy, a great day to get into the hives.  We’ve seen a lot of activity, lots of bees flying in and out, lots of pollen going in for the past two weeks, but we’re still pretty new at this, still not much experience, and we didn’t know what we were going to find once we got in there.

Bees go through a lot of stores in the winter, and though we had left them everything they made last year, there was still the fear that they might be running low on honey.  It wouldn’t have surprised us at all to find lots of empty frames inside the hive.

Imagine our surprise to find the boxes nearly full of honey!  Apparently, the bees had had plenty to eat, and were already starting to pack it away again.  Lots of honey, a fair amount of nectar, and best of all, lots of fresh brood in a very good pattern.  That means the queen in each hive is thriving, already hard at work laying eggs and making new bees.  It was very reassuring to see the colonies booming.

Though we hadn’t expected to, we wound up taking some of the honey from the hives.  We’re trying to go foundationless, meaning that instead of a sheet of plastic in each frame upon which the bees build their comb, we have an empty frame with a comb guide at the top to encourage the bees to build straight comb within the frame.  Unfortunately, the bees didn’t have a ruler inside the hive, and some of their comb ranged over two or three frames.  We carefully cut the errant comb loose, arranged it to fit within a single frame, and used rubber bands to hold it in place until the bees can reattach it.  In some cases, the comb was so wonky (the technical term) that we wound up just cutting it off and tossing it in a bucket along with the burr comb.  We had enough by the end that we will have to work a bit to extract it, and we’ll wind up with several pounds of fresh honey. 

All in all, it was a very satisfying day.  The bees look great, and we seem well on our way to a successful bee season.  We’re already looking forward to swarm season, catching more bees, and growing our nascent apiary.  And we can’t wait until we can make our lip balms and lotion bars with beeswax from our own hives.

Stay tuned.

Maple Syrup Festival, Touch of Nature

It looks to be a busier spring for us than we normally have.  Typically, we don't have any shows until the fall season starts, and now it looks as if we'll be out and about a bit more than usual.

Our first event will be the Maple Syrup Festival at SIU's Touch of Nature, 1206 Touch of Nature Rd, Makanda, Illinois.  Saturday looks as if it will be warm and wet, Sunday cooler, but clear and sunny. 

We will be down the hill a bit from the building where the pancake breakfast is served, so you might have to to hunt for us a bit, but I promise it will be worth it.

We'll have information on more shows as the plans firm up.  Till then, keep an eye on this space.

Winter Bees

After the recent cold snap with temperatures down in the single digits for far too long, it's nice to have more temperate weather.  This week, with highs in the 40's and 50's, sunny skies, and gentle breezes, the bees have been out again.

Bees hole up in their hives when the bitter weather comes, clustering together to keep warm.  Even the recent lows don't seem to have bothered them.  After a few million years, they've got the hang of dealing with adverse conditions.

It's been a joy to see them out and about.  It's still far too early for them to go foraging for nectar, as the first blooms are still a few weeks away.  But since bees won't defecate in the hive, and won't fly when it's too cold, they need these warm days to go out and relieve themselves in what are called "cleansing flights."  They also take advantage of these warmer days to clear the hive of dead bees.  Though it can be a bit alarming to see a bunch of dead bees on the porch of the hive, it is actually a reassuring sign that the bees are still thriving and taking care of business.  A weak or dead hive would simply let the dead bees lay; by carrying them out, they show that they are still taking care of business.

Soon the first flowers of the season will appear.  We'll start seeing the crocuses that have survived the moles.  For the first time, I'll be able to look at dandelions in the yard with a smile rather than a sigh.  Then the bees will really kick into high gear, a steady stream leaving and entering the hive, bringing back their loads of nectar and pollen.  It's a happy sight and a happy sound, one I am very much looking forward to.  For now, I'm enjoying the early flights of the bees as they take wing on these respites from winter. 

Farewell, Nest

Nest Arts in downtown Carbondale has carried our products almost from their beginning when it opened as Dayshift.  For many years they have been a good and dependable store, and we have enjoyed a warm relationship with them for all this time. 

Thus, it is with sadness that we learned of Nest closing.  Owner Chris McKinley has made a valiant effort, and has done a great job.  But she has had an uphill climb all the way, offering local, handcrafted art to a mass-market audience. 

We will miss Nest, which, with the closing of Anthill Gallery in Cobden, leaves few outlets for local artists.  I understand Chris will likely remain in the area, however, so we won't lose her creative spark.  Ruth and John thank her for all she has done, and wish her nothing but the best in all that is to come.

SIU Holiday Craft Sale

Here it comes, the last show of the season, and it's a beaut!  The Holiday Craft Sale at the SIU Student Center was our first big show, many years ago, and we've enjoyed coming back to it ever since.  We've been hard at work making lots of new products, and we're eager to share them with you.  We will be at our usual spot at the bottom of the escalators.  Stop on by, visit for a spell, and see what we can do to help you with your holiday shopping.  There is nothing like giving local, handmade gifts, and we have unique items you won't find anywhere else.  So come on out, say hello, and share the warmth of the season.  We'll be looking for you!

AutumnFest - 2017

We're very much looking forward to this weekend when we return to John A. Logan College for their 42nd annual AutumnFest Arts and Crafts Show.  This is a great show, one of the best in the area, and we always have a good time there.  We will be in our usual place in the cafeteria with lots of goodies for the people on your Christmas gift list.  Ruth has all your favorite soaps, lotions, and lip balms, and John has some great wine racks and accessories for your favorite wine lover.  So stop by and see use this weekend.  We'll be looking for you.

Squash Soup

With the coming of colder weather comes a time for hot, hearty soups.  We recently came across this recipe from Alton Brown, and thought you might like to try it as well.   Let us know what you think.

Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 3 to 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, approximately 2, seeded and quartered
• Unsalted butter, melted, for brushing
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

 Directions

 Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the quartered squash onto a half sheet pan, brush the flesh of the squash with a little butter and season with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1 teaspoon of the white pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 35 minutes or until the flesh is soft and tender.

Scoop the flesh from the skin into a 6-quart pot. Add the broth, honey and ginger. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Using a stick blender, puree the mixture until smooth*. Stir in the heavy cream and return to a low simmer. Season with the remaining salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.