Winter Cold Moon
Checked the bees this am. A midwinter are you still alive check. Colony 2. No. As I’d 
expected. It was weak going in to the winter and even though I fed them a lot at the end of fall I doubted their supply. Colony 1, though, the ornery one is still vital. I needed to know now because this is the time to order package bees. I have to decide whether to order one package or two. Leaning toward one since the parent colony, colony 1, will be a divide in May, leaving me with three anyway.
Outside for the first time in a while. I’m going to get my winter hiking legs back over the coming weeks since I’m planning an inn to inn hiking vacation, a belated 65th birthday trip. Got to be sure I can go the distance. I know my aerobic conditioning is in good shape, but it’s all short term work, no longer than an hour. Got to work up to day long hikes.
Not sure yet whether I’m going to England, Scotland, Wales or somewhere here in the US though I’m leaning towards the Isle of Skye.
Then again, I might just go to Gettysburg, then to D.C. to see the Pre-Raphaelite show at the National Gallery and maybe hop the train up to Philly to see the Barnes. Still thinking.
