How Could We Forget The Honey??
One of our Fiends, Marylin, The Cat Coach, is sad tonight about a Bengal Friend of hers. Can you nip over to her blog and give her some love and support? I will let her words tell the story...Our thoughts and hearts are with her.
Yet another long day today, and I think I am not going to make the shows in the Cities, seeing as how the Cities are more than an hour away, and "early" figures into my waking up in the morning, but I want to hear from everyone who got to the Lojo show. (Or anywhere else fun tonight)
One thing that happened today, besides the chicken soup making and lemon and honey and ginger drink making , was we noticed, yes, we had harvested the honey (Fancy bee talk for Stole the Stuff) but had neglected to extract it, and there it was sitting in the basement, beginning to leak. Oops.
We have an Extractor, as you can see, it's that big silver thing in the picture above, and tomorrow the Birdchick is coming out and we are going to test it for the first time, but we decided to use the old bucket and cheesecloth method for the uncapped comb.
I'll explain. If the bees cap it nicely it will keep for yonks. But if it is not capped, it can turn into Mead or crystals soon, and we didn't want to mix the two. We have more capped than un-capped. We had two supers (bee talk for little boxes) and one brood (bee talk for big box) harvested.
I got out my fancy honey scraping tool and went thru all of the frames and pulled out anything with open comb and scraped away. This is very messy. Sticky too. Now I have these....They will drip thru the night, and we will have honey.
The lighter and darker honey is simply what sort of pollen the bees were having at the time. Here's a closer shot of our golden bucket.
This next is a nice picture (amazing what a girl can do with a camera with a view screen!) of some capped honey, with a wee bit of un-capped in the upper corner.
The Bee Area is a Mess. Old hives and frames and empty hives everywhere. Dripping buckets, and a thin layer of Sticky all over everything. Tomorrow we learn to spin the extractor, which I know will BEE interesting, because like ALL bee equipment, for reasons known only to the Secret Order Of Bee Equipment Manufacturers, it does not come with any instructions.
Love and Honey,
Lorraine
posted by FabulousLorraine @ 6:07 PM
124 Comments
124 Comments:
I would guess the lack of instruction has something to do with the Bee-Bengal alliance not wanting honey stol....er....commendeered from hives - if you don't know how to do it, you won't.....I think not, in your case - you do it anyway!
(Ha!! I won!!)
I love honey. Looks like a lot of work but honey in earl grey is yummy. I will go visit Marilyn and see what is up. Sorry you didn't get to go party tonight.
(Of course, that's rather sad, since it's only because Beeze and I are the only ones home tonight, and she as a fun job to think about, and I'm crochety.)
HEY! Bengalgirl and I are at home tonight! And it's too early for the West Coast to be in.
Give it time. Our friends down under will be up soon.
Honey is a lot of work, but well worth it and working with bees is just cool.
Well, look - there you are!! Early for the West coasters, huh? And here's me, almost ready to head for bed, because I can and NO WORK TOMORROW, and one of the things said at the funeral today was how much Dave loved doing what he did, and how he encouraged friends and family to do what they love. That's one of the glories of Fienddom - everyone seems to love what they do for work, or recreation or hobbies, etc. Makes me want to grow in that area.
And it was hard to see the full moon this month - grubby clouds.
Anyway - I'm going to go ponder what I can love in my life....
Sticky. Bleah. But honey is good. That's what I need to put on tomorrow's shopping list.
*puts it there*
Saw Marilyn's post earlier-- very sad news. :( Poor kitty.
Please to report upon the mysteries of the giant spinning metal thing: bring on the BEE SCIENCE. Or honey-extracting science, in this case.
So I'll weigh in on the music and age issue here, because I'm over here: I love listening to new stuff, but I also find that my tastes don't really change much. I tend to like stuff rooted in punk, ska, or blues-- I seem to gravitate to those sounds no matter which generation the music originates with. Also grunge, because it makes me feel like I'm 21 again.
Right now I wish that I could get Joe Jackson out of my head. I listened to "Breaking Us in Two" a couple of times yesterday, and now it won't leave. It's a lovely song, terrific childhood-nostalgia value and all that-- the live version they've got on Lastfm is probably the best version I've ever heard of it. But I wish my brain would play something else now.
This must be what I get for inflicting Bad Earworms on people. Lesson learned. I'm very sorry. Changing into my Opprobrium Pants as we speak.
Now bed! Night night.
I didn't know what to say on Marylin's blog, and it kind of came out wrong when I decided on something, but in actuality I was almost crying.
