It’s currently a balmy nine degrees here, with a real-feel of death. The dog hasn’t been outside without a hat in weeks, and her favorite new game is make mom stand out there with her to keep it over her ears, while taking extra time to find the perfect spot in all of the snow.
Even so, I’ve been planning where to put what in the back yard. I am nearly done making a Warre beehive, and have the perfect area in mind for one or two hives. No, there is no paint inside the bee space of this one.
This wasn’t too hard to put together with lumber from the cheap bin at Menard’s, and a 4 1/2″ circular saw. Don’t laugh like I did when learning that such a tool exists. It’s very easy to handle, and cuts well. I think it will be best to put this on a couple of cedar rails over cinder blocks, for stability.
I’ll try my hand at either attracting or capturing a swarm this year. And maybe next, if that doesn’t work out. Buying bees might not seem like a bad option the year after that, and time will tell.
Outside, the snow is piled to the top of my head. Inside, it’s tomato and pepper-planting time. Yes!
More on the Way 
Tomatoes and Peppers
Newspaper pots with three kinds of peppers and two kinds of tomatoes. Some are heirloom, but I can’t resist some of the colorful hybrids. All are organic. Another six to ten inches of snow is on the way, but so is a slight warm-up. That might be my chance to get the hoop houses up on the raised beds. It gets the soil ready for planting earlier.
Last weekend, not a roof rake could be found at the local hardware stores. They sold out during that snowfall. But spring is right around the corner, and soon there will be greenery to match the extra daylight. Or at least bare ground.
