Just a Quick Post

We are still kind of in a holding pattern around here waiting for spring to really arrive.  We've had a few nice days, but in general, it has stayed pretty wintry.  We have had lows in the 20's over night many nights, and even a covering of snow last week.  However, the forecast is calling for 60's today (and we have bright sunshine) and a warming trend continuing through the weekend.  I have no plans for the weekend, but I do need to work on my beehives and I think it may be about time to get the deck furniture out of the barn. 

I peeked into the  top of the right hand hive yesterday  morning and the feeder jars are empty, which is fine because we don't want sugar syrup mixed in with the lovely wildflower honey that I hope to have to harvest in June.  It was sunny, but quite cool, so the bees were not yet out and about and I can quickly lift the lid and look inside where I have quart jar feeders on top of the inner cover.  So I need to get those off the hives and give each hive another box of drawn comb.  

Grover and I attended an all day handling seminar last Friday in Huntington WV.  We drove down Thursday evening in a steady drizzly  rain.  I was delighted, despite the rain, that I-77 between Parkersburg and Charleston seems to have been lined with redbud trees, and they were all in bloom.  It made a dreary drive a little less so.  

The seminar was a lot of fun.  It did make me feel like I still am such a novice.  The instructor was very entertaining and  extremely knowledgeable.  I hope I will be able to put some of what she taught to use because I think it will only help me to be clearer in what I want Grover to do.  

Sam got my A-frame set up and I have sent Grover over it a few times.  The last few times I have taken him out to practice, though, it has been incredibly windy and we have not stayed out long.  My wing jumps keep blowing over.  We do have an upcoming trial next week.  It is a 3 day trial in Zanesville and will be the last one held there until September.  

Last week I said something to Sam about tearing down some of the fence in front of the garage, between the driveway and where my agility stuff is.  I came home from work the next day and he had already started.  This was fence we put up in 1999 when we got our first alpacas and many of the boards were broken and the wire behind the boards was very rusted.  This will make the area much easier to mow.  The rest of the fence will stay up, so I still have fencing around my agility practice area.  I just can't see us ever having to use this area for pasturing animals again.

 I started a lightweight lacy sweater, which I hope to have finished before we travel to Oregon for Ian and Michelle's wedding, which is less than 2 months away.  I think Oregon in early June is likely to have some variable weather so this will make a nice layering piece.  Here is a link to what it will look like when finished:
Lacy cardigan

I need to get some new rugs on my loom.  I may start working on that yet this afternoon.