~Emily
Emily, that was lovely....it didn't come out wrong at all...
Thanks, Siri.
~Emily
Aww, Jess - where would we be without your earworms - bad is in the ear of the beholder....
There are no instructions, because you are supposed to Beecome One With The Machine. *snerk*
Poor Marilyn. You never really get used to it, but I would never trade the days of love and fun to avoid the pain of goodbye. I daresay most of us Fiends are the same way there.
Well said, Beez.
~Emily
Em; I second that; what you said was wonderful & I'm glad I'm not the only one sitting here crying over a cat & woman I've never met. But that kind of pain is something we've all endured; it totally sucks and breaks my heart. But Bok is in the best hands in this reality. And how cool is that name??? Way!
Geez Lorraine, you mean you haven't just tried to use the extractor? *grin* There should always be a "That way lies danger" sticker for not reading instructions. Looking at all that honey has made me hungry. I didn't know about capped and uncapped honey. the things we Fiends learn.
Jess, I'm with you on the music, The only difference I find know is I can't listen to LOUD for as long as I'd like. can't handle the whole album of Uriah Heep, for instance, but can get a few songs in before my head screams "Enough Woman"
It would seem that none of you have the security clearance needed to work the extractor; or you'd all ready know how :)
You are all right about the Extractor , surely.
Emily, it is hard to know what to say as there IS nothing you can say to make it better, when someone lose something they love. But saying something means so much, it isn't what you say, it's that you care enough to say it.
Joe Jackson, I don't know much about but Thea Gilmour is opening for him on this tour and I would nearly kill for a chance to see her live. I am not sure there IS a better songwriter living today.
Siri, pondering something to love? If you are in ANY way in a posistion to be a foster home for a Bengal, do so NOW.
They will repay your love a thousand times, and then some. And they need so much, there are Bengals being put down in shelters as shelters don't want them, I was just on the phone with Marilyn and we were speaking of just this.
We NEED foster homes, and homes for those already in foster care BADLY.
Save one. Your heart will thank you.
Ooooo...honey!
Have you learned how to make the wax into candles yet? Maybe next month. ;)
You don't need no stinkin' instructions! You're Ms. Fabulous!
Just make sure the lid to the extractor is on tight before spinning the contents.
Like I've ever used a honey extractor! ;)
Actually, I need to call and then go buy some more local honey. They should have candles now, too. When I bought the first quart of honey, it was too hot to have candles outside.
We may have a frost tomorrow night. Then we could harvest our persimmons. All seven of them. ;)
Hee-hee seven,eh? And good safety tip, lid on tight.
(make a better blog tho if the Birdchick and I both ended up covered in honey...)
And glad you popped up, Adriandalen, was starting to feel alone...Everyone sleeping or out...And here I am finally able to hang with Fiends...
i'm watching bourne identity waiting for my call to go pick up el at disneyland. it's windyer than heck outside. we may lose power all together.
i only wish it were rain instead of these blasted santa ana's. :(
And we're even in the same time zone.
Gee. Dread Val is probably just now getting home.
And seven is more than we had last year. Actually, I think it's the most we've ever had. The only time we've gotten any peaches off our peach trees was the year we planted them. No pomegranates off the pomegranate bush either. We get blooms, but we've either had a late freeze or not enough rain, or way too much wind to get any fruit. ::sigh::
On the good news front, one of the feral kitties, Dragon, lets us pet him. And we were able to get he and Little Pirate vaccinated for rabies last Sunday.
stacy, love your avatar.
nope just off watching dr who
Ah, Disneylandz! Kitty and I had some plans for that until Le Leopard came. I can't leave right now, he needs consistancy, and me.
I am watching SVU and cuddleing Bengals, I think they know it is winter and are all about the fire.
Cool icon, Stacy! And the Dragon is gorgeous!
sounds down right cuddlepuddlie! We have passes so we go whenever we want. Much more economical that way. El goes all the time w/groups of friends. I ask myself how many times can you ride the same rides, etc... but before & after Halloween the entire haunted house is all about the Nightmare before Christmas and since they redid the Pirates to include Johnny Depp, well; I don't get tired of either of those two rides.
back to the movie. still thinking comforting thoughts for Madame M & BC.
rubius & adrian
that's my cat stella & ellen. El took that pic. Thank you! I love it muchly.
:)
matt damon is so hot!
arian... sorry; i'm dyslexic :)
Ariandalen, that's so cool about the feral kitties! Way to go kitty saving!
