Of Bees and Mushrooms

Annie and the Bee Keeper

The beehive, now

Jeff's bees are really doing well.  I have such high hopes that they will get through the winter, as it is a very (strangely) comforting thing to be working in the garden and hear the low hum of the workers in the hive.  They have filled most of the bottom super, so Jeff was able to put on the next one.  He then put a queen excluder on and a third super which is where the excess honey will be, as I understand it.  Hopefully!! It would be very cool to have honey from them.  We didn't take any last year as we wanted them to have enough to get through the winter.  Since they all died anyway it was only this spring that we got about a half a cup when he cleaned out the hive.  Theoretically we should get lots more than that----but it never was the goal.  Pollination is the reason he wants bees.

Waiting for the elfin folk

Annie found some very large mushrooms when she was here on the weekend.  We called them toadstools, but I don't know if toadstools are one thing and mushrooms are another.  These looked like the kind elfin folk and such like should be living under.  I can just imagine the little doorways into the stems with the insides being fitted with tiny little furniture made out of bark and twigs.  If I was a real scientist, instead of a dreamer, I would go back and look at them to see what happens to them over time.  Real scientists don't think about the elfin folk moving in, do they?
I've started a pair of variegated purple socks for myself.  I want to get all my socks knit for the winter as two pair from previous winters have totally worn out--I have darned and even re-knit bits on them.  Besides, even though I have the shawlette, lace shawl and the kit shawl on the needles, I didn't have any socks going.  I love to have socks to knit up.  Wonder if brownies and elves need socks?