Conkers and more candles

Last week I said how I had enjoyed making candles, well this week I found my other silicone moulds and I started to make more. I have two other moulds one of a teddy bear sitting on a hive and the other is a bear next to a bee hive. They are nice and cute, my kids really like them and I hope others do to.

I may actually sell some perhaps nearer to Christmas and some of the others will be given away as Christmas presents. So I made six more candles this week.

More candles made my me

As the picture shows they are nice. I am not sure how many I'll be able to make. I can make more of the smaller ones obviously so I will probably will make more of them, they contain less wax. The larger ones that I made last week contain about 100grams of wax, that's a lot of wax. I gave one to my mum and she is going to test and give me feedback perhaps this week.

I have started the varroa treatment at the orchard and the three hives have all received the first does of treatment of ApiLifeVar. The other doses will be applied over the next couple of weeks.

Chicken in the woods mushroom

Over the past I have found a fungi on one of trees its a chicken in the woods mushroom that can been eaten, it about 10 feet of the ground so its pretty high up and in truth I won't be collecting it. In past I have eaten one a couple of years ago now, while in Belgium. From what I remember its tastes nice, I had it in am omelette and the one on the tree is big enough to make several omelets.

Apples in the orchard

I have found more pears on the trees and I may be making the same mistake again by letting them ripen and will pick them next week. They are still small lets hope them ripen and are ready for picking next week.

Lots of spiders about I took a couple of pictures. Some of them are pretty big. My hand was tangled in a web over the weekend and I had the contents of the web all stuck all over my hand. Hence the interest.

I picked a couple of apples which I took home, havn't tried them let.

Me having at rest at Conkers

I visited conkers this week. Conkers was a coal mine that has been converted into a nature reserve people pay to visit it, or become members. Its very modern and well worth a visit, They have re landscaped it and put various attractions and things for people to do. like interactive exhibits I liked and assault course,my son liked the small train that gets you from one site to another it a quick ride. Lots of indoor activities for wet days in the various education buildings. They also have outdoor interactive exhibits like getting water to run down various channels and getting fountains to work. The kids enjoyed wondering around the labyrinth. They also have various hides and rest areas, which are nice. Nothing that stands that I haven't seen before but they have brought them all onto one location. Its a place that adults and children can have fun. Well worth a visit if your in the midlands check it out. http://www.visitconkers.com/