I can't imagine haveing a pomagrante bush, never seen one!
Is Bourne Identity good, never seen it..
I SO need to be in the Haunted Mansion....Watched Disney as a child JUST for the credits to see that..
ahhhh; the haunted mansion; when we all get to cram into the elevator of doom and as it lowers and the lights dim; we all look up at the ceiling and SCREAM when lightning flashes! scares the crap outta all the tourists! Disney should pay us; we can scream like we mean it every time! I even freaked my mom out once when she went with us. She said the hairs on her arms stood up when we screamed and she knew it was coming!!! When you come here Q; we're ALL going together!!! We'll get little kids to piddle their pants!
My maternal grandmother had at least two at her house. They have beautiful blossoms, and the bushes get quite large. Unfortunately, I bet they wouldn't survive your winters. Not unless you had a greenhouse, anyway.
::sigh:: I suppose I could take a picture.
;)
So yesterday was a total honey day all over! Thanks for showing the extractor, I needed that.
I suppose the difficult part would be the fixing of the combs inside the extractor so they stay put while the honey flies out.
So sad about Marilyn's cat. He had a rough life that poor little guy and was so lucky to find her (and her him too).
Pomegranate bushes have the loveliest of flowers, brightly coloured and silk paper in appearance. Very much like that of a poppy but the colour is more orange than red. (when it is not white or orange and white like the ones I saw in Morocco).
Do take a picture, I love these fruits, so magic...
Yes! We will allgo to the Haunted Mansion! WHat a great idea, I am sure I can take an LA weekend sometime early in the new year, sort of a pre-Fiends party..
June will be great tho, we need to think on that..
JUNE; my birth month! Pomegranate pasties for everyone! No, that's not a typo. I just think it sounds funny.
Morning Nathilie, I do admit you were in my mind with that post and your Namo story...Fods I miss our Skyping darn time zones and work....
One of the things living in this part of the world is thatone is limited in what one can grow...
But, pomegranates aren't ripe until October! Well, at least not in the Northern Hemisphere.
I've never seen the white or orange and white blossoms. All I've ever seen in Texas are the red-orange blossoms.
You may not get to grow much, but you don't have to worry about fire ants or termites.
I need to go to bed real soon. I'm supposed to be at a seminar at Baylor University that starts at 9:30 AM.
::sigh:: The things we do for our children. ;)
OMG, I can't believe this...I've written 30,000 words. Never in a million years did I think I could do it. This would never have happened without Fiendish encouragement. What's even better is that today the characters took me somewhere I wasn't expecting, at all.
If I can do this,I can do anything, right? Like make it over in June?
YAY Sally!!!! I am SO proud of you!!!!
Lojo was great! The place was packed and she and her ALS interpreter rocked!
Great photos! A camera with a view screen is a great thing.
Music and age. Hmmm. I am pretty old. I have very eclectic tastes in music. I really love finding music that is new to me and broadening my musical pallet, but I certainly have "comfort music" that I can always come back to.
I love what Beez said -- no need to pretend to like what the cool kids like anymore. Yay for that part of aging. We are all cool kids!
As far as Amanda Palmer (and the Dresden Dolls) go I love her and them. I expect to be older than many, okay -- most, at her show in December but that's okay. I know it will be great fun.
I agree with Q -- it is more about taste than age.
And speaking of age -- it does seem that one unavoidable bit of aging for me is that I need loads of sleep.
'Night Fiends!
Thanks Ticia, it means a lot.
(make a better blog tho if the Birdchick and I both ended up covered in honey...)
I just had this vision of Lorraine and the Birdchick as Lucy and Ethel. :snort:
Congratulations Sal! That is a great accomplishment. I have not even gotten to 3,000 on what I intended to my my NaNo story. I just love that you have been able to really dive into this!
Isn't it just amazing Aleta? I almost feel like pinching myself, but that would hurt
Aletemay - you make me laugh. I also have eclectic tastes in music. I am always listening to new things... which reminds me:
Jess - Try listening to William Shatner singing "Common People" with Joe Jackson as his backup singer -trust me it's fabulous... In fact, the entire "Has Been" album is stupendous. Everyone should listen to it.
Unfortunately, I saw Joe Jackson just before the talented Thea Gilmore joined him on tour - sigh.. She is a genius (I agree Lorraine) and I would have loved to see her in concert.
Pomegranates bloom in May/June here (It was in bloom in February in Morocco!). I had pictures on my computer though, so just uploaded this one, so you can see what they look like. The picture does not much credit to their texture though...
Jess.....
