My pal Lorraine came over the other day to help me inspect the hives and to see if I actually managed to start a second one.  You’ll recall I forgot one frame of brood after reversing the hives, so decided to try and start a new one using that frame.  I also noticed a queen cell on the lid of the old hive so stuck that on top and hoped for the best.

As soon as we inspected it we could see a lot of drone brood but no queen.  So Lorraine inspected the large hive, which is really healthy, and from there she selected another frame of brood and moved it into the new hive.  She said we just have to keep doing that until eventually they give in and make a new queen.

An easier way to do it would be to pay $35 for a queen and just throw her in there but that’s not my style of beekeeping.  I said to Lorraine in the wild they make a queen as no one introduces one for them, so that’s what’s going to be the Hall Road beekeeping style: all natural.

And speaking of ‘au naturel’ I was recently in Osoyoos as Gerry’s son David came to visit from Virginia.  He brought his lovely new girlfriend with him, and she’s a super nice person and we all got along beautifully.

Mom had told us our canoe had gotten away during the recent floods and a neighbour had called to say she had rescued it for us.  David said he’d like to paddle the canoe home so I said let’s go and walk down to their place and see if the paddles are there, and if not new ones have to be bought.

The three of us sauntered down to the house, and were greeted warmly as they’re long time Osoyoos residents.  They keep their yard and lawn as well as their house in a casual, natural manner.  I suppose their lifestyle might be described by some as Bohemian.

We visited briefly and then left to walk on the road beside the length of hedge which obscures their house.  As we walked by one of them said “that was weird.”  And we enjoyed that comment all the way home as one always thinks the other person is the odd one.

The garden remains as mentally challenging as ever.  Some of the dahlias are coming up, and some aren’t, which is annoying.  The fig tree’s spindly and I think needs a good pruning.  Ditto with the poor apricot which leans to one side and this year is laden with apricots so will likely break at some point.

I was digging in the lower garden and was suddenly swarmed by those small, black, ground dwelling wasps.  I was stung on my upper thigh and ran for the house as fast as my fat little legs could get me there.  They’re so vicious they’ll follow for quite a while.

And then due to the flooding we have an awful lot of large mosquitoes about.  I can barely do one stationary job without being swarmed.  If I have to tie up a rose bush branch and it takes more than 30 seconds I have a dozen on my arms.

But I can take a hint and use that as the signal it’s time to come in and have a cocktail.