End of the Year Surprise

Yep, an egg - the first of many to come!

I think this might have been Buttercup or Dumpling - it's almost pink in color.

Maybe the other girls will get the idea now!

Yippee . . . . . .

The Holidays

Whew! I don't know about you but I'm glad the holidays are done and gone. This was some of the action around our house during the holidays . . . . .

Thank goodness I have two sofas - it's a tough life at my house!

Christmas Card

For those of you not on my Christmas Card List . . . .

Happy Holidays!

Connie

Lily, Roxy, the Little Black Kitty and more additions to our family!

Cold Weather

I know this doesn't seem cold to a lot of folks but it's mighty cold to me!

Monday morning the girls just peeked out of their coop - windy and brrrr cold. This morning they came out - I gave them some cracked corn and some collard leaves.

The thermometer is on the inside of their coop - it was in the 20's. It has warmed up some today and by this weekend we'll be back in the 60's.

They sure are fat and sassy - I'm still waiting for those eggs. That's Lucy on the left, Dumpling and Buttercup up front.

Winter Begins - December 21

Longest Night of the Year

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. Hence the origin of the word solstice, which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, “sun” and -stitium, “a stoppage.” Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter.

The precise moment of the 2008 solstice will be Sun., Dec. 21, 7:04 AM EST (12:04 UT).

Somebody Has Eggs . . .

NO - NO - NOT ME - ARE YOU KIDDING?

These are Ann's chickens - she went to Winston with me and got BB, Lucy and Ethel.

These eggs are green - don't know if you can tell in the photo and I'm still waiting!

Christmas Gift or Anytime of the Year

The Buzz About Bees
From Uganda to El Salvador, bees from Heifer International help struggling families earn income through the sale of honey, beeswax and pollen.
Beehives require almost no space and, once established, are inexpensive to maintain.
As bees search for nectar, they pollinate plants. Placed strategically, beehives can as much as double some fruit and vegetable yields. In this way, a beehive can be a boost to a whole village.
Although most Heifer partners keep bees as a supplement to family income, beekeeping can be a family's livelihood. Your gift can help Heifer provide a family with a package of bees, the box and hive, plus training in beekeeping.

http://www.heifer.org

Bee Ornaments

Some of my bee ornaments on my Christmas Tree.

Beekeeping Classes 2009

http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/courses.htm



If you're interested in beekeeping, classes are beginning in January in Alamance, Buncombe, Chatham, Guilford, Henderson, Hoke, Mecklenburg and Wake County.

All "wannabees" should take a class (just my opinion) - there's so much to learn. By the end of the class, you'll be ready to get a nuc or hive.

I've been keeping bees for five years and every time I open a hive, it's a learning experience. Nothing is ever the same and all beekeepers are different just like the queens.

If you're interested, take a class - beekeeping is a great hobby.

The New Girls

The new girls have settled in and are having just the usual squabblings. They're still a little scared of Lily (of course, she just runs up and puts her face right on the wire).

They all have names - the darkest golden is Buttercup (from "The Princess Bride"), the white and black - Dumpling, the dark red headed - Lucy and the brown, of course, is Ethel. And that's Miss Minnie in the front of this photo - she is still the head honcho!

Not to be outdone, here's Ellie Mae with Dumpling and Buttercup.

Bee Feeder Box

I'm no carpenter but decided this weekend I could make a smaller box for my sugar syrup containers (the gallon baggies). The height of the box is about 3-1/2" and that gives plenty of room for the bees to move around and eliminates all that dead air space. It sure has been mighty cold so I added duct tape (the cure all for everything) to close up that crack a little.

And I added duct tape to the front of Hive #1 - a little gap there and I felt the need to help the girls a little.

My Helper

She's a digger - no doubt about that.

And she eats Christmas ornaments too!

New Girls in Town

I picked up my four new girls on Saturday in Winston-Salem at the Forsyth Fowl Fair. I got them from Green Family Farms near Wilmington so meeting at the chicken show worked for both of us.

I'm so pleased - they are just stunning and their feather colors are so pretty. I wanted "easter eggs" and that's what I got - Ameraucanas. They have muffs and beards in their facial area - a puffy look around their heads.

They're settling in with Miss Minnie and Ellie Mae.

I'll say Miss Minnie is not being very nice - hope she finds her manners soon.