Summer Blends Into Fall or BEES!

I fell in love with tens of thousands of insects this evening.  It wasn't just the bees though, it was the melding of perfect weather with my fascination with the honeybees that I keep. It created a moment in which time stood still and I was the same as a beekeeper was thousands of years ago, the time between those two moments did not exist and it might as well have been one in the same.  I sat mesmerized for an hour watching and learning.
Today was one of those days, those perfect late summer days that blend into fall.  It was full of warm sunshine yet there was that chill in the air, and the changing light, that made one feel cozy and long for wearing a  sweater.  It was a perfect day for football, GO BILLS!, and apple picking I suppose.  And watching bees.  This is really a perfect time of year.  I suppose that if I had to choose one weather all the time, it would be this.  Not too cold, not too warm.  Autumn's here summer, say your goodbyes.  It's okay if you want hang on for a bit.  We're not quite ready to let go but that sweater that is fall, sure is cozy.
As summer nears its end our honeybees have never been busier.  You see this is the first time, that this young hive (started it in April of this year) has been drunk on Goldenrod.  This time of year, for honeybees in the Northeast, is the equivalent of not just one buffet but a buffet consisting of all your favorite restaurants all in one place (bees having a 3 mile radius territory) serving exactly what you most crave, all the time, for weeks on end.  It's the equivalent of a billionaire having so much money that they don't know wuite what to do with all of it.  In a honeybee hive's territory there is so much goldenrod that they could never use it all. 

Goldenrod is the first flower (see photo above), of such hefty quantity, that is producing nectar since July.  There has been no honey being produced in this area until now.  Clover honey I believe is more of a spring/early summer honey.  Bees need nectar in order to produce honey, in the process of getting the nectar they also collect pollin to help cross pollinate flowers and also to bring back to the hive.  I have said it before and I'll say it again, without bees humans would not exist.  They are that important. 

The bees ingest the nectar and take it back to the hive where they chew on it for a bit and then 'spit' it out into the comb.  The nectar is 75-80% water and 20-25% sugar.  The bees then fan the nectar with their wings within the hive to dry it out until the percentages swap so that the sugar content is then 75-80% of the product and only 20-25% water....this my friend's is honey.  As one approaches the hive it reeks of the sweet smell of nectar turning into honey.  It is intoxicating.
I took advantage of the sublime weather today and sat next to the hive for a good hour, just watching.  I opened it briefly to inspect the production and status of the hive.  They have only just begun to use the top "super" where honey is produced but they are working hard.  While I didn't open the lower "brood" boxes where new bees are made I am quite certain that they are making honey in there as well which will feed them for the winter.  This is for sure where that rich smell is coming from.  All looked good so I decided to watch the activity in and out of the hive and directly on what I like to call the "front porch."

It was mindblowing and mesmerizing to say the least.  I can only describe the amount of bee air traffic in and out of the hive as all airport plane traffic at all airports at given time, combined into one.  I love changing my focus from looking at the hive entrance up close to the air surrounding the front of the hive.  It is then that you really get to appreciate the amount of traffic.  It is never ending as bees come and go arriving with their payload.  It appears to be non stop.  Busy is an understatement.  Hardworking doesn't quite cut it.  Each bee knows exactly what needs to be done with each having a unique job that is a small part of the whole.  I couldn't stop watching it.  I was in a way falling in love with this amazing and tiny creatures.  What sealed the deal is when I saw one bee in particular pick up a dead bumblebee that was probably ten times its size and carried it off the front porch and up a blade of grass to get this intruder out. WOW!  I had to pry myself away because there was other stuff to do.

 PS: As I write this I have stopped quite a few times to put my hand on Sarah's ever growing belly where she too, much like the hard working bees, has been hard at work tenderly growing our son.  We have 4 weeks left until his arrival and boy was he active tonight.  It may have had something to do with the vanilla ice cream, strawberries and yes, ironically or coincidentally, honey on top.  Not our honey yet, but he was diggin' it!

End of Summer Images

Here are a collection of images that speak for themselves really.  Simply look at the light.  It makes you feel warm while at the same time realizing that that fall chill in the air is just around the corner.  See my previous post for more thoughts on the end of summer, specifically the bees.

Bad Blake, our barn cat and one of the nicest animals you'll ever meet.

This occurred at the end of August when straight line winds took down 2 huge willow trees on my neighbor's property.  Weird because the rest of the street was untouched.  My dad is dwarfed next to the roots!  

Knowing that she won't get out much once winter sets in Morgan makes the most of her time eating up the grass...

...getting belly rubs...

 ...and soaking up the last bit of warm sun!

Divo...

 Czar and Divo make the most of the last bit of warmth and green, enjoying each other's company.

And lastly a freshly cut pasture as we prepare for winter...it will grow back even better next spring.

Mama Deer and Twin Fawns Then and Now

 Since springtime we have been seeing a mama deer and a single fawn quite frequently frolicking in the backyard.  One lucky morning I happened to spot a mother and 2 very active twins only about 30 yards from the back of the barn.  They were so cute.  The one baby stuck close to mom while the other kept running back and forth along the mown path as if to say "look at me, I have legs!"  The mom kept a watchful eye on me as I was able to snap these photos.  Beyond sweet!  I think there actually were two moms and their respective 2 sets of twins.

