Busy as Bees

The weather over the past few days has been simply splendid. Sunshine, temperatures in the 50's and 60's. . . calm winds and puffy clouds.

We worked outdoors for much of today. . . we're inching our way towards finishing up our pre-winter projects, but it would help if this fabulous weather would hold out for a little while longer. :-)

But then again, weather like this in November could go on forever, as far as I'm concerned. :-)

"Exclusively Etsy"

Don't miss the January/February 2010 issue of Hobby Farm Home magazine. Samantha's article, "Exclusively Etsy" appears in this issue. Check it out! :-)

Autumn Leaves

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.

The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy,

While cares will drop off like autumn leaves."

-John Muir

Candy Boards

Today we had a very important project to undertake: making candy boards for the bee hives.

What, you may ask, are candy boards? Excellent question! Candy boards provide food for our bees during the winter, so that our colonies can survive through the harsh winter months.

While making candy boards isn't a quick process, it is relatively simple. A mixture of sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar is heated and prepared, and then poured into wooden frames, as you can see in the photo below:

When the mixture hardens, it turns white, and then the board can be added to a beehive to provide nourishment for the colony until spring.

All in all, a satisfying project for a Sunday afternoon! :-)

Gorgeous November day!

This was a picture-perfect November day. The sun was shining, the temperatures were in the 60's, and there was a gentle breeze. It's simply delightful to be enjoying this type of wonderful weather in November in northern Wisconsin.



It's a treat!!

It's Here!!!

We're very pleased to say that we've just received the advance copies of our latest book! The Field Guide to Horses (by Daniel Johnson and Samantha Johnson) is scheduled for release in December, and we're really happy with how it turned out. The book contains over 80 breed profiles, and also covers colors, markings, and patterns. There are full-color photographs throughout. You can take a peek inside of the book on Amazon.com

Our Birdbath Runneth Over

There has been so much rain in the recent past that the birdbath in our garden is overflowing. The birds are quite satisfied with the arrangement. :-) We've been seeing large quantities of chickadees and robins.

Countdown to Winter

Things have been busy on the farm. . . busy, busy, busy. For you see, winter is on its way. We are very thankful because it seems to be taking its time in arriving, and we're trying to take advantage of each warm and dry day to finish our pre-winter outdoor chores.

And so today's photo is quite representative of our recent activities: working on fencing. :-)