Weird Weather

This has been a strange year!   One of our almond trees (the one that produces the best almonds!) is in full blossom. I am afraid that means no nuts next year although the bees are flying on good days.   The bees are another worry, I dont think they will be in hybernation yet and that means they will still be breeding, eating too much honey and I am unable to give them the ususal treatment against Veroa.

Splitting logs

Luca our HelpX volunteer splitting logs

Young cockerels for sale

Want to rear your own Sunday lunch and know its had a happy life?
Young free range cockerels (heavy breeds) over 12 week old 50p each hatched by our own broody hens

Mum with Chicks enjoy an ants nest

Swarm in the apricot tree

2 swarms and 3 casts (small swarms) in the last 2 days (warm at last!)

A nice big one in our apricot tree

on a ladder

shaking them into a basket

on the ground

First Spring Chicks

Proud mum with 7 chicks

Apricots full of bloom

Our apricot trees are full of bloom but it has been so cold here lately that there haven't been many bees in evidence, they seen to prefer the almonds when it is warm enough for them to be out!

Happy Eostra

Happy Eostra everyone (Pagans had it first!)

A Busy Spring with Green Politics

This year I am juggling my usual spring activities of sowing seeds and planting out with politics as I am standing in the general election for the Green Party.
If you are interested in this politics stuff you can see our election leaflet at
http://www.ecodiy.org/clactonflier.pdf

And now a bit of politics!

The Moral vacuum that is Capitalist consumerism.

The messages of our culture: 

 All that matters is the profit margin

• ·         Growth in GDP is the main objective
• ·         Large business only responsibility is to make a profit for their shareholders
• ·         Paying as little tax as possible is ok
• ·         Success in life is making loads of money

What we don’t often hear:

• ·         Employers have a responsibility to their employers
• ·         Everyone deserves a wage enough to live on
• ·         I don’t need so much income to be happy
• ·         What can I do to improve my local community and environment
• ·         I know my neighbours and help them out when they need it

      How can we change this?

More Batteries for our Solar system

I have added the old batteries from our electric car (we replaced the batteries recently) to our solar system.
What a huge improvement!! The old electric car batteries (Lithium Iron) are 5 years old but they are streets ahead of out old deep cycle lead acid set.  The new system capacity is much greater and will enable us to run our house into the evening on stored solar power.

New gate from our wood

I have finally finished our new gate, made from chestnut from our wood and planked with a chainsaw mill.

The cut pieces immediately turned into bananas!

The bees flying well today and gathering pollen (13th January)