Winter Season
If there isn't regular snow cover, it may be necessary to reflood the bogs in January/February to freeze over which protects the vines from the winter elements and also provides recreational skating with my brother, nieces and nephews and their kids. If the bogs are due for sanding, a frozen bog provides a solid surface to spread sand on the bog (see Sanding below). Just roll it out with a sand buggy and let the eventual melt drop the sand to the vines.
- While the vines are hibernating, I'm busy with many tasks in January/February including; Recipe Cook Off - All the recipes collected from customers the prior season are compared by the shop staff and one is selected for the coming year's recipe card provided with fresh cranberry purchases. Ordering & unpacking - Order new supplies including gift boxes, picking pails, bags, shipping materials, and tee shirts and unpacking honey/jam jars and bee supplies. Printing - It's also the season to outsource printing brochures and honey labels while I'm printing the Annie's Crannies Recipe Booklets, Note Cards, recipe cards, shop order forms, and labels for jams, candles, soaps, and honey candy. Repairing bee hives - Another big task is repairing or building new honey supers for the 17-20 bee hives I maintain (see more below).
- Shell cleaning - and polishing local oyster shells for ornaments and clam shells for soap dishes and seashell candles which also require gluing feet on the bottoms to assure a level candle.
- March activities include;
- Gift Boxes - making/stamping 2 and 4 lb Gift Boxes. Candle Making - Melting down the beeswax and pouring into my many molds with the right sized wick and later wrapping in plastic.
- USDA Surveys - completing annual surveys for Bees and Cranberries.
Snow falls on the bogs. Looking north over the South and Ben's bog with the bees snuggling up in their hives.
Skating on the Bog
Niece Holly, Annie, Nephew Todd, Great Nephew Owen, Niece Molly, Curtis, and Tupelo.
Bee Hives In Winter Slumber
Frosty Watches Over Annie's Crannies
Making Beeswax Candles
Beeswax is melted and poured into molds and seashells to make candles.
.jpg "Annie drives sand buggy over frozen bog to spread sand.")
Sanding
Above, Annie drives sanding buggy on frozen bog using ice method.
Repairing Bee Hives
Honey Frames
Building new wax foundations for the old frames or completely new frames. The 17-20 bee hives have 1-4 supers each, and each super has 8-10 frames. You do the math.
.jpg "Annie Painting Honey Supers")
Painting Honey Supers
Painting the supers (sections of each hive). Typically there are 1-4 supers per hive.
.jpg "Annie Completing a Stack of Supers")
Finished Hive Supers
A stack of completed supers which will be added to the hives when the dandelions are in bloom.
