Sally's GF3 thread

[Sally PB]

In 2020, I went to a bee keepers meeting, thinking I'd like to get bees. The next Monday, everything shut down due to Covid. Where I worked (photo lab) wasn't deemed "essential," so we all went home.

The next day, March 23, I got chicks. Getting bees was sidelined, but not forgotten.

On FB Marketplace, someone listed their bee stuff, as he was trying to downsize and selling it all. So I got a hive, suit, smoker, honey extractor, and a bunch of other bee stuff for $400. (Bees not included.)

I bought a nuc (short for nucleus colony) for $165 from Great Lakes Bee Company. Yesterday was long (3 hour drive, round trip), but the bees are in their new home.

Now I have to get ready for my chicks, who are shipping from Mt. Healthy today! Gonna be a busy week.

 

[Sally PB]

I get my bees tomorrow!

I've been watching for bees on dandelions when walking the dog. I have seen VERY few! We used to see a lot more. Something is getting the job done, though, because I see a bazillion white seed fluff balls out in the field.

And, speaking of fluff balls... my chicks are arriving Tuesday or Wednesday. Oh, yeah, there will be pictures. Of the chicks; bees look pretty much like, well, bees.

 

[Sally PB]

Never heard of that one, what does it do?

The sugar syrup (1:1, sugar/water) helps keep them docile. It coats their wings so they're less prone to flying off, and they eat it. They'll groom it off each other, I believe.

These were pretty docile bees anyway. I only gave them a couple of misting sprays. They knew what they needed to do.

We've seen them in the wild apple tree.

 

[Sally PB]

The chicks are scampering about, then going back to the heater plate to warm up. They were quiet last night, which I take as a good sign.

I have paper towel with a few handfuls of pine shavings on the brooder floor. They're walking/running well. I think I'll put in a thick-ish bed of shavings tomorrow. And a little practice roost for them to hop on. And a mirror.

I used the cardboard box the dog crate came in to line the crate, since they're small enough to get out through the bars. It seemed kind of gloomy in there, so I cut some empty feed bags open and used those, white side out, to cover the cardboard. And, I drew little colored spots with marker down at their level.

Am I a ga-ga, in love chick mom, or what?

 

[Sally PB]

I asked one of the fire fighters what all the gear weighed. As much as 80 pounds. He said he weighed 200 lbs. Suited up, pushing 300. Then there might be an ax to carry, or a hose to haul around.

Not a job for 98 lb weaklings, huh? I said. He set me straight on that. No, there were so many jobs to do, and some of them did not require muscles. All help was appreciated.

This is a small department. Look up Belding, MI on map. Yeah. Small town. That guy works 2 jobs and is a fire fighter to "do his part and help his neighbors." He said he got paid about $100 last month as a fire fighter.

 

[Sally PB]

Not able to do anything for a year after a foreclosure? That sounds crazy, a house can deteriorate a lot when it is empty!

Yes. That is called the "redemption period." The previous owner can "redeem" the property by paying us whatever we have into it. Interest on the loan we took out to buy it, etc.

I worked with someone who had been in the banking industry and told me how it goes. (He said he had never heard of residential property being redeemed. Commercial property was a different ballgame.)

There's a notice of foreclosure (usually on the front door of the property, as in this case), and it will list all the info: The bank that holds the loan and is foreclosing, what it owed, when/where the foreclosure sale is. You call the bank, talk to them. The person I talked to said that they didn't want to own this property, they want to get their money out of it. I pay them $1 more than Frank -- the owner who was losing the house -- owes, and it's mine.

Here's the rub. You literally buy it on the courthouse steps. A sheriff reads a list of the properties for sale. There's usually a real estate agent there taking notes. And every now and then, there is someone like me says, "Oh, yes, yes, I want to buy that one!" And jumps up and down, all excited. Fine. BUT you have to have the full amount, CASH in hand (cashier's check) to buy it. We had to line up a loan in about 4 weeks (not nearly enough time to do a second mortgage, or anything traditional) for the entire amount.

Fortunately, because the amount was low -- under $22K, we could get a HELOC (Home Equity Line Of Credit) using my husband's IRA as collateral. They could verify that with a phone call. No house inspection, etc. etc., like they'd do for a second mortgage.

 

[Sally PB]

My (cheap, old) iphone didn't focus on the flower, but the bee surely did.

 

[Sally PB]

Are you going to name the rest

Yes! 1, 2, 3, 4...

 

[Sally PB]

I did an egg swap with my neighbor. She has a broody, I have fertile eggs. Today is day 1. It will be really cool to see what Chantecler over Black Australorp/Blue Australorp/Jubilee Orpington chicks will look like!

 

[Sally PB]

My husband did not watch the fire with me. He saw a little bit when he walked by with the dog. He is feeling sad and a bit guilty that we did not do more to keep the old house and restore it.

When we first got it, we had ideas of fixing it up and renting it out, as an income property. Not enough time, not enough money. When you buy a property that is in foreclosure, you can't do anything with it for a year. The previous owner took what he wanted when he left, and didn't shut the door. Raccoons had been living in it for probably a year before we bought it, and we couldn't do anything for another year. Raccoons can do a lot of damage in that time. And they aren't particular where they poop.

We had at least 3 people come back to our house (which is about 1/4 mile away) and offer to buy it. We had notes left on the gate. We got letters from real estate companies offering us cash to buy it. With the latter, I'm betting they'd raze it and put up 5 houses on the 5 acres. Nope, not for sale.

We live out here with very few neighbors. We like it that way.