We are in that time of year when there is not much 
naturally occurring nutrition available for our animals.


As you can see in this picture our front pasture is dry and barren.
Yet, every day the horses love to go out and forage.
They find precious little to eat out there,
but it is a change of scenery and it satisfies them.
Plenty of hay keeps them satisfied through these grey months.

We have had a spell of unseasonably warm weather this past week.
The bees, whose hive we winterized in November,
have been out and about looking for food.


Usually at this time of year they are huddled together inside their hive
keeping warm
and surviving on their stores of honey.
The average life span for a worker bee is about 6 weeks,
however during the winter months it can be much longer.
This is due, in part, to the fact that they spend all winter inside their hive.


So, you see...during warm spells like this when they come out and fly around,
they exert a lot of energy looking for food...
which actually shortens their winter lifespan.

Winters like this can be just as bad for the health of the hive as harsh winters.
We count on the bees living through the winter so that they can repopulate the hive in the Spring.
If they are out and about like they have been lately, we run the risk of them dying before Spring's arrival.

The only green area on the farm right now is the land around the old
log cabin.


The cabin is built on top of a spring.
That spring keeps the surrounding grass green and lush
for much of the winter.


This spring provides constant fresh water for our duck pond.
Originally it provided fresh (indoor) water for the inhabitants of the cabin.


Even with the obvious lack of vegetation,
Ginger and Maryann still enjoy their daily trips outdoors.



Even more than that, though, they love running back to the barn
for their afternoon meal!


Comments

Our dry winter is getting pretty concerning for our wells. And I expect the price of hay to go up again. A bale of orchard grass is already $22. Good thing my mini donkeys don't eat too much compared to a horse, but they sure would like some grass out on the property for grazing.
Anonymous said…
Is the floor of the cabin rotted out? I would think all the moisture running beneath it would destroy it? But it certainly looks neat!
Bee Haven Bev said…
Nope, the original floor is still in that cabin. It was inhabited right up until the mid 1960's!! Solid construction. If you look at the door to the spring house, it is open slats...allowing air flow...decreasing the overall moisture content of the air.
Junebug said…
Another fun day on the farm! Love that old cabin - guest house someday? Have a great day!
Country Gal said…
I just love the cabin so much history! Awesome photos ! We have a mix of green and brown grass as well! Hope your bees do ok during this weid winter we all seem to be having ! Gota love the piggies and ponies. Have a great day !
same weather here, weird. Just loving those pigs!!... husband still saying NO MORE ANIMALS!... but they would be so darn cute here. Are these two just pets or do you have a different plan for them, like breeding or eating (gasp).
Unknown said…
I love those two...I've been dreaming of a little miniature piglet!
We have a game we plan here called 'hide the hay'. We put a few flakes here and there, and along the tree line of the pasture. The horses get so excited when they find it. Plus gives them something to do in the pasture all day instead of finding a way out of the fence.
This N That said…
Last weekend when it was warm, I was out in the garden with bees and flies buzzing around...I think winter is "just around the corner"....50 today below freezing tomorrow..possible snow showers..go figure..
This N That said…
Last weekend when it was warm, I was out in the garden with bees and flies buzzing around...I think winter is "just around the corner"....50 today below freezing tomorrow..possible snow showers..go figure..
Evelyn said…
Hi Bev, just loved the video in the last post all that oinking and snuffling too cute!. We are having a weird summer here around 20 degrees celsius normally 35 by now, although we have plenty of green grass for everyone.