August always seems a bit overwhelming here on the farm. The garden is producing vegetables by the basket and bucket full. The weeds that I've been keeping up with all summer have suddenly kicked into high gear and become difficult to pull out with their thick stems, while at the same time putting out a huge crop of seeds, ready to propagate themselves for the future. The old gardener's adage, "One year's seeding makes seven years' weeding" runs through my mind as I try to get them pulled and onto the burn pile before they drop their seeds. All of nature seems to know winter is coming and throwing its last energy into survival.
The bees in the hive are harvesting nectar at all the blossoms around the farm and I need to check the honey levels in the supers. I could take honey off any time now and harvest but that's another job that I tend to procrastinate at, knowing it's a big job and an even bigger mess. Although the sense of accomplishment is enormous, too. I may have lost a swarm in July that went to a neighbor's farm and have settled themselves into one of his old abandoned buildings. He'd love me to come and fetch them back but I know that wouldn't be an easy task. I told him to wait until spring - "a swarm in July isn't worth a fly" is a true adage, the hive probably not having enough time to build up enough reserves for the winter. If they make it through the winter I will re-think trying to rehome them.
The creek water is drying up and the crawdads have dug themselves down into the mud, leaving these funny little mud chimneys all over.
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