What do bee keepers do when bees are snow bound?

Answer, well of course they clean their fish tank, ok absolutely nothing to do with bees, but it's been a slow old day, not ventured outside other than to get a puncture fixed, ok a new tyre! And this was my therapy, pre clean and post clean.

The devils brew :)

The mix has been taken, one tea spoon each of the black molasses sugar, aspinals organic cider vinegar and lastly but not least my honey, it looks a strangely disconcerting mix in the bottom of my mug.

Adding half a cup of boiled water and it's looking like that old football half time favourite of bovril, I can't remember the last time I drank that, but I do know this tastes nothing like it! The rich smell of honey hits the senses first, followed by the sweetest tasting hot drink I have ever had, no sign of the cider vinegar in that!

I first gave the tonic ingredients to Paul back in the summer as we walked around the boundary of "The Field of Dreams" one Saturday afternoon, four days later his text read something along the lines of, "your cure, f*****g awesome", so fingers crossed will be back later in week with a positive update :)

Another first I'm sitting on train doing my first mobile update! Photos won't load, that will have to be later.

Molasses, cider vinegar and honey

Some might remember my cure for gout, well don't think I have it, but big toe on right foot playing up so decided time to test it out.

Didn't find dark molasses but have it on good advice from Paul Miller that the sugar version does the trick.

So first dose tomorrow morning, all is ready on the kitchen side to remind me.

Watch this space, who knows it might just work.

Bee Rescue

Well another snow storm and the bees are covered up, popped out and uncovered the entrance so could fit the snow porch. Plenty of dead bees inside, but will leave them bee until weather improves, never good to open hive when it's like this, they are usually ok, they can keep hive at 25 deg, so can do without me opening it up and letting all that heat out.

Maybe their energy can be harnessed to solve world's energy problem? :)

One kamakazi bee did decide to fly in -1 deg but she just flew into a snow drift, tried to get her to go back into the hive, but you know what these women are like! :)

Snow again

Just gone midnight and the snow is falling heavy, was it only a year ago that the same was happening and I was making igloo entrances for my ladies and when it thawed out all those dead bees with me thinking that I had lost my colony! A bit more relaxed this time around, they will be fine, but will pop out in morning and fit the snow canopy, too late now, bedtime for me and not the weather for creeping out into the garden in my boxers either!