Dinner tonight was…

Tortellini with asparagus, peas and mint.

It was delicious!

My sister (Ellen), her boyfriend (Paul), Adam and Adam’s dad (Brian) and I all went to the zoo today. The weather was amazing and it was a lot of fun. A highlight was a polar bear doing laps in his pool. Not just laps, but a whole routine. He would climb up a partially submerged ramp and then lay back on his back and push off the wall – gliding in the water until he reached the other side and then he would head back to the ramp and do it again and again. So awesome! The elephants were also a highlight and came within meters of us! So cool The pigmy hippos (my favorite) and the regular hippos were fantastic too. Adam did great and was interested in the animals, making his first zoo visit a roaring (get it) success!

Can’t wait to do it again!

 

The swarm

I’ve just come back from the farm and I have some news. Firstly, my parents were able to catch the swarm. They were so excited that it worked! Sadly the feeling didn’t last long as the swarm decided to leave again the following day (much to the disappointment of my parents). But still – they caught them!

Once I got into the hive I could tell that there were no eggs or larvae present. I wasn’t too surprised as I had figured the swarm must have been my bees. But I was happy to see that there were still lots of bees and I was even happier to see that there were queen cells at the bottom of the frames. Everything I’m experiencing as a beekeeper is new so I’m really learning as I go. I was questioning whether the bees left behind when the hive swarms can continue on by making a queen or if they were doomed. I was thrilled to see the queen (or supercedure) cells at the bottom because I knew there was a chance for my hive. After some google research, I found out that the old queen can lay eggs in supercedure cells in preparation for a swarm so that the remaining bees will make a new queen. This is part of how bees propagate their species. This news thrilled me!

So although I know that anything can happen and maybe the queen cells aren’t viable or another problem will arise, I still have hope! I’m planning on leaving the hive alone for a while so that, hopefully, a queen will emerge, take a mating flight and start laying eggs. In the meantime I might look into getting a nuc and starting a second hive (that’s me finally taking the advice that a first time beekeeper should start with two hives).

It’s funny that I was all set to split the hive this weekend, but was obviously taking too long to do it and the bees essentially split themselves. To be honest, this may work out for the best as who knows how successful my split would have been – as I still can’t identify the queen (you know, when there was one)!

Uh Oh

The bees may have swarmed. I got home yesterday to find a message on my answering machine (yes, I have an answering machine) from my mom.

Then I checked my email and found a similar message…

Hi Julie,
I left you a phone message and this is in case you don’t check your messages.
although you still have bees coming and going from your hive there is a big swarm of bees by the neighbours.
If bees swarm does the whole hive go? We are not sure what we should do?
Is there anything we can do with the new beehive you just made?
Love Mom 

Although it’s hard for me to know for sure, my bees most likely have swarmed. I love my parents. Even though this is my hobby, my mom took charge and asked me how to collect the swarm. I told her what to do and then she and my dad took off to the neighbours to try and catch it.

I’m going to call them tonight for a progress report.

Two things may have happened.

1. My hive swarmed and my parents went chasing after the bees.

2. Someone else’s hive swarmed and my parents went chasing after their bees.

Whatever the situation, my parents are learning a new skill. You’ve got to love them

Walking!

Adam started walking right around Easter weekend.

The same weekend where we were putting him in a wheelbarrow because there wasn’t a wagon in sight.

I like to call him my petit prince in this picture.

The same weekend where we bathed him in the new kitchen sink.

Yes, it was around this time that Adam started taking his first few hesitant steps.

And now? Three weeks later and this kid can walk! 

You’re still missed…

I turned on the t.v. today and The Neverending Story II was on. I’ve never really had any desire to watch the sequel even though I’m a complete fan of the first – I grew up on that one!

I only had it on for about a minute, but I wanted to mention it here because this is the scene I caught.

Dying Mother: We’re all part of a neverending story.

Bastian(Jonathan Brandis): We are? Even if we die?

*gulp*

I couldn’t help getting a little emotional over that one. From Ladybugs to Sidekicks to Seaquest, I was a fan.

Jonathan Brandis – you’re still missed.

A Random Act of Kindness

I experienced a random act of kindness today. I was getting ready to get off the subway and had just put my knapsack over my right shoulder and was about to put my left arm through the strap when I felt my bag moving. I looked over my left shoulder in time to see a woman holding my bag who then proceeded to place it over my left shoulder and then untwist the shoulder strap. I instinctively said thank-you, but I have to say it was a little odd as I wasn’t having any difficulty.

Although odd and a truly random act of kindness, I still appreciate there are people in the world willing to help others – even when it’s outside the social norm. Perhaps especially for this reason.

Movie review

I survived the movie last night. I won’t spoil it for you, but I will talk a bit about it so if you’re like me and want to hear absolutely nothing about a movie until you see it then don’t read any further.

My thoughts on Cabin in the Woods.