Day #139 Didn't Work

My son, Eli, had told me he’d stop by Sunday afternoon with a propane torch so we could brand the bee hives (see my blog for February 22^nd), but then he ended up doing something else much more fun—building sixteen pairs of stilts.



This is what my branding iron looks like.
(Ignore the sample brand above it)

I didn’t want to wait, though, so on the warmest day of Spring so far, I built a fire in the fireplace and waited for a nice bed of coals. While the wood was burning down, I hauled the hive boxes out onto the deck and lined them up so I’d be sure and get the brand right-side up instead of upside down.

Once the fire was settled in, I stuck the brand in the coals and let it sit there long enough to get really hot. Brand in hand, feeling very cowboyish, I strode to the deck and planted the branding iron on the first box.

It didn’t work. It wasn't the fault of http://www.brandnew.net/. They told me to use a propane torch. They are not responsible for my impatience.

I put the branding iron back in the coals and tried again. And again. And again. Then I gave up. I’ll wait for my son and the propane torch. Four weeks to go till the bees will be ready, so there’s plenty of time. Meanwhile, I've opened all the windows to let out the heat from the fireplace.

BEEattitude for Day # 139:

       Blessed are those who try, for (sometimes) they shall succeed

One thing Fran is grateful for right now:

       The squirrels who’ve cleaned up the suet that melted onto the rocks beneath the feeder.

                 I tried to make my own suet. 

                 It, like the branding, didn’t work.

http://www.franstewart.com