Getting stung on the lip sucks	Beekeeping
[18-May-2013] It doesnt hurt much bit swells and is really in the way. Argent swarmed since last week. I went to split it today and a lot of bees are missing. Sold a nuc as a package, combined the frame from the nuc with Argent so the brood will get raised.

Potatoes	Plants
[14-May-2013] Dug up the first potatoes yesterday. There are a lot of them but they are small. Need to let them grow a while more. There were Red Pontiac, nice and firm and white. Seemed to do very well. Still only 1 layer however. Im just not going to get multiple layers of potatoes.

The orange tree will live

Plants, Beekeeping

[21-Apr-2013] The orange tree finally has new growth, and signs it will bloom. Most the leaves are still yellow but that is a good sign. Planted a native azalea and two butterfly bushes in the beeyard for a future windscreen form the north. Filled in the strawberry beds, picked 2 also. There are about 10 apples on one of the trees out front. Did not move the back mayhaw. The reason nothing will grow there is it doesnt get enough light. I'm going to move the rear mayhaw to the wild flower bed, but had to kil and ant bed first. Killed the queen in Bend. She just wasnt producing. The hive is getting weaker and weaker. Put a full from of eggs from chevron in the hive so they will raise a better queen.

Laying workers

Beekeeping

[27-Mar-2013] Was going to combine Brown Annulet with Blue Triangle today since one had no queen and the other was very weak. Went into Brown Annulet and did not see any queen cells like remembered. Did see lots of cells with multiple eggs which means laying workers. Went back and looked at my notes. Dumped all the bees out of Brown Annulet across the yard, let the field workers come back and took it to Leslies to merge with the other hive. The Queen cells were in Red Lozenge. Checked it too. Decided it was drawn enough to put in a full size hive. Transfered everything and cut out all the queen cells. Now down to 3 hive and 2 nucs.

Queens

Beekeeping

[19-Mar-2013] Checked queens in the rest of the hives. Orange billet (the swarm) is laying already. She looks fat and like the OHB queens she probably came from. Argent has a queen, saw her tail but not her back so not 100% sure its the VSH one but at least it has one. Blue triangle accepted the VSH queen. All hives need real comb. Argent seems to be bringing in nectar but not drawing a lot of comb. Also need wax comb. The little that is drawn in the nucs is drawn sideways on the plastic.

Misc wildflowers	Photos
[19-Mar-2013] A bunch of photos of wild flowers and butterflies from the past year. Some are my house, some are nearby some are at the St. Marks butterfly festival (2012/10/27).

Ft. Matanzas again	Forts
[19-Mar-2013] Since it was just up the road from Bee college went to Ft. Matanzas again. got there just in time to catch the boat. Ended up with 5 tickets. Guy at the desk gave me 2 for no reason, and a couple with a baby handed me theirs to give to the ranger as the decided not to go at the dock. Messed up the Rangers count majorly.

New Queens

Beekeeping, Beekeeping

[19-Mar-2013] Checked on the queens for 3 hives today. Bend, Red lozenge and Brown annulet all seemed to be accepted. Brown annulets one was not out of the cage. Foolishly I tried to open the cage and let her out. Standing 5 feet away. She flew. No idea if she went back to the open hive or not. Took photos of the two that I know are there. Tonight I will check on the hives at Leslies and add some photos of them.

Yearly Photos	Photos, House
[19-Mar-2013] Forgot to take photos Friday, and Sat, remembered Sunday after dark. Took the yearly photos Monday (3/18). I dont think much changed this year. The back of the house is clear of the pots because of the insurance company. Orange tree moved, same reason. Did add a pond for the bees. Its an early spring again. Apple trees have finished flowering.