Now that it is fall is here the families are still very much around and often travel together.  Seeing the fawns all grown up is quite nice.   Kind of hard to see so click on it to blow it up if you can.

All I ask is stay away from my baby trees (hence the burlap wraps for the winter...learned my lesson last year)!

New Posts Coming Soon...I PROMISE!

It's been a while and I do apologize to my faithful followers...lots has been going on here since the end of summer.  Most importantly my wife, Sarah, and I had a baby, Henrik Finn born October 10.2011
We also lost a member of the Czar of the Woods Farm family, our beloved malamute, Traveler.  This less than 2 weeks after our son arrived.  It has been an exciting time and a sad time, and always busy hence the lack of time I have spent on the blog.  I assure you though that I have taken photos of all of it and I am in the process of prepping the photos for upload to the web.  Stay tuned as I hope to have new posts up within the next week.
Thanks for your patience and understanding and I truly hope that I haven't lost any of you due to ennui.
eric

Turtles Arrive at Czar of the Woods Farm or And Then There Were More!

Last year I had spoken to my good friend Eric about possibly adopting a few box turtles from a turtle rescue group that he worked with.  Knowing that this was going to be a possibility, last fall I had started to build an enclosure on our property.  The enclosure is located under a beautiful grove of willow trees, next to the back pasture.  When I first envisioned the enclosure I wanted to include the giant fallen limb of the willow tree that runs along the ground for at least 50 feet and has several baby willows growing out of it.  My Dad and I were able to do just that and I'm very happy with the results; all 144 sq feet of it.  What was started last fall was completed earlier this week, just in time for the arrival of the turtles.
Eric and his family are now moving to Iowa from Colorado and needed to find homes for 3 of their box turtles that they cannot keep, specifically Western Box turtles.  We would be adopting Tito, Esteban and Emmett.  Also, because they have 9 other turtles but still need time to build an enclosure at their new home in Iowa we would also be temporarily housing them as well, for a total of 12 turtles.  Their 9 will be leaving in August and we will keep the 3.  Here is my previous post from when I started to work on the enclosure last October: http://czarofthewoodsfarm.blogspot.com/2010/11/turtle-enclosure-progress.html
Eric and his family visited the farm yesterday and brought the turtles with them.  We let them free in their enclosure, which I am proud to say that Eric told me it is the nicest turtle enclosure that he has ever seen, and within seconds they were off and exploring.  Each of them finding many new cozy places to explore.  Several of the turtles took time to snack on the fruits and veggies that we had provided for them.
Their habitat that we created for them is a natural mix of dirt, rocks, vegetation and the willow tree limb that provides a nice place for them to climb on and under.  It is pretty amazing what turtles can do and where they can go!  The enclosure is a bit like turtle prison with a buried cinder block perimeter and 12 inch wide boards that are buried almost half way up, and right up against the blocks.  They will not be digging out.
Our menagerie has grown yet again but these little guys are pretty low maintenance.  Perhaps we should start charging admission to our zoo!  Enjoy the photos and thanks to Eric and his family for trusting us to care for part of their family, and for letting us adopt 3 of them.

In this photo you can see how the turtles are transported.  The two in the center are wood turtles.

This photo was taken within seconds of release into the enclosure.  There are 6 turtles in this photo.  Can you spot them?  (click on photo to enlarge).  It is amazing to me how well their natural camouflage blends in no matter what the surrounding is.  As you can see the downed willow limb (but still alive and growing baby trees from it) is an incredibly important aspect of the habitat as it allows them to climb on it and under it.

Here is a photo of the enclosure.  Don't mind the leftover construction materials on the ground in front.

Here is a nice photo of the willow tree limb running through the back of the enclosure.

Look at how well he blends in...

Dusty here was digging a hole to keep cool in less than 24 hrs after his arrival.  A sure sign of happiness.

I believe this is Esteban.  Still learning the subtle difference between our 3.  I think I got it but they all look very similar.

This Insect = This Month

When one lives on a farm, even a hobby farm such as ours, you become very much in tune with nature, especially the weather.  It affects most things that one does.  Not 10 minutes ago I made the decision to keep the horses outside in the fenced arena for the night because it isn't supposed to rain tonight.  In the summer the horses spend most nights outside when the weather is good because it is cooler for them and there are less bugs to bother them (ie flies!!!).  They have spent the past 2 days inside because it is too hot, too humid and there are too many flies.  In fact, as I write this I am looking out the window at the horses, Czar and Divo,as they eat their night time snack of hay together from the same pile.  So sweet, like brothers.
Back to bugs.  Not all bugs, in fact most are not annoying.  It is amazing to me how one becomes in tune with what insects are out during certain months.  June is all about fireflies.  Our property was aglow with them as they twinkled across the property.  While there are a few stragglers left, they are mostly gone.  Early July is about crickets, in fact today being the first night that I have heard them, even though I have seen them out in the field since the snow melted.  Next up, the ZZZ ZZZ ZZZ of the cicadas.  I would imagine that they will appear in the next few weeks (but the coolest part is that their 13-17 year life's journey that took place 99.999% underground is about to begin and very qucikly end.  Yep they take that long to develop underground).
If you take the time to pay attention you can throw out your calendar.