Thank you for GOOD earworm. Oddly enow, I was just stuck on Joe Jackson that last year I lived in MPLS, listened to nothing else on my cd player. But those cds have pretty much been in storage since, so he had fallen out of my head.
But you put "Breaking Us in Two" back there nicely.
Again, much thanks.
west coast checking in, jut got in from a ben folds concert. talk about loud music, i had in my ear plugs, but it was amazing.
left some thoughts for bok on the other blog. so sad, but happy too as bok found a home and someone who loves him, which is a good thing.
i need to find shatner's common people. i work in koreatown, and we did a company event at a korean karaoke bar, ad common people in korean is...there really isn't words to describe it, it was just... odd.
somehow the haunted mansion in Florida was a let down after going to disneyland as a child. all the Floridians brag about how their park is bigger and better, but i still like Anaheim better.
bought amanda palmer's album after reading the blog and love it and her. she's such a character, and has some really ace videos to go with the songs. i hope to see her when she's in la, but i'm afraid to buy tickets as job keeps sending me on surprise trips.
fresh honey sounds amazing. i've only ever had the store honey in the beat jars. so the extractor of doom will deal with the capped honey? will candles be made?
Mmmm. Honey...
Good morning, and Happy Saturday. Hmm, guess what's in my head again. (I'm sure the earphones aren't helping.) At least I'm not alone this time. Hi, Lys!
Joe and The Shat. The mind boggles.
Yay, Sally! That's fantastic. \o/
Need coffee. Have a good day, everybody.
Glad to hear Lojo rocked, would have expected nothing less of her!
WIlliam SHatner and Common People rocks, I like the origional of the song too, tho I am spaceing on who did it.
Sally we would love to see you in June! It's going to be a fine weekend!
Ben Folds, that sound so familiar...Does he play with Amanda Palmer? And perhaps opened for Tori once?
Your job took you to a korean karaoke bar, Vampi, and I thought I had odd employment!
I do want to make candles, I have a lot of wax now, just need to figure out the how of it..
More tea! Too darn early!!!!!
Good morning Fabulus! I thought it was a little quiet here. Looks like the fiends are having a busy Saturday.
Does, doesn't it. Perhaps it will liven up soon. Or later. I am so sleepy!!!!!!!
Get some tea and have a look at the pomegranate in bloom. It's a nice way to wake up.
My Saturday has so far been consumed by the book sale hosted by my favorite little library; lots of friends are here and it's a lot of fun, but I do need to exercise control over myself at book sales. I'm tempted by almost every volume I pluck from the boxes.
~Emily
Hehe. Join the club Emily! I sometimes have to be forbidden to enter bookshops: I always end up buying at least one book and more often two or three. Last week, I went in search of two books and returned with six...
well, we work off of wilshre in koreatown and the bar is on the first floor of the building we are in. i do work for an odd company though, i chalk it up to being in la, everything else has been weird too. i'm a recent transplant to la. they were filming movie in he courtyard of the building yesterday. so not used to that.
pulp did common people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSXWWrIxSB4
ben folds produced amanda palmer's album.
my friend did a lot with candles and bought some pans at the good will to use only for candles
http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov/beeclass/wax/candles.html
I did look at your pomagrant (Spell check has returned but has no clue what that word is ) and it was lovely. I want one. It would have to be an indoor thing, but I get lemons form my lemon tree indoors.
Pulp! That was it.
Ok, PRODUCED her album. Got it.
Book sales.....At our fair last year I found a first editon of Betsy's Wedding hardcover, and I debated telling them it was worth closer to $400 than the $1 they were asking and then the lady was rude , so I gave her my dollar.
Book sales and shops rock.
Honey from the mean old Kitty/Olga hive...!
it really is golden perfection.
Vampi, I toured with Ben Folds in 2003,
what a great guy. Where was he playing and how did I miss it? Quiche, I also missed Motley Crue last night, boooo hisss. Time to come out of hibernation...
and come to your Spooky House.
Here's hoping the Batman/Kali united front goes smoothly.
(don't suppose i can rename her Robin...? ok, i won't)
ben was at the wiltern in los angeles
http://flickr.com/photos/vampiress144/sets/72157609136096341/
touring seems like such fun. i mean i know it's grueling and disorienting being in a different place day after day, but still exciting. i'm at my same desk every day not as exciting.
spacedlaw; i'm LOVIN your photostream! Microbo is gorgeous! Is the blonde cat yours as well?
