Happy New Year

As I sit here, with a hot coffee in my cold hands, I am glad I don't really have to go outside anymore today. The last couple days has been cold and I hope our bees are keeping warm all clustered together in their house.
As the year is winding down, i reflect on what a year it was.  It was a year of ups and downs. Last winter was a long one that didn't ever seem to want to end. But it did and everything after that was a blurr.  Once it warmed up, it stayed hot and dry. BC seen one of the worst forest fire seasons in years. Highways were closed, 1000 of people was evacuated and we had smoke like you wouldn't believe.

Crazy smokey morning

But the Bees handled the smoke like little troopers. They continued to pull in pollen and nectar even though some days you could hardly see across the field. The days were also very hot and dry and it occurred to me (with my vast knowledge of beekeeping hahaha) that the amount of honey could be low because of the nectar drying up. . But we managed to get a decent amount of honey. We also have lots of honey to give back to the bees in the spring.

In September, our local Wannabee beekeepers club, decided to come to the motel and have a pot luck bbq and have our meeting next to the bee yard. It was a splendid evening. Good food and  great conversation. I am so thankful for our club, i have learned so much from them.

Sadly we went into winter with only 2 out of our 4 hives. Sad as it was to lose some, i always learn so much. And this time it  was no different.

So whats new for 2018
I have signed up for a Webinar in late Feb, put on by the Ministry of Agriculture. I am really hoping i am able to attend it and not cleaning endless rooms.
Big plans are in the works in hopes of the motel sale going thru and moving back to our home in Dome. We have purchased a good electric fencer, solar panels and have decided on which building we have, will be the new bee workshop.
I have ordered a nuc and all going well our bees will survive the winter and perhaps be able to split one of them in June.
I have also purchased a "new to us" electric 4 frame extractor. Im really excited about trying it out.
So keep your fingers crossed, the motel sells, and we get to retire and move back home.
Riverside Apiary will be officially up and running and i will be able to spend more time with my bees.

Happy New Year everyone.