Archives – VINOFARM

2019

Jan 1^st

That time in 2019 when I slipped on the deck and cracked my iPhone. Happy New Year! This one is off to a smashing start! #fallingdown #beekeeperfail

Jan 8^th

1,080 new pots just arrived. Seeds are still on the way, but we are getting ready! #seedstarting #flowers #thingsbeekeepersdo @johnnys_seeds

Jan 11^th

That’s not supposed to happen! Two queens living in one beehive. Check out my NEW VIDEO on YouTube explaining how this happened. (link on my profile).#flashbackfriday #beekeeping #doublequeens #doublequeen #bees #beesofinstagram #

Jan 13^th

Never done this before. Trying a refrigerator stratification of my #lavender seeds before attempting germination. I just watched a great video by @suburbanhomesteadofficial YouTube channel where he demonstrated this technique. .#stratification #seedstarting @johnnys_seeds #beekeeping

Jan 16^th

One year ago, we were going through the coldest stretch of winter I’ve ever experienced… Two weeks with no temperature above freezing and a bomb cyclone blizzard right in the middle of it. Things are very different this year. It’s definitely chilly right now, but I saw bees flying the other day. #nosnow #massachusetts #northquabbin

2018

Jan 1^st

It's our Youtubaversary today! 2 years ago I made a resolution: "Create more, Consume Less." I wanted to stop watching so much media and start making it. So here we are, two years later, and it's going pretty well. Thanks for all your support, comments, subscriptions and eyeballs. Let's keep going! Spread the word! #vinofarm #anniversary #createmore #consumeless #thankyou

Jan 5^th

Clearing snow after the #bombcyclone …3°F and 18mph wind feels a little like Hoth. #needatauntaun #massachusetts #icebeard #northquabbin

Jan 18^th

Sourdough Starter Battle Italia is up on the YouTube. Camaldoli vs. Ischia in 4K Ultra HD! #sourdough #bread #baking #italy #flourwatersalt #vinofarm

Feb 14^th

Happy 14th Birthday, Pepper! ?Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. Vinofarm! ?#sato #saveasato #capeannanimalaid

Feb 15^th

Part 2 of the big #bulkhead project is up on the YouTube. It was a sketchy #concrete pour with a surly #contractor. #livingthedream #profanity #bleeps #formwork #concretework #homeimprovement #renovation #antiquefarmhouse #basement #foundation

Feb 20^th

Holyyyyyyy Crap. 57°F on February 20th. 70°F tomorrow? Two hives humming! #beekeeping #winter #massachusetts #bees #northquabbin #holycrap #nicedayforapoop

Feb 21^st

Let it be known: It was 71°F today. In February. In Massachusetts. Tomorrow it is going to SNOW. #sunset #massachusetts #northquabbin #bees #beekeeping #beeyard

Feb 22^nd

What is it? Flaky white deposits in the bottom of empty honey cells. These are not brood cells so I don't think it's guanine. Is this just crystallized honey? #bees #honeycomb #honey #beekeeping #whatisit

Feb 25^th

Back to reality. #february #northquabbin #freezingrain

Mar 4^th

It's not much, but these are the first flowers of 2018! Thanks for inspiring me to search, @knottycoppertop #snowdrops #massachusetts #northquabbin #stillsnowing

Mar 8^th

Using a mix of chalk and modern computer graphics, I give you a few things to think about before you buy a Flow Hive. NEW VIDEO linked in my profile. #flowhive #beekeeping #beekeeper #beehive #massachusetts #conundrum #nohate

Mar 17^th

Guys! You are the the best. We are just having fun making videos… Thank you for watching. Thanks for the support and encouragement. Thanks for being awesome. Onward! #youtube #milestone #humblebrag

Mar 26^th

I'm hoping the next few slightly-above- freezing days will melt the last 8-10 inches of snow on the field. Two hives still very much alive today!!! #beekeeping #massachusetts #northquabbin #snow #spring #mudseason

Mar 31^st

Prepping the first seed trays next to piles of snow on the deck. The slow march toward #tomatoes begins. #seeds #seedstarting #massachusetts #northquabbin #spring

Apr 6^th

19F (-7C) last night. Snow today. Still waiting for some warmth. There's been none of it. #beekeeping #massachusetts #northquabbin #bees #winterspring

Apr 9^th

The little orchard is pruned and patiently awaiting some warm days. No sign of bud break yet. At least the snow is gone! #appletrees #apples #pruning #orchard #massachusetts #northquabbin

