A new hive.

 My friend Allen, who lives up the road from me with his family, has been catching swarms like crazy for a little over a week now. 7 so far! Last year he had a swarm in his garden and I brought up my empty hive to use. We will split it soon. I call Allen The King of Swarms now.

So he called me yesterday and asked if I wanted this new swarm he was getting ready to catch. I said sure! My husband had to come get the nuc box that was in my car at Mrs. T's and take it to him. He caught the swarm and closed the nuc.

I went this morning to the bee store in Lafayette to get a hive set up. It was on sale! But we had to put it together. When I got home, our friend and wood fairy Kid, was just coming in behind me. So we had help!

The guys put the brood box together first so I could get that painted. Then as they put each piece together, I'd come in and get it and paint it.

So here it is, all ready for bees! I went to Allen's to get the nuc full of bees. Got them home, added the sugar water and entrance reducer, ran to get my shirt and hat on. Then opened the top. Then realized I'd need my gloves to get the frames full of bees out. So shut the top and ran to get gloves. A whole bunch of bees got out.

Got back to the box, opened it up again, and realized I just might need my hive tool to get the frames full of bees out of the box. So shut the top again, letting more bees out, ran to get the hive tool. Opened the top back up. By then, those were some pretty pissed off bees!

I went ahead and got them out as quickly as possible, without stirring them up too much more. I did have to stop at the 3rd frame to get a few bees out of my hat. Got the rest in, put the top on the hive and the blocks. And ran away! There were several mad ladies who wanted me gone! Fast! So I went. Some followed me out the gate just to make sure I really was leaving!

This is the hive after I was away a few minutes.

Then about an hour later. They had settled down a lot by then. I was a little worried. But they are good right now.

I decided to just put them next door to the first hive. I don't know how they know which hive is who's. But they do. Bees are pretty awesome creatures.

I just love having bees here. But I have just been used to 1 hive. And that hive has been great. I have not had too many problems with them. I just hope these new girls settle down and like being here. I hope they stay.

I'll check the hive in a week to see if they are building comb and brood. Then go from there. I just hope the queen is in there. Pretty sure she is or they'd all be gone, right?

But yay, 2 hives at Outback Farm!!!

Knitting

I love to knit. I didn't like knitting at all though, when I first learned years ago. It was hard. So I quit. Crocheting was so much easier for me. Then a few years ago, I wanted to knit again. Because I have sheep and they produce wool. So I just thought I should be knitting. I only knew the knit and purl stitches, so I didn't make anything special.

Then last year, I took some knitting classes in Chattanooga. I was hooked! I loved it. I guess certain things happen in a person's life only when they are ready. Like so many things in my life, that was the right time for me to learn to knit. It just clicked for me then. And I cannot stop knitting! I love to knit.


I knit all over the place. When I take Mrs. T or my mom to a doctor or eye doctor. Or I go with my husband to the would care center. Or in a car dealership waiting on a car to be serviced. Or while at Mrs. T's the days I work. Or riding in a car while someone else drives. Even in restaurants. When I sit, I am knitting.

I had learned the yarn over stitch while in the knitting class. And several other stitches. But had to look them up on you tube to remember. But now, since I found this Etta pattern, and I've made 3 hats so far and a cowl, I can remember these stitches. Like SSK, K2TOG, YO. That's it right now. But I can actually read a pattern! I could not do that before at all. So I feel I have grown as a knitter.

This is the 1st hat I knit using this pattern. I messed up the first lace section. You really can't tell, but I know what I did and corrected it on the next 2 sections. I made this little cowel to go with it.

This is the 2nd hat I knit using the same pattern and did it right. It looks like the pattern picture more than the first hat.

And this is a child's hat I started Sunday at Mrs. T's house. Then Monday at the doctor's office with her. Then at the music school waiting on my grand daughter while she had her cello lesson Monday night. Then getting an oil change yesterday. I knit some more on it today back at Mrs. T's house. Then finished it tonight here at home. I love that my knitting is done in so many places. And people always want to know what I'm knitting. And I love talking to people.

So I just wanted to share my excitement for knitting. I am not the best knitter. Or a fast knitter. But I love knitting. And I hope everyone does what they love doing. It really makes a difference.

My new toy

 Last week, my brother got bored and was looking for something to do. So he got to looking up plans for pottery wheels. Found one in an old Mother Earth News site. Went and got all the lumber and bolts and screws and stuff. Came over Saturday and he and my husband went to work. It was COLD here Saturday too! They worked ALL day on this. It is solid too.! This baby ain't going anywhere.

So this is it. All the metal frame is gone and it's all wood now. That's the seat on the left that we came up with. I have to swing my left leg all the way around to get in. We have to come up with another seat.

But for now, it works! And I love it! It is slow enough so I can do a better job. With the electric wheel, I seem to go too fast. I do everything too fast really. So this will be good for me. I had to try it out right away. So I made a little bowl. I was a little worried I'd be covered in clay when I was finished, but surprisingly I only got a little tiny bit on my pants. The electric wheels have a tray that goes around the wheel to catch water and clay while spinning. This one does not. I didn't use very much water at all on this bowl. But I am usually covered in clay when I leave the studio.

The first piece of pottery made here at Outback Farm!!! I will start signing them Outback Farm now. I just love it and am so excited to have my very own wheel! No telling where this will lead. I hope to be able to sell pottery at the markets soon.

While I was at Mrs. T's Sunday, hubby put this rail up and called it my tea holder. He's so sweet. Plus I was afraid I'd fall off the porch. I need another on the front now.

My classes will be over this week. Tonight is the glazing class but I signed up for a 6 week sewing class which starts tonight. Like I need more to do. So they said I can go to the Thursday class and do my glazing then. I will become a member there so I can bring in all the things I make here to be fired and glazed there. I bought more clay yesterday, so I have a little time today to play with the wheel and clay. So fun!