Or at the very least a lot of bees from one hive. The night they were installed it got very cold..
and I suppose they did not get huddled together close enough in time. The other hive seems fine though, noisy and active. In fact late yesterday afternoon there seemed to be activity in both hives so we will see what the bees are up to. My greatest fear is losing a queen before she has set up house, so once I get a really nice warm day I am going to have to have a proper look.
If they kept the queen alive they may struggle through. But it was cold again last night. In fact for a few more days it will not be very warm. To be this cold in late April was not planned for.
Daisy on the other hand is a very happy cow out on the grass. There is not a lot of grass yet, but only a couple of bales of hay left. So I have no real choice about letting her out for a few hours in the day. We have had a rocky start to the season and still it is blowing cold and the grass is very slow to appear. But I am confident that we will muddle through. 
The weather does not bother the dogs though. Blue the Mouth (who was being called mouse for a few days due to his mouse-hole bed but he really does have a mouth like a very stern wide mouthed frog) and TonTon are the best of chums and do not mind the chilly winds at all.
The lambs escaped from the big field and wandered into the potato paddock, so being the opportunist farmer that I am I hobbled over and shut the gate on them. They are now officially weaned. Mama had such a time with her udder last year that I had planned to take them from her a bit earlier anyway.
And look what we had for dinner, on the grill. The sun came out and the winds died down and we sat outside to eat fresh asparagus. Bliss.
The asparagus is sparse but lets hope there are more on the way and they did not succumb to the drought last summer. Tasty wee morsels.
I foolishly got the kittens names mixed up yesterday. This is LuLu who really is a LouLou and it is Author who is looking so chubby. That pain in my back was creating a muddle in my mind. LouLou is a very aloof cat whereas Author is quite the cuddler.
Good morning. My stupid back is improving rapidly. I wore a heated patch thingy all day yesterday (thank you for the advice) and have another one on now and they are doing the trick marvellously. I took some pain relief to stop me tensing up and as you can see we stayed on the move. Sitting is too uncomfortable anyway. So I think my recalcitrant back is on the mend. Which is just as well as Our John is back to work today, being Monday, so I must be the brains AND the brawn today. I will just go slow.
The day is dawning clear and calm so far, so we will be getting some sun too which will be marvellous.
You all have a lovely day.
love from your straightening up friend, celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
43 responses to “It looks like we lost a hive to the cold”
The Little Guy seems to have been accepted by Ton and Big Dog – love those shots!
Your Good News post brightened my morning…we have a chilly day here, and rain+cold tomorrow, but the asparagus is up, so it’s All Good! 😀
som pleased to hear that your back is improving..just don’t try doing too much too soon…..It is such a shame about the bees…isn’t it possible to cover the hive with a tjhick blanket ( you can tell that I know nothing about bees)
Good morning Celi; Glad to hear about your back improving. i just adore fresh asparagus raw. just to eat it is soooooo yummmmmmmy. have a blessed day mike
sorry to hear about the bees loss
Poor bees – they need a lot of love 😉
Well, it was worth getting out of bed and away from the TV set to hear at least some of the news from ‘my straightening up friend’ who hopefully is doing that very slowly indeed! First time I have opened my dear computer this late for ages! Sorry about the spring which is refusing to blossom fully and the bees which may again have to be replaced. But love the daffodils, the content looking dogs and cats AND would so love to be next to that asparagus bed: my greatest favourite! Look after yourself!!!!!!!!
The News on TV is full on about bees, and the lack of them. Never was the BBC more aptly named .Hope the back sorts itself out – what a nightmare with all that stuff to do. You have all my sympathy – not much use, but you have it:)
oh no..so sorry to hear about the bees. well, maybe they will surprise you and make a comeback! blue sure looks like he has been there with the gang forever. glad you are feeling better!
So glad you took some muscle relaxant Celi! I kept thinking yesterday that I should have recommended that, but another of us must have, thank goodness. I’m not a pill person, but in a case like yours right now, relief from the pain will help your back to heal, and a muscle relaxant will let your muscles relax and heal without stress. So, hang in there my friend and you’ll be good as new soon. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the queen and enough brood are still in the hive clustered together and will also be fine too. xo
ohh asparagus! spring is on the way! i really hope your back will be fine again and that your bees survive. it would just be too sad if not.
Ah, I am sorry about the bees, but not surprised by the ongoing cold. I cannot get enough of viewing the grass in your photos. You are giving me spring. For that I am grateful.
Some hives were shown on TV Countryfile yesterday wearing wraparound jackets. Is that a possibility for yours? I’m glad your back is improving – but still treat it with ultra-caution.
It looks good to see Blue and TonTon becoming more friendly – TonTon had his nose put out of joint earlier.
I hope your bees get it all figured out and stay warm enough together until it is truly warm outside!
Happy to hear you are on the mend! I have to speed by your puppy pictures as to not catch puppy fever. 🙂
Oh no, what horrible news about the bees Celi.
Have a happy day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Holding thumbs for the Bees. Laura