Bees Bearding--It's hot!

Here's what my bees were doing this afternoon--isn't it amazing? I was concerned that they might be swarming, but in fact they are "bearding"--hanging out on the outside of the hive to get cool. Below is some great info I found about this on line, and the difference between bearding and swarming:

"Bearding is a form of hive air-conditioning; the bees depart the immediate brood nest area in order to help keep it at the desired temperature (too many busy bee bodies = too many BTUs). When you see all the bees outside the hive an hour before sundown, you'll also notice the following morning (early a.m.), most if not all, have gone back inside the hive because the outside air temperature (and thus the hive temp) has dropped - again, just a way they regulate the brood nest temperature. This is less likely to be observed in the Spring or early Spring when Swarming is at it's peak.

"If you have a hive that's on the verge of swarming, you won't so much see the bees "bearding" as you'll observe them actually departing the hive and yet not really leaving the immediate area of the hive. There may be a "small cloud" of bees hovering eight or ten feet in front of the hive and five to fifteen feet above ground level. And they may do this activity a few times before the main body of the swarm actually departs the hive. Eventually these false starts will lead to the final departure with the swarm queen - usually the old queen - unless your hive is throwing off multiple swarms, in which case, even a virgin queen can lead a swarm away (usually a MUCH smaller swarm). "

Whew! Glad to know they weren't packing their bags and looking for roomier quarters.

Tuesday at the Market

Just another New Mexico day in the Railyard at the Tuesday Farmers Market. The Tuesday market is small, but intimate, with a leisurely pace that allows for lots of visiting, sampling, and just being at the Market. Come and visit on a weekday morning for breakfast or lunch.

My Stunning Assistant

I almost don't need to say anything else. . . except that this is my incredible daughter, and not only is she a great saleswoman, but she has figured out how to count change back to customers, and is a great multi-tasker in the booth! I'm achingly proud of her . . .

Perfect Shaving Soap

Another entry in the "My Beloved Male Customers" series!

This customer brought his shaving cup to my booth to see how my soap would fit--and it fit perfectly! I await his feedback on how my soap works for him as a shaving soap. I have several other male customers who swear by it already. Has anyone else tried it for shaving? I'd love to hear!

Goats in NYC

Yes, there are goats in New York City, and I found them! These are at the gate of the Tisch Children's Zoo in Central Park (next to the Central Park Zoo)--we did not go in, but I believe this is the place where they have various farm animals and a petting zoo, so those little Manhattan children will know something about country life. Goats in NY--wonders never cease.

"Cats. . . Inspired by our NM Farm & Family Life"

Yes, our soap molds really are inspired by real life. Once I started snapping pics of my cats for this post--I was snapping something cute every day. I'll stop here. I think you get the idea. That blurry photo was the one that inspired the mold, and my cats have really lived up to it.

Tony

Another male customer to add to the roster. As you can see, we had a little out-take that we agreed might not make the best impression about my products, but in the end, I couldn't resist including it. Tony even gave me a quote:
"Love the lotion bars--I've given them as gifts to friends and clients and they're great to have in the house. They're addictive!"
Tony even gave them to a friend who took them back to New Zealand--and wants me to ship them to her there. She wrote to me, "New Zealand requires your amazing lotion"!