Good morning all fiends. i'm off to get me coffee cup! i hate it when i have to get up; go to the store first before i can have coffee! it's brewing now :)
It seems TheCatCoach will be saying goodbye to her Bok Choi today at 11am. Not sure what time zone. In case anyone wanted an update.
Microbetta, yes. She is the lastest addition to out household and was brought in by Microbo (who might have wanted a toy or felt sorry for her - he was a stray too).
Tour is brutal and except for the two hours on stage, not any fun. You are tired, and as it goes on, want your home more than you can know.
Obviously, the bigger you are, the better you can tour, and some people manage to bring family with them, but it is still hard.
I made coffee this morning, not for me, but for some guests. Turns out they didn't drink coffee, which is most likely good, as I was not sure how to make it, the coffee maker came with scoop, but how many scoops do you put in for 12 cups of coffee?
brilliant names both spaced! those look like some kissable noses fur sur!
Oh, I didn't know! She is on the west coast, so in three hours.
I talked with her last night for a long time, just to see how she was doing, and she is very sad, but also knows when to say when, very hard thing, I do know. We must continue to send her our love, yes?
Besty's Wedding, as in Maud Hart Lovelace, Besty-Tacy-Tib? 1st Edition Hardcover? For a dollar?Are you kidding me? I'd be hyperventallating for fear someone would figure out I was getting such a deal! I love the B-T-T books - I think I got them in a reprint paperback version. Ah Quiche - one more thing to envy.
I have seriously considered the whole fostering thing, but this is not yet the time. (How many things get left undone because of THAT comment.) There will be a time when I can, and I will. Now, I can give money, and I will. I miss cuddling kitties, but also haven't recovered from having to put a cat down, due to extreme illness. That was very very hard, and I'm not good at goodbyes....
Is it June yet? I want a fiend reunion with Sally there, complete with her book (30K with 16 days to go - you can SO do this, Sally!), and honey and skulls and corsets and all kinds of music and dancing and singing and Wot Fun!
Morning, Fiends, although it's afternoon here - I've been on the go since 8:30, and am ready for lunch - pizza anyone?
Poor kitty And poor Marilyn!
Of course, love all over.
I'm with you Siri. While I would love to open my home to being a foster; financially speaking it wouldn't be fair to my current 4 cats & my daughter if anything were to happen. Vet bills on any of my own right now would send us packing... It wouldn't be fair. That said; I would give anything to be able to help; so here's what I'm gonna do...
I'm going to create some small 5x7 & 8x10 pieces of fiber art. You (or anyone) can 'purchase' one or more by donating directly to Maryilyn's site for Bengal rescue in memory of Bok Choi. I will most likely be able to get this going in January 2009. It will take me a bit to stockpile some work, esp. with my current commissions due & that horrid little fat man coming down my chiminey soon.
Any suggestions from Q on this endeavor would be helpful. I've never done this before except when I gave my 'Cheetah' Quilt to Dr. Laurie Marker of the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia Africa. It's pic is on my blog now that it's not showing.
On which page of your blog is the quilt, Stacy?
sorry; I had to repost it as it. It's up now.
Stacy! That's wonderful! And it will make Marilyn so happy. I think that's perfect.
Once you get the art, put it up on your site or blog and let me know, and I will write about it and link. Any Amount Any Art! In Meomory of Bok Choi. I love it!
Thank you.
Oh, Kitty! How did I miss your comment? Yes, you can call her Robin if you want to, kind of cute..
Yes, come out of hibernation! Missed Motley Crue? How did that happen? You get all the cool bands....
Come to us, there is only me of music, but if I do say so, I rock.
that quilt is effing amazing. very talented.
Stacy - your artquilts are jaw- droppingly beautiful. I didn't realize something so beautiful could be made with fabric. I saw ( and loved ) the dragon, but today I looked at the other quilts on your blog.... Your work is AMAZING. Thank you for sharing. I will be donating to Bok for the double pleasure of doing a good deed and receiving something wonderful in return.
Of course, I still have to donate to the bengals as well... Lorraine, your blog seems to be very good at pulling money out of my wallet!
Thank you all; keep in mind the works won't be completed right away. Once I have a collection I will post them; there will be minimum bids for smaller items at $25.00 each (5x7); the larger ones (8x10) will be closer to $45.00. If you feel the need to donate early; simply send me your confirmation of name; date & amount donated so I can get your work out to you! My personal email is corvus93@sbcglobal.net.
Thanks again!
