Starting to plan winter projects (already??)

Every August when you see a few leaves start to turn and fall, you mind jumps ahead to winter. The garden is starting to produce and canning season is in full swing, . The firewood is in the wood house and the chimney is clean. Outside building projects are discussed and ready to get started so they will be completed before winter sets in.

Winter in Northern BC can be long and dark. It can start in mid October but normally waits until mid or late November. For the past 5 years we have wrapped our bees no later than the beginning of November. But I remember doing it in October one year during a early snow storm. I prefer not to do that again.

But its also the time when I start to  plan my winter projects. Things that I want to do for myself....fun stuff.

For the past 7 years I haven't been able to do my leather work and have really missed it. I use to make leather dog leashes, collars, belts and in later years I started making leather and cow hide pillows. But i wanted to try something different but could still incorporate leather.

My machine has been waiting patiently for me for 7 years.

I plan on making aprons. Not frilly light weigh aprons like our Gramas used to wear, but heavy duty cotton fabric work aprons. Aprons that will have some leather and copper rivets on them. I will also be making half aprons as well.  They will be able to be used in the garden, in the workshop or even while working your bees, which is how i came up with the idea. I get so hot in my bee coat and if I could wear a apron with pockets instead, I would be so happy and cool. It would also keep the propolis off my pants. And we all know how hard that is to get off.

Anyways i have already started to stock up on some fabric for them.

They will be similar to this. 

The second winter project I am planning is..... to learn about Queen Rearing.  I want to do a bunch of splits next year and its so hard for me to get queens mailed to me. 

Where we live, we only get mail 3 times a week and chancing getting a queen sent to me is not worth the risk. 

While talking with our bee inspector last month, he said why don't you rear you own. We talked about it for a short time but it long enough to wonder if I could actually do this. I think I can, well at least I can try.  It doesn't cost much to get into it but it does take time and effort and a whole bunch of luck. (mostly with Mother Nature and we know how cantankerous she can be at times)

So, today, I picked up a few items that I will need to rear some queens next year. I am pretty excited about that too.

Grafting tool and queen cell bar

I am a little scared to ask James what winter projects we have to do in the house this year, but I am hoping I will have time to have some fun.

Well, that is enough rambling for now. Enjoy the rest of Summer. I hope everyone is having some fun of your own.