Winters Renewal
Winter is an introspective time. It’s a time of resting the creative mind but also preparing for the work that lies ahead.
We usually spend our winter month’s tidying the flower garden, which requires moving numerous tractor loads, to the delight of my boys, of aged plant material to the compost. Going through the endless seed catalogs and deciding what new and exciting seeds we will plant takes time. Inside the studio the worktables are filled with beeswax, tools and clay for candle making, sculpting and mold-making. As we work, our wood stove glows from within. During this time we also update our website and product information as well as clean and assess inventory. Staying on top of orders is a priority as well.
In these cold winter months we huddle together like the bees of our hives knowing that with winter’s renewal we will be ready for a busy and prosperous new year.
Adventures in Bee Keeping
This is the year that we have finally brought honey bees to our property in Stecoah. After many years of discussion, the combination of timing and circumstances led to the arrival of eight hives of Russian honey bees this spring on our property, and three hives of Italian bees on my brother’s property.
The story began many years ago when my father, LB, began keeping bees. Curiosity and intrigue brought two hives that grew to four over time. The experiment provided many experiences, some rewarding and some painful, but the lasting memory is of summers harvesting sweet tasting sourwood honey. Time and life changes led to the decline of the hives. After 5 years, it was deemed time to bring back the honeybees.
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