Q: I generally do one rounded scoop per two cups of coffee-- so for a twelve-cup coffee maker, it'd be six scoops. That's plenty. But it's also the case that the more you make, the less you need to scoop; don;t e afraid to play with it. If six scoops makes something that tastes like road tar, reign in the scoopage.
You have a lemon tree? Inside? That makes actual lemons? I didn't think it was possible.
Box office is shut! Boo. :( I have to wait till Monday to buy Amanda Palmer tickets, as we don't want to do it online. Poo. Hope all the good seats won't disappear before then.
What a great idea, Stacy! You rock. :)
Lorraine, I am beginning to imagine that your house is what Terry Pratchett based L-space on, you seem to fit so much in it. Are you sure you can't just go through a door and be anywhere?
So sad about Bok Choi, I hope Marilyn feels all the love coming from over the globe.
Honey and Leopard report?
Ben Folds did open for Tori Amos on at least one tour; I remember hearing about it. (Sadly I've never managed to see Tori live. Wah!)
I had to miss Lojo's show last night because I have a cold, but husband Kevin went and said she rocked and that the place was packed. He brought home the CD we pre-ordered and I should really get to listening to it.
He sang a little "Kitties and doggies" upon returning from the show so now I totally have it in my head-- in Lojo's voice, of course. Which is cool, but I'm kinda ready to move on to another song even though I love me some kitties and doggies.
tori puts on a great show, but i tend to be irritated at her crowd. they sit there holding their breathe and do not move. no standing up and dancing along, no singing along. it' kind of creep, at least that's how he shows were when i last saw her in Charlotte, nc. could be they just don't know how to concert. i feel like i could sit down to dvd, at a concert i want to be moved by the music, and usually for me that includes some sort of spastic movements i pass ff as dance.
The bees want you to know that you and all your friends are now On Their List.
Ben folds open for Tori in 2003. It's the year I interviewed Duncan (Tori's former chef) and actually didn't get to see Ben folds perform since I was backstage doing a "day in the life" interview thing. What I could hear from the muffled backstage room sounded great though!
I've seen Tori, I think, 25 times? I'm a bit obsessed, but not as obsessed as most of her other fans... they make me feel rather normal ;)
Stacy -- your fabric work is unbelievable. I sew once a year for Halloween and it only has to last a day so there's a lot of Velcro and somewhat temporary stitching! your work is amazing.
I wish there was a way to e-mail honey! I hope we all get to sample some in June :)
we spent a couple hours this morning at the no on prop 8 rally. According to the local paper online there were about 500 people there. I felt so perplexed and angered by the fact that two of the four "yes on 8" people there were African-American. How can they possibly be against civil rights for another minority? anyway, our group was really preaching to the converted since 71% in Santa Cruz County voted no on 8 anyway! I still thought it was important to show up and take Ben.
Prejudice takes many forms and crosses many cultures, I suppose. :(
Dan: As far as the bees are concerned, is that a threat or a come-on? I mean, you know, I like yellow and black (Steelers fan 'n'at, Yinzers). But I'm also married.
Just a note to let the fiend know that Val is fine but is having trouble getting back home because of the fires. She is blocked in the traffic. Apparently leaving LA is more of a nightmare than it usually is (and that tells a lot) becaue the authorities have blocked exits...
My parents were trying to drive to San Pedro for a cruise and I-5 was closed for a stretch and it took them 4 hours to go about 15 miles. They are flying to meet their ship in Cabo because they missed the sailing time...Roads in SoCal are HOSED!
Poor Val and anyone else down there!
Hoping that everyone in Cal is safe from the fires and the smoke.
it smells awful here. i'm in between glendale and pasadena ad we can see the smoke. i've been coughing all day long and my eyes burn. luckily i don't need to drive that way, but my boss lives on the other side of the fire and will have trouble getting to work monday because the trains are not running.
smoke is so all pervasive, you have my full sympathies Vampi.
do you know the trick of putting a bit of white vinegar in a spray bottle with water as a deodorizer? It works really well against smoke - I use it a lot when we have smoke from grass-fires and bbq's in the area
Don't go out without a mask.
Ah poor Fiends with fires! Be safe!
Nothing on the Leopard today, and the extractor did not ecactly perform as we thought. We ARE going to find some directions (Oh yes, Dan we will...) The bucket method is working tho and I will have lots of honey for potting up tomorrow.
I think I am typing this in my sleep, long day, but a nice one.
Nightey night!
Home from a busy evening out.
I went to a friend's choral concert. It was really very beautiful. Then a lovely gathering of some of my amazing women friends. We gather a few times each year and it is so great to hear what is happening in everyone's lives.
