Getting back to normal

Today was the first weekend for a couple of months when I had no calls on my time. Time was my own. That is not to say I did not have lots to do. It was very clear last night and I thought we might have a frost. I woke up to a breezy morning and a bright blue sky. You can tell the year is turning. Although the sun was up it lacked the power of a month ago. I decided that I would see the bees today to harvest the honey crop. I have been tussling with how to feed the bees. It is an exchange. The bees make lots of honey, more than enough to see themselves through the winter. I take some of it and in return I feed back sugar. The question is what form is the sugar to take. There essentially two forms to feed bees with, syrup or fondant. Syrup is liquid but it stimulates the bees to start the Queen laying. Not a good thing leading into the winter. The other form is fondant. The trouble is that I have never made fondant. I had a go at making it this morning. One part water to four parts sugar plus a quarter teaspoon of vinegar. Boiled up to 230 degrees and allowed to cool. Whilst it is cooling it has to whisked until it turns white. Boiling hot sugar does not cool down quickly. I put half the mixture in the food processor and set it running. The remainder stayed in the jam pan. That cooled down quicker especially since I had put it outside. I whisked it by hand and as it cooled it turned white. I poured the cooling mixture into greaseproof paper lined trays. Eventually the mixture in the mixer began to cool and solidify. I put the trays outside. When the trays were completely cold the mixture was firm like cheese, in fact it was fondant.

Whilst the fondant was cooling I loaded up the car with my bee fettling gear. I took a run over to Swad to pick up some items from the bike shop. By the time I got back the fondant was ready to go. I had a brew and went to see the bees. The heavy rain of the week had not made the tracks to the apiary impassable. The clearer boards I put in last week had done there job. I snaffled the supers and put them in the car. The then put the ekes [ekes are spacers], I had made during the week, on the hive then placed the fondant on the top bars of the frames, replaced the crown board and tidied up. Before I put the roofs on a I had a peek under the crown boards. The fondant was covered with bees. I put the roofs and came away content.

A had another brew when I came home, took the bee gear out of the car and replaced it with the lottie gear. I had the lottie to myself. It was quite warm. I raked off the bed I had prepared in Bed 2 last week. I planted 50 Radar, white onion sets, and a dozen Shallots [Jermor]. Next I dug up the Caulis that had gone over and weeded the area. I tipped three barrow loads of manure on the area and dug it in. I have some chicken pellets I am trying the use up so I threw a couple handfuls of the pellets about before raking the area flat. The soil is in smashing condition. In to the area I planted 30 Garlic [Marco] cloves. These will form a divider in the bed. The area of the bed below the Garlic will be Onions related crops and above it root crops.

I checked the grapes and they looked great. The weather is due to turn cold this week so I expect I will have to harvest the grapes next week.

I had a little time left so I dug up a row of the main crop spuds, Cara. They are fantastic, large and blight free. The soil dug nicely if a little damp. The row filled one of my storage trays. I got a bucket of water from the trough and washed the spuds before putting them back in the tray and loading the car. I cut the last of Gladioli for H and came home. I pulled a few cobs of Sweet Corn for tea.

H and I went of to Coalville to get the makings for Sloe Gin and Lemoncello. Aldi have cheap spirits. Whilst H made tea [The northern meal] I zested 20 lemons. After tea I finished the first part of lemoncello which involves soaking lemon zest and lemon juice in Vodka. That finished I cleaned up the Sloes Steve had given me. I put the Sloes with equal amount of sugar in a demi-john and topped it up with Gin. That is Christmas sorted.

Aldi has an odd selection of products. It's like going to the super-market on holiday. Kind of the same but different. In the clearance bins was cycling gear. Smart performance long legged, fitted trousers. Merino wool, yes Merino wool jersey and long fingered gloves with gel palms. All these items plus a lights set came to bearly £20. I tried the stuff on when we got home. It fits really well. I hoping to have a spin out to try the stuff out.