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my first honey harvest went great (i think—not really sure what i'm doing).
joan helped, and it was so much easier to handle the boxes/frames together (though i'm sorry to say, some bees still got smooshed). we only collected three and a half frames (yielding 14 small jars of honey), but we'll do another round soon, and that will be it for this first year of beekeeping! the bees will need the rest of the honey in the hive to get them through the winter. i hope the
bees make it through. i only have one hive, and a lot
of beekeepers lost about half their hives last winter.
we used the crush and strain method (instead of the centrifugal extractor thing) since we are just doing small batches. (thanks for the tip, jean.) there was very little crushing though. more straining. i'm hoping we didn't add too much uncapped honey. apparently the honey can ferment if one includes too much uncapped honey. (honey is deemed done when it's been capped/sealed by the bees. it has then reached the right water content.)
the honey will be called sötnos honey. sötnos is a Swedish endearment that means sweet nose. label coming soon.
pastel pinky
espresso float (again)
sea music festival at hyde st. pier
also went on a fun field trip to point reyes with lady friends last weekend when it was HOT. ate the requisite dunbar at bovine bakery, wandered around, went to limantour beach, and made it back to berkeley for an early dinner at saul's deli. unplanned, relaxing, and fun.
every bend, corner, path, and field at philo apple farm is like a storybook. gorgeous. i'm sure it has required plenty of blood, sweat, tears, and thoughtfulness, resources, and family to make it what it is, but as a guest it feels like one is in an easy dream.
laurel and i attended a farm dinner there, with mostly anderson valley locals, and complete with live music. we played ping pong on a cracked and lovely colored table, while lefty the dog herded the ping pong table and us at breakneck speed, to the point of his being drenched and our having to stop out of concern for him. we enjoyed the incredible view of the farm from our room above the kitchen. the next day we ate biscuits and yogurt with philo apple farm jam. then we walked among the redwoods in hendy woods state park and checked out the very—sadly—piddly navarro river, which is dried up in parts due to the drought. and we brought apples and tomatoes and jam and apple vinegar home with us. all around yum.
