Ok, Back in the Hive Everyone

The hives for the last week have looked like this. And it's still coming down. And getting colder. Sigh.

Swarm Hive

Maria Hive, under a cap of snow, behind the wood windbreak.

More Housekeeping Notes

A little cooler today, less sun. Helped out Swarm hive by taking out opening bar and sweeping out the ground floor with a stick. It wasn't as wet in there as i had feared. Still, quite a few dead bees. Swept out some live ones too, so had to be a little careful. Interesting how there are usually some live bees down
at the entrance, even if no one is out. Am guessing, looking at the dead piles, that Maria and Swarm have had about the same number of deceased. Swarm is not clearing out as well, but that is probably a consequence of location of hive. Be very interesting to see how they come out in Spring.

Midwinter Bee Housecleaning

It has been warmer, and windy, even rainy, the last few days. Today was very nice around 1400, bright sun, 45 degrees, and calm. Both Swarm and Maria hives got busy cleaning up the hives.

Maria hive. Look at all the dead bees they have carried out! Almost all the bees on the porch are also corpses that have not been flown away as yet. These girls have been BUSY. They have not carried them very far, generally, probably because it is still not exactly warm out. (Box in background is empty.)

Closeup of the Maria hive dead pile.

Later in the day the Swarm hive got busy. You can see their pile of dead on the porch. But a lot of bees got out for a poop run. Each yellow spot on the snow is a single bee poop.

Closeup of a couple of dead bees carried out of the hive, and a couple of poop droppings, in front of the Swarm hive.

Bees are Out

It's 47 degrees, cloudy, intermittent flashes of sun, with some wind, and the bees are out. Both hives here are taking out the dead and doing a lot of poop flights. The snow covers the yard, and there are yellow spots all over, especially near the hives. The last 10 days or so have been cold, with a string of days having highs in the single digits, and one night at -27.

Work in Progress

I'm blogging Work in Progress painting in the blog section of my website now. See http://bobworthyart.com/category/uncategorized/events/

What's Happening in this Painting?

What's happening in this painting? What should be added? (Hint: on the left is a mirror, not a window. Actually a window seen in a mirror. Outside the window are several neon lights. In the final version, the various neon colors will dance across the wall, blue, red, and resulting purple. This version is the monochrome under-painting.)

Here are some things to add, not listed in order of merit. What would you add? ? ?

* A vase of wilted flowers, petals on the floor.

* A scattering of origami creatures.

* Cut out, wadded newspaper on the floor; on the table a page with cutout words from the newspaper taped into crude lines; a pair of scissors; a scotch tape dispenser.

* A bathrobe, white terry, dragged across the floor to the open door ajar, or dropped in a heap in front of the door ajar.

* An old bakelite phone, off hook.

P * L * E * A * S * E   send me your ideas.

Updated Painting

This might be the final change for this one. Taken from an angle because the gold paint reflected back very strongly where now hung.