Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

Watty1

Totally agree with foxgloves. Summer colds are just wrong. Hope you improve quickly.

rtandon27

Feel better soon Mr & Mrs SL - xxx

beanielou

Feel better soon.

Suffolk_lass

Good morning from Mr & Mrs snot-face!

He is still in bed (best place for him) and I am planning a quiet day.

I do need to go to the teaching apiary and feed a colony this morning as they split another colony yesterday.

Also bee related, I stupidly volunteered to wash all the table coverings from the marquee at the County Show - I had not appreciated they all needed ironing. The last few are in the boiler "room"/airing cupboard on my GNU rails, drying the edges before I re-bundle them by tables and sizes and hand them over on Saturday.

I also need to plant up the new ginger mint I bought last week, (a 4 for offer) to reside in the pot that I bought to sit in the decorative chimney, ready to snip it into potatoes and to make "tea"!

Our district president phoned me yesterday evening to express a view that differs from that of the Teaching Apiary manager's (not me, the normal chap) and we agreed a short-term compromise that meets the needs of both of us. Then he offered to help in any way he could. I mentioned my hopes that we could begin a new programme of queen rearing in our district next year, to reduce the number of imported queens that people buy - he is keen to support this. Good. I need to write a proposal.

Money - continues to drift away in respect of the DDs, but I received close to £300 for my honey that our association sold at the County Show, with 20% of the total going to the Association. A good outcome for both of us!

I have also just checked and all my big river subs have been rescheduled so none this month, and, my state pension mays me twice this month (hooray) with the camper needing major service and cam belt change; this is a good thing!

Enough wittering from me - I need to develop a vague meal plan (but as Mr Sl is going away on Thursday, it won't need much planning - egg and potato salad is a popular choice when I am at home on my own! I shall raid the freezer for what I need. Lots in there still.

Suffolk_lass

Oh dear, the colds are getting worse. I am streaming now, having complacently assumed I was less affected than Mr Sl. I have decongestant meds at the ready but frankly, it needs to get to that stage first. Feeling fed up and fuzzy headed.

Meal planning was a pasta and ragu last night, with the leftovers of the ragu layered with lasagne sheets, I just need to make a small white sauce and grate some cheese on top for at least 3 portions (it's quite shallow) so we can have it tomorrow and I shall have the leftovers on Saturday. I only have tonight to feed us both and have defrosted a pair of large chicken thighs - we can have them with new potatoes and salad.

I need to pot on my greenhouse tomato plants which are yet to go in their final pots. Lots of seaweed enriched water added yesterday so maybe not until they have dried out a bit again. There is that point just before they start getting leggy when the roots poke out of the bottom of the pot that is the perfect time. The same applies to my chillies and cucumbers but they are stubbornly not growing like they should (wretched nutrient-free peat-free compost!)

That's enough from me. Purse is staying shut today.

Makingabobor2

Hope you feel better soon. x

Suffolk_lass

You know your husband is not feeling 100% when he postpones his trip by one day. He will still go, and still be away until Sunday afternoon, but now he will go early tomorrow. The forecast between here and North Wales is frankly, grim today. So today is my last opportunity to get some other food in, if I need anything. My limitation is that I shall have small dog in 100% attendance for all of tomorrow and Sunday. Saturday he is going to the friends whose dog we had when they went skiing - which lets me take part in a bee related event.

I need to make ice-cream before next Saturday as I am hosting a dessert course in our modest fundraiser supper (we host one course and visit two other houses for two other courses with different people) - my plan is homemade strawberry ice cream with fresh strawberries and hm ginger biscuits, and a strawberry vodka with prosecco as the drink I serve. That reminds me, I must rummage for hm strawberry vodka…

Nope. I will need to make a bit. I have some SM vodka and vanilla sugar so just the strawberries to buy, oh and cream and eggs for the ice-cream. The ginger biscuits are from stores. I have never made little thin ones before but that is what I want to serve.

Anyway, that is a week away. I have a haircut booked with the barber who cuts both of our hair for £25. Originally just me but Mr Sl may want to join me

Suffolk_lass

Mr Sl is safely ensconced with his tipi tent in a field in Wales, surrounded by "a bunch of fat blokes with bikes, drinking beer and talking rowlocks"; this being how it was described to me when I offered to come with the camper van to make things more comfortable (not this trip, it was several years ago but the description continues to keep me at home, happily pottering). Speaking of which…

I took dog out for his customary circular walk yesterday afternoon, only for a couple to declare that their dog doesn't get on with ours, as ours wagged his tail, approached, had a little sniff and then waited patiently. They obviously recognised him but felt the need to check it was him as he was so quiet and well-behaved (in contrast to normal, I was left wondering?) - then, I took him to the Village Bar, and he quietly said hello to a few people, another of whom expressed surprise at how quiet and well behaved he was being. Hmm.

I emptied the back of the truck - my word, so much rain to remove from (gravel) trays that I sit the bee boxes of frames in, so they don't move around. I may have to reconsider, or bite the bullet and buy a cover of some sort. Anyway, the truck is empty, and ready to go round various other apiaries on a bee safari today with a group of fellow beekeepers (a chance to talk bee rowlocks all day, really) and two of the regional Seasonal Bee Inspectors. I have just made my packed lunch - chicken and lettuce rolls, a treat bag of crisps (!) and a little pot of strawberries. I also crammed an apple in there but I doubt I will eat that too! I have the leftover lasagne for tonight as I anticipate being a bit knackered. Dog can tell something is going on (he is going to his walk-friend's house for the day). He's in sticky limpet mode this morning!

I must get out and fully open the greenhouse for today - I forgot to leave the doors open yesterday and it was lovely and warm but the temperature variations are no good for the veg (other than maybe the chillies!).

Oh, and I jarred up a bucket of honey, that I just need to put my little labels on (for the remaining household that host our bees) and she does her own labels - she is an artist and they are beautiful, with the name of the location, and she gifts them to friends and family - ten jars will help this month's "Save £10k in 2026" challenge

Enough of my ramblings. Have a good weekend everyone!

Watty1

Love the sound of the honey with special labels.

Suffolk_lass

So I really must label the honey and take it round to them.

In the meantime I had a completely miserable time yesterday, inspecting my bees (I didn't, beyond a quick check to ensure queens are present). I had to treat them for the endemic mites that damage them. I know the mite load is high because I didn't cull the drones this spring because I knew they were re-queening and needed drones to mate with, and to help maintain the temperature in the hive when it turned cold. As soon as I removed anything (honey boxes, queen excluders) they were up in my face, pinging off my veil. I was stung on the finger (unprovoked, not squashed) and reduced my intervention to a minimum. When I left that location to go to the next apiary, I evidently had two bees on my suit that joined me in my veiled hood, as when I opened the grumpy hive (with no queen) at the next location, they all threatened me and the two in my hood stung me - throat and neck. I retreated home to take antihistamine and shower to remove every trace of alarm pheromone.

This morning I have been to see the pharmacist who has given me stronger meds, some cream to stop the itching, and advice to mitigate it if it continues. I have a medication review with the GP tomorrow so hey ho.

In the dead zone for money now, but Mr Sl's state pension is due on Friday so I might shop then. In the meantime I shall get out in the garden, I think