Sheep Smell is Not Baaad!

Our 20-year-old furnace bit the dust today. While we wait for a replacement to come next week, we have the gas fireplaces working hard. I decided to take advantage of the direct heat to make sure our sheep wool is dry before storing it away for the winter. It smells lovely - like a sheep in the house (without the "baaa-ing")!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Another one for the books. It was a busy day at the office, so I was surprised and very pleased to come home to a big birthday celebration. Getting old never felt so good.

Recipe: Date Nut Loaf

Nothing beats warm loaf on a cold day. This recipe is a keeper - though I might have gone a bit rogue adding in figs and silvered almonds.

 

Some Santa for the Drive Home

Heading home from our holiday visit to Toronto, we stopped by the mall where Ian used to visit Santa when he was small. Sure enough, Santa was still there and made time of visit with the boys even though his workshop was not technically open for business yet. He is such a kind, jolly old man!

Oh Christmas Tree!

We are in Toronto for a quick but very merry Christmas Tree party with Grandma Cora and family. The cousins spent the evening playing hide-and-seek, eating candy canes, and opening gifts - they had a fantastic time. And Grandma's tree is so very twinkly and festive!

 

Treating the Bees

As winter approaches it is time to begin our oxalic vapour treatments on the hives to kill off the varoa mites that will try to feed off the bees over the next few months. This involves three treatments per hive, at 5-day intervals. Time intensive but it works!

A treatment involves sublimating 1/2 tsp of oxalic acid crystals into vapour inside the hive.
Oxalic acid doesn't bother the bees but kills the mites.

Slipper Flippers

December is here! Time to break out the winter slippers. Nothing beats these ones made of our own sheep wool and knitted with love by Grandma Susan for Liam.