After surviving very difficult temperatures in February, the past week has been offering us glimpses of better days to come — temperatures in the mid 30’s and 40’s with beaming sunshine able to melt the unwanted snow. (On a separate note, cross-country skiing has been put on a temporary, possibly months-long hold). The next 10 … More March 2nd — Signs of Spring?
I adore wild turkeys. They pal around in packs, their big, lumbering bodies looking like a motorcycle gang with their black slick coats; shimmering markings on the turkey’s back mimicking the patches on leather jackets. Their mannerisms can make me laugh, though. Walking in a single file line is one of them. It has always … More Out of the ordinary
What a fantastic specimen of a tree. I planted these smaller, very dense, perfectly shaped trees in certain areas of the yard. In a group of three they create a nice fencing, but as a singular tree in the right area, they create their own aura. Because of their density, when covered in leaves you … More The Hawthorn Tree
We’ve been living under a shroud of Mother Nature’s doing for the past week. No rays of bright sun have been allowed to penetrate the dense layering that has been living between the horizon and blue sky that lies patiently in wait. Although we have not been blessed with sunshine, we have been able to … More Enchanted
Yesterday was a grey day with plenty of cloud cover, but much warmer — a whopping 38 degrees — from the much colder day before. And it had become very humid. It had also been misty, yet mysterious — one of those days where you’re not sure what the weather is actually trying to do. … More A Day of Diamonds
Well, it’s always possible… If you recall, last Spring a doe give birth to a fawn in my front yard. I called her Beatrice, thinking she would grow up a female. Throughout the rest of the year, I watched as she grew up along-side two sets of twins born that same spring. This “pack” of … More Did I make a mistake?
I had been feeling a bit low this Christmas Season because our oldest and youngest sons, Jesse and Eric, made the difficult decision not to fly home for Christmas. They live in Brooklyn. The airports have been packed and they did not want to risk giving me Covid. I can’t fault them. They thought of … More Morning on the lake
for the impending winter. Ten days ago, I treated the three hives with oxalic acid — vaporizer style. I watched the forecast for a day that would give me 39-40 degree weather during the day. You should have seen me, as the temp made its way up, waiting to see 39 degrees. I went out … More The honeybees are “tucked in”…
Even though I only have three hives, the title makes it seem like I’ll be hiring some hands, working from sun-up to sun-down, wiping my brow and ending each day with aching muscles. Well, it still is a process, and sometimes tedious, but the reward is worth it — jars full of sweet golden-colored elixir. … More The Honey Harvest
Boy, what a pain! Not only did I have to smell the solution that rids the bees from the supers, I had to smell the Formic Acid that needed to be added to the hives to combat the varroa mite. I knew it would take a while, but being 80 degrees, sunny, and in full … More Pulling supers from hives
A Gardener's Diary 