Apr 9^th

People often ask me why I don't just keep my bees in the hoophouse over the winter. It's because days like this are a problem. The hoophouse is 84°F (29°C) right now… and if the bees were in there, they'd be extremely active, flying around and looking for nectar and pollen. The reality is, it's 41°F (5°C) outdoors with zero nectar and pollen to forage. It's best to leave them in a realistic climate and let them emerge when spring actually springs. (Which might actually happen later this week!) #beekeeping #bees #massachusetts #hoophouse

Apr 12^th

It's on for Monday! I sure hope the weather warms up soon. #newbees #bees #beekeeping #winterspring

Apr 12^th

This 2-part video took three weeks to film and a month to edit. Please watch it and share it and watch it again! (LINK IN PROFILE.) #hoophouse #youtube #lateaprilfools #diy #construction #homestead #greenhouse #polytunnel #gardening #watchclosely #whenyouseeit

Apr 13^th

#spring #bees #crocus #pollen #survivors #massachusetts #northquabbin #beekeeping

Apr 14^th

First #pollen I've seen the #bees bringing in this year! First full inspection video will be up soon! #beekeeping #crocus #pollenpants #massachusetts #northquabbin

Apr 17^th

Three #hives in the #beeyard again! I picked up a package during an insane rain/snow storm yesterday and waited until today to get it installed. It's a bit cold but all is well. Welcome to New England, #bees. #beekeeping #massachusetts #northquabbin

Apr 19^th

Throwback to the first snow last Novem… Oh wait, this was today. #massachusetts #spring #april19 #makeitstop

Apr 21^st

Party at the #pollen feeder. #bees #beekeeping #actuallypollensubstitutebuttheyLOVEit

Apr 22^nd

UltraBee Pollen substitute feeder at 1pm and then at 7pm. WOW!!! #bees #beekeeping #pollenfeeder #ultrabee

Apr 27^th

I put a new video on Youtube, friends! #beekeeping #bees #hiveinspection #massachusetts #northquabbin #youtube #queenbee #happyspring

Apr 30^th

The apple trees are trying. Still cold up here, but the heat is on for later this week. The bees will have flowers soon! #appletree #applebuds #orchard #apples #massachusetts #northquabbin

May 1^st

Rainy and cold. Not a lot of action for the past several days. Too cold to open things up. At least I know they're all cozy inside. Looks like summer arrives later this week, though. Stay tuned! #notbeeweather #winterspring #beehives #bees #massachusetts

May 3^rd

What kind of animal tears up a garden hose? #massachusetts #critters #gardenhosemauling #bizarre

May 6^th

Epic spring day yesterday. Saw the return of the Baltimore Oriole, spent several hours on the tractor, opened three booming hives, watched the sunset, and consumed about a dozen #blackflies – #beekeeping #sunset #massachusetts #northquabbin

May 6^th

First time I've ever seen #moose #poop on the property. #exciting #moosepoop #massachusetts #northquabbin #masswildlife

May 6^th

Black Fly Status: "I'm ready for winter again." #blackflies #massachusetts #atleastimnotinmaine

May 8^th

Spent some time driving in circles on the tractor today discing the field. Getting ready to plant some #buckwheat and #clover for the #bees! #massachusetts #northquabbin #discharrow

May 8^th

Almost there. #appleblossom #pearblossom #peachblossom #massachusetts #northquabbin

May 9^th

Little #graytreefrog having a nap under the awning of our front door. He eats well at night with all the bugs flying around the light right above him. #frog #masswildlife #treefrog #hylaversicolor

May 10^th

That new package I installed is blowing up! New Bee Video on YouTube. Link in Profile. #beekeeping #beeinspection #beehive #massachusetts #springbees #crushingit

May 11^th

#asparagus #firstfood #garden #growfood

May 12^th

Glorious day. Doing a little #beeyard expansion. Getting ready for some splits. #beekeeping #massachusetts #sunset #northquabbin

May 13^th

Colors of spring! #nucs #beekeeping #beehives #bees

May 14^th

Field #sparrow nest in a bee yard #arborvitae tree. Just like last year. #birdnest #birdeggs #birdsandthebees #masswildlife #massachusetts #northquabbin

May 16^th

These #orioles arrive every single year around the last week of April or first week of May. A nest is constructed in the same tree every year. Sometimes it's clear that babies were hatched, sometimes it isn't as obvious. Either way, they always return and a nest is built. It blows my mind that they keep coming back… Same tree. 11 years so far. #baltimoreoriole #oriole #nesting #migration #masswildlife #massachusetts #northquabbin #birdwatching #birdbehavior

May 18^th

We've been here for 11 years… Happy Farmaversary! Love you guys. Thanks for the support! #vinofarm #dreams #goals #plans #farm #food #bees #bread #apples #growfood #slowfood #homestead #massachusetts #northquabbin #dandelion #doyouseethebee

