2.09.2015

bitter :: sweet




on January 29th the sap started to flow and we went out and tapped the trees.  last year we tapped more and ended up making enough syrup to sell about a gallon and a half, which helped us to recoup the cost of some of the equipment (pans, extra stovepipe, a second old stove off of craigslist).  this year though, we're keeping it small(er).  it takes a lot of time to boil down sap, and a lot of wood.  there's something to be said for all that time and wood, of course.  I do enjoy it, especially on cold, clear nights.   the couple weeks a year that we spend hauling wood back to the 'sugar nook' and feeding the roaring fires and being huddled up close in there with the good sweet smells are pretty nice.



this weekend, Sunday in particular, was amazingly warm.  I think it topped out around 70 degrees.  there were barefoot picnics (it's strawberry season in Florida- woohoo!) and loads of yard work.  I got the seed-starting-mix mixed and looked through our recently received seed order.  the sap fire was tended quickly and I did not linger to absorb the warmth.





also, and here is the bitter part…..  we made the sad discovery that one of our hives did not make it.



this is their super loaded with honey


dead bees
we had noticed that one of the hives seemed less active than the other on warm days.  I didn't want to admit that maybe there really was a problem, though, and so I kept telling myself it was just fine and that maybe this or that or the other was the reason.  after all, the hive had been so strong going into winter.  well, when a 70 degree day strikes in February and the bees aren't out, there is indeed a problem.  so I opened up the hive with a bit of dread tugging at my insides.  I pulled off a super still full of honey to find next to nothing in the brood box below.  no eggs, no larvae, no honey (well, a tiny bit), and no live bees.  just a small cluster that seemed to have been trying unsuccessfully to stay warm.  our best guess is that something happened with the queen and after a while passed with no new bees being born and the numbers dwindled more and more they just weren't numerous enough to make a large enough cluster to stay warm on the colder nights we've had.  I was bummed.  and angry, even.  though at what I don't know.  you just never know with bees.

and so- we'll go into spring with one hive and fingers crossed for the best.


on Saturday, which happened to be Laura Ingalls Wilder's birthday, Claire helped Mike smoke some bacon in a homemade cold-smoker.  it seemed fitting to me that it was on Laura's birthday, because she (Claire) has been asking to 'help Pa smoke the meat' ever since we started to reread the series a month ago.  this is a bit different from hanging the meat inside a hollowed out log like Laura did with Pa, but it'll do.  we also threw in a hunk of sharp cheddar.  mmm mmm good.



20 comments:

  1. What a shame about the bees. I am so envious of the smoked meat, what a delight. Nice to be able to get back outdoors.

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    1. I was sad about the bees, for sure~ but I'm hopeful that the remaining hive will kick butt this coming year. Mike watched a Vimeo video with some guys in Brooklyn smoking meat on their balcony in a homemade cold smoker, and then…… voila.

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  2. Sorry about your bees, but tapping...whooo hooo!!!!

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    1. yeah, definitely a big disappointment, but there is the silver lining of extra honey I suppose (even if I'd rather have the healthy hive). and yes, the syrup will be great, too!

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  3. I love that your sweet girl wanted to help her Pa smoke meat, so sweet.
    I'm so sorry about your bees, I know of several bee keepers here that have lost hives recently too. It's nice that you have another hive to continue on with and I hope they do extra well.

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    1. oh she loves all things Laura Ingalls. thank goodness she hasn't asked me to procure a pig bladder to blow up like a balloon! yet.

      yes I am hoping the same. sometimes it just doesn't work out and we have no way of explaining it. ah well, such is life, right?

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  4. I would love to have a go at tapping.......one day we will own some land with trees. I am sorry to hear about your hive, you must be thankful for you second hive being well.

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    1. we actually don't even own any of the trees we tap! we scouted them out around town and got permission to tap from the homeowners- not a single person turned us down, and we've got permission to tap many more trees than we have! yes, definitely thankful the other hive is doing well, and keeping fingers crossed for a strong, strong year for them~

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  5. So sorry for the bees. :( I would one day like to have bees but we would need a bigger yard, so they could be far away from my husband. Eek!

    I recall reading all about the smoker in book with my boys! I'm impressed with your home made one. Very nice!

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    1. I was very sad to open up the hive and see the poor dead girls clustered in there~ is he very allergic? our yard is by no means large, and they really do tend to just follow their own little flight path up and then away out of the yard and pay little attention to our comings and goings about the yard… but if he is very allergic I suppose it could be risky.

      credit for the homemade smoker goes to my husband~ he watched a video online of some guys out on a Brooklyn fire escape with a homemade one made mostly from cardboard boxes and then he just had to make one himself!

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  6. Sorry about your bees. You never know, but I am glad you have some honey to show for it... like the pearl from the oyster. What book is that? I'm sure I can find it in a previous post... looking...

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    1. yes, definitely there was a silver lining there. even if I'd much rather have the healthy hive, the honey sure will be nice.

      it is Cold Mountain~ it's a bit slow going but I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it.

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  7. Pretty cool happenings (other than the bees). Good homesteading (like the Ingalls!) - Mike seems very handy!

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    1. ah, thanks~ we do what we can on this little quarter acre, that's for sure! he certainly is- and when he gets an idea in his head (with the exception of the partially done bathroom being added in our bedroom- which has been in progress for about two years now….) he goes full steam ahead!

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  8. sorry you lost a hive, what a bummer. I guess in a few weeks my dad will be tapping his trees.

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    1. a bummer, yes!
      I remember that he usually taps a bit after we do- hope it goes well for him this year!

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  9. Hi! Just starting to really delve into this wonderful space of yours. We lost our first hive ever. We went out of town for the weekend, with someone in charge of making sure there was water for them (it's very hot and dry here in CO in the summer) and when we came back most of the hive was gone. Not convinced it was actually lack of water, but just having them abdicate like that was a real disappointment no matter what happened. Wonderful about the tapping though! I grew up in VT and miss the sugaring season. So much sweet warm goodness!

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    1. hello there, and welcome!
      so sorry to hear about your bees- we've had bees for four years now and this is the second time we've lost a hive, third if you count the failed swarm we caught this past Spring, and it never fails to be a big, sad disappointment.

      sugaring down here is much less expected than it is in your home state, with sugar maples few and far between, but being Northeast transplants ourselves (NJ), we were very excited to make it happen as part of the suburban 'mini-homesteading' thing we've got going on down here in NC. I think 'sweet warm goodness' is a great way to describe it!

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  10. i just love it when i see little girl aspiring to be like laura... i do believe it is time to hit that series again in this house.

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    1. it's so sweet~ Mike is reading Farmer Boy to her now

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thanks for taking the time to read and comment~