But. Now I am home and catching up on the goings on in the Big Bright World and find myself worried about the Southern Cal Fiends.
Thoughts going westward. Hope everyone is safe and well.
And there I was, sleeping like someone who's gone to bed for the night. Hope you got home okay, Val!
You will conquer the Extracting Device, Q. The answer must bee on the internet. The internet has everything.
There's this post, which sheds a very dim light on things for those of us who have never been near one, and suggests that the frames need to be flipped over during the process. But you may have seen it.
Wikipedia has this to say about orienting the frames: Extractors are either tangential or radial depending on how the frames are put into the basket. Radial baskets have the top bar of the frame facing outwards while tangential baskets have one side of the comb facing outward. Large commercial extractors are radial. The amount of work during extraction is reduced in the radial type because the frames do not have to be turned over to extract the honey from the other side of the comb.
I dunno whether that tells you anything you don't know already, either. Mann Lake Ltd. has some very vague directions here in their catalogue, which may or may not help.
Lots of stuff out there on building honey extractors. Not many on using them! Grr.
Also, This post, which features somewhat-helpful pictures, says:
Step 6: Extraction
Once the frames are uncapped (both sides) the frames are placed in the honey extractor. The extractor (shown from above and from the front in the photo below) has a crank on the top that spins the basket, flinging the honey to the sides of the tank. After spinning for a few minutes, the frames are removed and flipped to do the reverse side. Ours is a two-frame model. Larger extractors can hold 50 or more frames and are designed so that frames can be placed radially, removing the need to flip the frames since both sides are done at the same time.
Good morning! hope all southern cal. fiends are safe, i haven't heard the news on the status of the fires. prayers and all good wishes westward. We have our first snowfall, about an inch on the ground - winter has arrived in west michigan. Lorraine, hope the extracting went ok - i wonder why there is so little info on these products? odd indeed. Off now to tend to the everpresent accounting and paperwork - have a lovely sunday all!
Good morning, everyone, kind of a strange time for me to be here as usually on Sunday mornings I'm at Divine Liturgy, but today is not a good day physically (and emotionally) so I'm home. I'm worried about our SoCal folks and the terrible fires (and y'all were so supportive to me when this happened near my sister's home this past summer). Please keep us updated, as we do worry...
Ms. Fablo, loved the pictures of the honey stuff, and smiling at the bucket method working better than all that new-fangled technology. :-)
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Often the simpler way is the best...
Thanks for the honey tips!
Tea!
More Tea!
no new updates from me, the air is still awful and i haven't seen any more updates from the fire department. it does seem that the winds died down a little so that should help.
the lafd has a great blog where they keep updating on the fires
http://lafd.blogspot.com
omg i figured out the link thing i think.
Oh sending good thoughts to CA...
Good Morning Fiends
checking in from the OC. Fires were horrible yesterday; the sky was so black if you went anywhere you needed your headlights in the car. El & I went to see Bond. I was afraid to sit there for two hours out of touch but when we left the theaters it hadn't gotten worse. So many homes were lost and some of those in the Anaheim Hills area were 5 miles from my house. Folks in Yorba Linda were evacuated and that's only a couple miles from my house. When we were drving there were large ash clumps the size of apples that would fall & roll & disintegrate in the road and on the car. That's as close as I ever want to get. I pray for the people this year who've lost their homes; the photos are quite devastating. It wasn't just acres & acres of brush that burned.
Waiting for reports of our dear Dread Val. LA wasn't faring well last time I checked.
love and ashes
stacy
I went to the Heartless Bastards show on Friday and it was great. I may have lost what was left of my hearing though.
I am trying to finish up the moving this weekend so I will catch up on reading later.
The S.A.D has begun so I will be around less. I will surely read but post less. Bluck.
Good luck to all the L.A. area Fiends!
Yes, we do need a Dread Val report...
Oh Stacy, we are thinking of you!
I am so tired, call me Zombie...
Gayle; what is S.A.D.?
I've been heading to the shower for about the last hour and keep getting sidetracked.
I just wanted to pop in and say I hope everyone is okay south of here. We are in such desperate need of rain, and it's going to be close to 80 here today so I know it's warmer than that in Southern California. I think all of us Fiends need to do a collective worldwide rain dance!!
Whatever you say, Fabulous Zombie. ;)
I didn't get up until 9:30ish this morning, and I'm ready for a nap myself.
I had to rush to get a blog in last night so I wouldn't skip a night. Yesterday was a long day. Not hard, mind you, just long.
