From this

To this

A little over a week and the bees get to get out and stretch their wings. It's always a great site to see the bees out and about after a really cold spell like we just went through. 

Fat boy in the ditch and I'm not talking about a Harley

 

The footers finally dried enough that we could get in there and clean them out.  Tom and Micah came over and helped me out or I would still be in there cleaning them out.  The next day we got the rebar in and were ready for cement.  Little did I know, there is so much construction going on it takes at least a week to get cement.  That puts me into next week after we get the big snow/ice storm the next few days.  I sure hope it doesn't have enough moisture to wash mud back into the footers.  I would not like to do this job twice.

Is it spring yet

 

Yes that is ice and there are no bees skating today.  They are all tucked away inside their hives.

Ok we have had 2 cold spells now, in fact its in the 20s out there right now, and we have seen sleet and ice.  That's all we need to say we had winter so lets just go straight to spring now.

 

 

Toasty

 

It may be in the 20s outside but my girls are nice and toasty in their hives inside the bee house.  Nobody is flying and nobody is freezing and that is the perfect recipe.  3 months to go.

Out of my way

 

When the temperature comes back up after a cold spell the bees are ready to get out and see what they can find.  The 1 inch tubes can get a little crowded but they seem to be managing ok.  They have survived their first cold snap of the season.  We have a long way to go before spring so I will be keeping a close eye on them.

Meet the girls

 

I told you I would introduce you to the girls and here they are.  These are our milk goats.  We thought we needed something to do during the winter because there wasn't much to do with the bees.  Another one of those "what were we thinking" moments.  I seem to be having a lot more of those moments lately. 

Fresh squeezed goat juice

 

Every day one at a time all 22 get milked.  I would be in so much trouble if the milking machine didn't work or if we lost electricity. 

We love our goats and really enjoy the process but make no mistake it is demanding.  We hope to be using the milk for cheese next year but still have some things to finish in the milk parlor and cheese room.

 

 

I have a mind like a steel trap. I just can't find the key.

 

I know every goat when they come into the milk parlor.  I even know them when the come back in for a second time during the same milk time.  Does it mean I'm getting old when I have to have a board with big lettering and bright colors in order to keep from milking the same goat over and over and over on the same day? 

What was I thinkin

Unfortunately for you this is one of those random thoughts I warned you all about in the title of this blog.

I watch some of those tv shows about Alaska and I tell Treasa how cool it would be if we just loaded our bees and goats and moved to Alaska.  Way out in the woods off the grid, hunt moose, bears etc. for our food. Chop some wood and set by the fire with no phone no racket just peace and quite.  I think about that all through summer into fall.  Right up to that point when we get our first Arctic blast.  That happened this week and just like every year before, I grab my coat and head out the door and I no more than get off the deck when I say to myself, "what the ___ were you thinking".  You wouldn't last a week in Alaska before they found you somewhere between the house and the outhouse frozen solid like a slab of meat in the freezer.  Probably some bear looking on saying mmmm fat boy sickle.

I know I know, you people living in Alaska, well even one state north, are probably thinking what a wimp. Yea, I know.  I just don't do cold.  I hate coats, gloves and all the other crap you have to wear just to keep your blood from freezing.  I guess I'll keep our seasons here in Oklahoma.  Most years we actually get 4 distinct seasons so you have 4 different points in the year to complain about the weather.  To cold, to hot, to windy, to dry.  Sometimes you can complain about all four in the same day.

     

Baby it's getting cold outside

I spent the day getting all the critters ready for the 20 degree weather they say we are going to have the next few days. All the goats, did I mention we have goats also, I'll have to introduce you later, have fresh bedding. 

The nucs (baby hives) have a new heater that keeps their temp above 45 so they don't freeze. A full hive has enough bees to generate enough heat to keep the hive from freezing. A Nuc does not have enough bees to do that so they get a heater to help them out. 

Everybody, goats and bees, have full feeders so nobody should go hungry. This is an experiment with the bees so we will see if they survive the winter. 

Old fat man gets started

I have been looking forward to this day for a loooong time.  Once I get this laser level set up we are ready to break ground on our new facility.  I can't wait to get this done.  Well its going to take some time. I used to be able to do this kind of work pretty fast but somewhere along the way I got old, fat and slow.  I don't go for speed now, just a steady plod.

Breaking Ground

FINALLY, we are breaking ground.  It has taken so long to get to this point.  We have been telling our customers that we were going to build a new facility for over a year now.  I think they were starting to think we were just dreaming. 

Just a little more

This has gone much better than I expected.  This is my first time using this piece of equipment and it was much easier to learn than I thought it would be.  This was so much faster and less back breaking than a shovel would have been.

Now the real work begins

The footers have been dug.  Now we need to get the rebar in so we can pour the concrete.

Home sweet home

Hope they stay this time. 

Breakout

Breakout

I was creating nucs (starter hives) a few weeks ago and these girls escaped.  I found them under my trailer doing what they do, making comb and storing honey. I captured them and returned them to the nuc house. We'll see if they stay put this time.

Welcome to Cripple Creek Farms

Well you know what must have frozen over because that's what I said would have to happen before I would ever be able to manage a blog.  Lori and Becca with Oklahoma Agritoursim were somehow able to teach this old dog a new trick so here I am.

Cripple Creek Farms is a bee farm between Edmond and Guthrie.  We keep some hives here but also move several around during the summer to keep the bees on crops that produce honey.  We have just broken ground on a new facility that has been designed to be tourism friendly.  That means you can see how everything gets done.  I will post pictures as we go so you can watch the progress. 

I hope you find the posting interesting and sometimes entertaining.