notes from the insane asylum

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Harry
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

Post by Harry »

Also on the new stuff we took up Kayaking this year, its been a lot of fun and we spent 3 days last month at Courtright Reservoir at 8200 ft elevation.
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I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
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latzanimal
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

Post by latzanimal »

Glad to hear all is well Harry.
cae2100
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

Post by cae2100 »

Cool stuff harry, my uncle raises bees also and it's quite interesting the whole process that he goes through with his hives. Do you guys have much trouble out there with mites, since I know it does affect the spread a little bit depending on heat and humidity levels. My uncle has genetically modified bees so the mites dont like them and if any gets on them, they just brush them off at the entrance of the hives rather than taking them into the hives. He still does use oxalic acid once in a while, but the hives are much more resistant to getting the mites in the first place.

You defenitely couldnt get me in a kayak, one of those things flip over and I'd be done for good. It's hard enough to get me in the canoe that we have, lol.
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Jammer
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

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I used to have bees back in the 80's. I got a lot of honey and still have several pounds of wax. The little tracheal mite was bad back then and took my hives over one winter. I was actually the county bee inspector for a few years. Mostly looking for foul brood, ended up burning several hive around the county.
quando omni flunkus moritati 8-)
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Harry
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

Post by Harry »

Life is good Latz, we have a new neighbor trying to make a go out here, young couple from Venezuela who are some of the nicest people you could meet. Have been doing what I can to help them scratch out a place. He is the singer for a Progressive Metal band and does a lot of videography along with zoom music lessons. Really interesting what you can do these days. Also continuing to plant and tend our property. I put a small orchard in this fall of a couple dozen fruit trees in the garden by the apiary.

We are just learning on the bees, havent seen any sign of mites yet.

The Kayaks we have are the sit on top type Cae, mine is tippy as hell so I got these training wheel outrigger pontoons things for it and it keeps me upright. I paddled all the way to the far end of that lake, about two miles. Unfortunately the wind came up and I had to fight the whole way back through some 2 foot wake into the wind.

Man, that would suck having to burn hives Jammer but that is cool you were that involved. What made you get out? We are investing big in that, I spent like $500 on a nice extractor and set them up in nice boxes. With the few times we have inspected them so far I am guessing I can do 4 or 5 hives pretty easily by myself and if the Wife stays on board with it we could do 3 or 4 times that many. If we could keep 20 hives thats a ton of honey a year which could make for a nice extra retirement income. Honey at $8 lb isnt unreasonable but value added by turning it into Mead can make it more like $30 a lb just by bumping it up to 18% or so ABV ;-)
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
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Jammer
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

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Mostly my health, plus we moved to a smaller place. I thought I would get a couple hives but never did. I would get about 200 pounds of honey a year and had an Amish man that would buy 5 gallons at a time. It was less than $2 a pound then but still good money. I've made some mead and Melomel with some spice and fruit juice.
quando omni flunkus moritati 8-)
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Harry
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

Post by Harry »

I have made mead and still have a couple gallons that is a couple years old now. Looking forward to making some with our own honey.

My wife has gone into this dye sublimation stuff in a big way and is making all kinds of cool stuff. I have been busy with all around here and added a woodlot this year.

I decided around xMas time I wanted to try log carving, well you need good logs for that so I bought 5 truckloads and of course most of it is only fir for firewood so here I am splitting wood and hawking cords to pick and choose my logs. Also got set up with an Alaskan chainsaw mill and making rough lumber for livestock pens and other projects.

Going to bring in a couple 800 lb steers in the next couple weeks and make beef for myself and family then will do hogs this fall in the pen. I have half a hog a friend is raising going to be ready next month. Need to do a run of chickens this summer to fill the freezer back up with them.

Everything I have been doing here from the planting orchards, gardens and raising animals is all about being able to eat the best even when our income drops into retirement mode. Wife just made Lieutenant so she is kicking ass at work and making for that old age check when she retires.
I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints the sinners are much more fun...
Muller
mite5255
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

Post by mite5255 »

I get a few beers at the end of each day, so life is good, we have, as a family, we have dealt with covid, no one has been really sick that we know of around here, some people that I know that have been vacated have got covid but it was mild, the big worry is the people that I know that for health reasons cannot get vacated
When life gets tough, remember: You were the strongest sperm :)
latzanimal
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

Post by latzanimal »

All is well here. Fourth grandchild born Monday morning. My 15 yr old son decided he wanted to play drums this last fall, just like his dad. Wife is busier than a one legged man at work (she's a nurse). Otherwise, all good here.
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Jammer
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Re: notes from the insane asylum

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We're kind of settled into our house. Still doing some remodeling, just need to finish the bathroom and back hallway and we'll be done. Who am I kidding, the wife will find a dozen more things to change.
quando omni flunkus moritati 8-)
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