Now with even more bees

There’s been plenty going on here in South Georgia this week.  A friend from the frozen north decided that the frightful weather was hurting the bees he would be sending to California for almond pollination and sent a couple of truckloads of them here for six weeks of basking in the Georgia sun.  We’ve had beautiful weather, mostly in the high seventies and the maples have bloomed early making for a big winter boost for bees.  Fortunately the day the bees came was frosty and never got over 50F so moving them was pretty easy, at least as easy as bee moving ever is.

A couple of weeks ago I’d heard a rumor of a bear in our woods but thoroughly discounted it as local fabulosity.  Not so!  One of the yards we looked at while setting out the new bees had been visited by a bear and bashed up a bit.  So driving all through the woods to look at the others to see where else he’d been took some more time (only one other yard got hit).  An old-timer once told me that bears here are mostly in transit from Okefenokee to Penholloway Swamp and I believe that.  This high sand ridge doesn’t have enough forage to support bears and the crowds of hunters that lease the land would be discouraging to any critter.  Hopefully this one is gone and won’t be back.

Just about the only benefit associated with Ellen’s job that hasn’t been eliminated in ongoing cost cutting is the Xmas turkey and I cured it and smoked it with some success the day after Christmas.  Seven hours at 150F over oak gave it a delicate smoke flavor that balanced with the honey/salt cure really well.  I didn’t leave the gravy out this time in case of more owls (see previous entries).  The cat has been leaving the owls alone and concentrating on flying squirrels (again, see below).  One of them I did catch in my pajamas, it ran right up my leg until my jumping up and down and yelping got it out again when I grabbed it and let it go outside.  He brought another one in last night and I let him eat it because we suspect that he’d been catching the same one over and over and they were developing a dysfunctional relationship.

Yesterday I spent covered with hydraulic oil trying to fix the Bobcat.  It required contortions and the usual knuckle busting and wasn’t exactly fun but the beautiful sunshine, flocks of bluebirds and waxwings and warm gentle breezes made it better than it could have been.  I actually may be able to fix it.  I hope 10W30 is good for one’s youthful complexion because I’ve been soaking in it.