Stacy, S.A.D. stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder. Some of us need more full spectrum light (daylight) in order to get through the days on an even keel. Winter, especially if you live in the north where you have a really short day, brings depression due to not enough sunlight. It is a matter of body chemistry. Plain light bulbs don't help, though the full spectrum bulbs can. It also helps to keep the drapes/curtains/blinds open during daylight hours, even when it is cloudy.
Gayle, try to post something on a regular basis. It might help, and it couldn't hurt.
wow! It sounds horrible! That must be what the talk about in Oregon all the time (& neighboring Washington too) because of all the rain. Thoughts are with you Gayle.
Yes; we should all do a rain dance; I'd love to go put my sprinklers on but the heat & wind would just blow it away; when I just lay the hose down I forget it's on. It's horrible when those dang water bills come and my stupid grass is brown! WTF???
Rain dance duly performed. My cats are looking at me funny. Could it be because they don't like rain?
Well, let's just say a lot of the time. I have a mild case of S.A.D., but it is enough that I know I couldn't live in Washington state without, probably, being on antidepressants year round. Even living in Texas, I can start having problems if it's cloudy for more than three days in a row. And with the return to "Standard" time being so late this year, it has not been an easy transition. I don't think I could ever get used to it being dark at four in the afternoon.
My in-laws live just north of Seattle. I love visiting, but I'm not sure I could really be happy living there. Just because I was born 30 miles west of Corpus Christi, Texas...
Just had word from Val, who is STILL in her car (since yesterday?) trying to get home. It might prove mission impossible (or at least harduous) since an area about 1/8 of a mile east of her place is under mandatory evacution! But she syas her Mom, who lives nearby AND is at home will go get her animals if the place gets evacuated.
Still. I don't envy her.
Everybody do that rain dance again, please!
:(
Come on everybody: Rain dance. Wiggle those toes, twitch those noses. Reach to the skies, grab those clouds, ahke, shake, shake annnnnd SHRED. Rince. Repeat.
Cats are still oooking at me funny. Upset too. It is way past dindins time.
SAD is weird, I don't get it badly myself, but there is a feeling of "It is dark all the time, I must be inside my den" and the days don't have much sun...
One of the great SF writers, from the 50's? Not Heinlen, Fods, can't recall, wrote a short story I have always remembered about girl who lived on Venus, humans had moved there, and it rained every day , except once every few years..
This girl remembered earth and the sun, and was sad, and talked of it often to her schoolmates. Ths naturally made her un-popular, and when the big day came her classmates locked her in a closet.
Very SAD.
This is not so good about Val...
Best wet and no wind thoughts go out to Dread Val, Kitty, Stacy, and all others in SoCal - especially no wind wishes - that's the demon that moves those embers around. I'm almost afraid to watch the news for fear of what they'll say. Nathalie, please keep us updated on Val.
Gayle - what can we do to help? Emails with no expectation of answers? Bombarding you with our sunny dispositions? Earworms?
I'm getting frustrated, because I'm in a 'I need to fix everything' mode, and there's so much I can't fix. Grrr....
Sending out positive energy in every direction --> --> <-- <--
^\\ //^ (also saying some prayers.)
SLG
Arian - my parents used to winter in Rockport. I'd go down to visit in February or March, and it got to be a joke about Sunny South Texas when I came - I never saw the stretch of Hwy 35 from Tivoli to Rockport in anything but clouds - grey and gloomy whenever I drove in. However, we loved it there. Went back for Christmas a few years ago - it's much nicer in December.
Siri
Yes, Gayle, let us know, you can beat this...
Siri, I know I am being unfair, but I can't say it enough, you can't save the world, but you can save one.
Let me find you a Bengal. There is one who NEEDS you and badly. Nothing can replace your Kitty, but there is another who will make his or her place in your heart. Instantly.
There is one out there who knows there is someone who can help. Our rescue is based on believeing there is Someone who can help.
These cats have an AMAZING capicity for love. They leap into your heart, and do not let go.
There, sermon over. I am off to do a new post before I fall asleep..
New Post up with Dread Val Updates...Not so good.
Hey Lorraine. Not sure, but the story about it raining all of the time... I'm pretty sure it's a Ray Bradbury short story.
I also really appreciate all of the support everyone gave me around Bok Choi. truly moving posts from everyone.
Thanks Marilyn, it IS Ray Bradbury...And you are welcome , we all know how hard that is...
That's so right of course; should've googlefu'd me f'uped memory pads.
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