COLD DARK ROOM

[Blackdog1714]

Sounds like bliss! One of my neighbours likes to sit in the garden and Facetime her private conversations for everyone to hear.

But it is so much juicer than the evening news! Maybe she needs this

 

[Maro2Bear]

So, was it yours or the wife's idea?

Ogh, i was happy with it, but splinters were forming & boards warping. I could have replaced a few boards, but wouldnt have looked to good. New boards will give it all a good finished look again. We’ll stain those planks in Springtime.

 

[CarolM]

Good evening all. I had my regular shift at the rescue today. I was training a new volunteer on his first day which was nice

We had this gorgeous European Common Buzzard in. It’s one of the UK’s mid-size birds or prey, probably the biggest that we see regularly round where I live. The wingspan is similar to that of an Osprey.

They’re very patient birds and will sit for hours on a fence post waiting for a careless rabbit or pheasant to wander past. They’re often seen soaring on thermals as the day gets warmer. They’re usually alone except in breeding season.
View attachment 308163

So did you handle it? Or does someone else handle and look after these kind of birds?

 

[CarolM]

I always just say hello. I can't copy and paste so... but anyway I'm the new kid and never want to scare off a chance to chat ?

I have to catch up again with your doggie photos. so I think I owe you at least 4.:




I love the ears on this one.

 

[CarolM]

See I helped you with all my ❤

Yes totally, It was those damn ducks. Okay maybe they are not so bad, since they gave me my beloved sporky!! Which I am never giving up. You Can't have it. My preciousssssssssss

 

[CarolM]

That's the problem when you have good ideas. Everyone wants it. I always say I'll show you how... to do it yourself ?

Yip, it is good to teach them how to fish rather than fishing for them. But I enjoy the garden work, so it is fine and every time I drive into the complex I get the satisfaction that I help it look so great.

 

[CarolM]

I captured this picture of Arrow in his new garden.View attachment 308174

Arrow is so beautiful.

 

[CarolM]

I am looking into the possibility of keeping bees, pricing up the hives etc. Although I will admit to being slightly scared, perhaps I could just put the hives there and let them do their own thing but would be a shame to miss out on the honey

If you do that you won't be sorry, unless you are allergic, then I would not advise it.

 

[CarolM]

We would say 'fur coat and no knickers' ??

That is a good one. Very funny.

 

[CarolM]

Good morning, Tuesday already. Very wet here, seems to be raining constantly,. Good weather for ??? may need to borrow a kayak to get to work

I hope it is a bit drier now.

 

[CarolM]

You live in Lancashire. It rains constantly. I went to university in Lancaster and learned all too well about the rain... it was so much wetter than my home in Yorkshire just the other side of the Pennines.

For the unitiated, Lancashire is just south of The Lake District in the North West of England. It gets all the rain off the Atlantic. There’s a reason the Lake District is where it is! ?
To be fair, the UK has had a run of very bad weather recently. We had it rain pretty much non stop Thursday night to Sunday. Our pond is brim full and the rain butt filled in a night

NICE!!!!!

 

[CarolM]

Green= rain... wherever you are in the world

Both counties have hills that are more suited to sheep than cattle.

Wouldn't the beef be really nice from the nice and green pastures?

 

[CarolM]

Good mornynooneve, Roommates!
Today is National Mad Hatter Day in the USA !
View attachment 308226
View attachment 308227

Love that Hat. Sporky and I, I think will work towards getting that this month. Then the two of us can go and visit Russia. ?

 

[CarolM]

My sons and grandsons would love your hat. It would have to have the drop down ear pieces too though.?

SNAP

 

[CarolM]

Fine-looking speciman!!!

mmmmm, Are you trying to steal Wifey's property??????

 

[CarolM]

I would be very very surprised if this new fangled hive really works. Ive kept a few hives over the years. Started in 4-H club where I learned the hobby with a master bee keeper. Later on, twice in fact, ive started up new hives. There are lots and lots of upfront costs. The hives, the frames, the thin wax foundation, the bees, more supers (where the frames hang), a bee smoker, frame tool (to scrape open the hive), in the Fall, hopefully your bees have survived summer droughts, attacks by mites, or bears.... you have frames of honey. Now, you have to cut the caps off with hot knives. But, the honey just doesnt flow out. You need a 2 or 4 or 8 frame extractor that spins, and the centrifugal force makes the honey fling out..... ogh yes i forgot, i also took a course from the Univ of Md on ? keeping.

It’s a fun hobby, but lots of work if you want honey.

Here‘s a company that sells it all, from soup to nuts.

?? - https://www.kelleybees.com/

Is there anything that you haven't done or know about?

 

[CarolM]

Not really a chop shop, more like a DIY place, BUT there are lots of pieces involved in a simple honey bee hive. Kelley, and most bee hive stores, provide all the things. Each bee hive kind of has two or three large brooder boxes (called supers), this is where the queen hangs out and lays her eggs. Above these a keeper usually places a screen called a “queen excluder” that keeps the queen down in the brooder boxes, up above are the honey boxes. Each super has 10 frames. As the hive grows in size, you keep adding the honey supers on top. The trick is to keep them slowly building & storing honey. They keep storing honey for Winter, they don’t know u are going to rob them. Another trick is to make sure you leave enough honey in the hive for bees to eat all Winter long. Not enough & they starve.

It’s a fun hobby - but costs add up & often you don’t get honey, for many reasons.

Well, if you put it like that, It is very sad that we are robbing them of all their hard work. Poor things.

 

[CarolM]

Keeping a bee hive is fun...if you have friendly bees! I had one for a few years many years ago, and a former teacher of mine was my mentor. He would stop by with no smoker, no headgear, no gloves, nothing to protect him. I would wear long sleeves, headgear, gloves, smoker in hand.

When we were done checking the hive, my mentor was fine. I had multiple stings! Every time I got near that hive I'd get stung.

When I asked my mentor why this was, he said "I don't know why, but your bees don't like you".

I liked them for as long as I could, then they moved to a different home.

I love your stories. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in your life. Just don't swat me please!!

 

[CarolM]

Baack & a success. Was only going to pickup 5 planks, but we loaded up 8. Loading up 8 is just as easy as 5. I keep them up on my roof rack and pull down as I need, BUT, going to try and go kayaking tomorrow, so will need to remove them all. Or work really long & hard today. I need a helper, other than poor wifey.

I would help, but by the time I got there, you just might be finished!

 

[CarolM]

Yes, if I ever did decide to return to the UK, I wouldn't be able to take Tidgy with me.

Oh no. What would you do if you had to return to the UK, or are you not going back then?