The Adventures of Lynne

I helped extract the honey! After you scrape or scratch the caps off each of the cells (those hexagons!), the honey starts to drip. Then it goes in the extractor. Sylvain's extractor holds 20 frames at a time. The golden honey drips out. Yum! I learned about genetics one day when Sylvain and I were placing nucs in the hives. If a queen is aggressive for some reason, the entire hive follows suit. I was gently starting on a frame in this one hive and the bees went on the attack! I was stung between the eyebrows, the side of my nose and my upper lip. They went after Sylvain too, who was at the other end of the bee yard. The breeder may not have realized that the queen was aggressive, but usually these kind of queens are replaced. I was a little sore! (and ugly--you should see the other guy) On hot days here at Millefleurs farm, the breeze off the lake is so pleasant. Sadly, I have only the week remaining but then I will be looking for more adventure.....

I am really enjoying "wwoofing" here at Millefleurs farm. I stay in an RV which is like being in a little apartment. It's very nice! I've watched the sunrise out my bedroom window and have morning coffee looking at Lake Ontario. I have been isolating for two weeks, hanging out in my little pad when I haven't been enjoying the tasks on the farm!   I have been weeding around the lavender plants and had the job last week of threshing the culinary lavender. It smells sooooo good working with lavender all day! I used the threshing machine which has brushes going in both directions taking the flowers off the stem. The stems are then "straw" and used as mulch around the garden plants. The next stage (which I haven't done yet, but hope I get to do!) is to sieve the flowers to break off the brown from the blue. This is not French lavender which smells wonderful but doesn't taste good. The farm supplies a tea house in Kingston and sells culinary lavender i...

I write to you while traveling by Via rail from Kitchener to Belleville on my way to a month of "wwoofing" at Millefleurs Lavender and Honey farm. I spent four hours in Toronto between trains in the sun. People were staying at a distance and walking, biking and running. Praise again to all those who help people travel safely! I just spent over 5 weeks in isolation at my Mom's camp. I was very good and didn't come within two metres of anyone that whole time. I talked to my mom a couple of times a day on the phone which was an interesting way to visit and kind of fun! I probably say it too much, but Tilton Lake is beautiful . When I arrived on March 26, the lake was completely frozen and neighbour Rob was on it with his young children "ice fishing" with sticks and strings. This last week, Rob and Sarah were on their paddleboards with passenger-children and Rob and passenger-child went out on their little sailboat. Their enjoyment of the lake from frozen ...