Amazingly busy time of the year. I'm down to a single hive which is doing very well...knock on wood. I've ordered four new colonies and I'm
going to have to pay closer attention. It makes me wonder how people do it with hundreds of hives. I guess they have extra queens and colonies all ready to slip into service if something goes wrong. I took the hives apart yesterday and cleaned them out. I got lots of honey and comb and tried melting down some wax. I wasn't very successful.
We have a new baby goat and should have at least two more within a week. We had twins a 
couple of weeks ago but one of them died, in spite of our best efforts. They were born while the weather was still pretty nippy and I think it was mostly exposure. As was the case last year with the other set of twins, she died in my arms. I hate that feeling of holding something as its life slips out of it.I've gotten a bunch of new grapevines in during the past couple of weeks. I've shortened the goat
pen and am making a regular little vineyard, much more organized than my usual style. I'm using rebar arches for support but the cover or roof will be flat. I've pruned everything down to about 3 buds for the roots to grow strong and will be a fairly diligent pruner that way for the next couple of years. So no great amount of fruit for awhile.
I'm also trying my hand at soap, so to speak. I'm experimenting with various oils and such but my primary ingredients are honey and goats milk. I've made three batches, each different than the others, and am learning, hopefully, from my mistakes.
Finally, I'm getting to be a little more active. Today I went on a 20 mile bike ride with my son
and then on a 4+ mile hike with my pooches. My foot still aches from the December surgery but I'm hoping it's getting better. The puppies have grown. The one we kept is almost as large as her mother.