May 18^th

For those of you playing along at home, I just had a peek and Balboa's daughter is up on the deeps and has two frames covered in eggs! #crushingit #beekeeping #queenbee #spotthequeen #honeybees #insects

May 19^th

14 years ago, we saw this listing and had to go meet this little girl. She was rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico by @saveasato and sheltered by @capeannanimalaid We got to take her home on May 19, 2004. Still the best friend, ever. Happy Doggoversary, Pepper! #saveasato #satodog #capeannanimalaid #farmdog #sato #happydog

May 21^st

We hired our tree guy to prune a couple trees 5 years ago and mentioned that we love #woodchips … He's always looking for places to dump fresh chips so we're on the list when he's in town. He's probably dumped 25 loads over the years. Thanks, Todd! #northquabbintree #northquabbin #treeguy #freechips

May 22^nd

#birdnest #peartree #notapartridgeinsight

May 23^rd

New video on YouTube. Link in profile. #beekeeping #bees #savethebees #backyardbeekeeping #flowhive #honey

May 24^th

Lots of people ask about that #swarmtrap I installed last spring… Well, it's still there. The only thing it caught was a giant rodent nest over the winter. I cleaned it all out and added some #swarmcommander lure to get ready for "swarm season" which may or may not be a thing around here. Fingers crossed. #beekeeping #beeswarm #beehive #massachusetts #northquabbin #hope

May 25^th

I harvested seeds from about 100 #dandelions down by the house and spread them all over the field next to the bee yard. #thingsbeekeepersdo #before8am #dandelionseeds #dandelions #beekeeping

May 25^th

You wish you could be here to smell the #blueberry yard. It's like perfume. #blueberries #sunset #massachusetts #northquabbin

May 26^th

Can you name this creature? I recently made a video in which I talked about it. ….Spoiler….#appletree #pests #bugs #insect #pest #surround #curculio #plumcurculio #namethatbug #insectsofinstagram

May 26^th

Mama #fox hunting with one of her pups this morning. There were two pups but one ran into the woods while I was grabbing the camera. Sorry for the shaky footage. #masswildlife #redfox #foxkit #foxes #foxymama #massachusetts #northquabbin

May 28^th

? More foxes, now with sound. I caught the two pups and mama barking and running around about 50 yards away. #fox #foxsound #foxes #foxkits #masswildlife #northquabbin #whatdoesthefoxsay

May 29^th

#milkweed out in full force. Always mow around the milkweed! #monarchbutterfly #monarchfood

May 30^th

It's a good day to be a bee… Or basically any living creature. #iris #sunshine #purple

May 31^st

First time doing a bee hive split! New video on YouTube. (Link on profile) Part One is up and Part Two will go up tomorrow. Now we wait several weeks for queens. #beehive #beekeeping #hivesplit #doublenuc #bees

Jun 1^st

Time to make up a couple more splits. #beekeeping #bees #queenbee

Jun 2^nd

Not sure who is using this nest, but it was built in about 2 days. It's pretty big. No eggs yet. #birdnest #northquabbin #masswildlife #birdwatching

Jun 2^nd

How many colonies do you see??? #beekeeping #beeyard #apiary #bees #sunset #beehives

Jun 4^th

I was just out mowing the field and was confronted by a #coyote about 20 yards in front of me. It got directly in my path and came at me determinedly with its head low. I did a 180 and went the other direction but it followed me a good 100 yards until it stopped. It was clearly defending something and it shook me up quite a bit. (I was on foot jogging behind a walk-behind mower!) So I came in and sent up the drone to see if I could get a look at what it was doing. Sure enough, it was standing guard over something. I thought it might be little coyote pups… Well, it was defending a pup, but not a coyote pup. Unfortunately, I don't think mama #fox has two pups anymore. #coyote #masswildlife #massachusetts #northquabbin #drone #phantom4pro #circleoflife #dogeatdogworld #andrewapplepie

Jun 4^th

Nest update. I'm thinking #robin but there are usually more than two Robin eggs. Maybe mama's not finished. #birdnest #birdeggs #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary #birdwatching

Jun 5^th

My favorite Iris in the garden 11 years running. It's the tallest, darkest, and purplest. You can smell it from 3 feet away. #iris #beardediris #purple

Jun 6^th

I have some #foxnews today: I found the #fox napping spot. She is often right here soaking up the sun. I was even mowing about 50' away from her and she just hung out and watched. #foxlife #masswildlife #foxnap #massachusetts #northquabbin #redfox

Jun 7^th

It's definitely a #robin and mama is adding to the family. #birdwatching #birdeggs #birdnest #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jun 8^th

It's #foxfriday so here's your Friday ? fox. This one has no fear. Just hanging out in the garden while I move wood chips. #redfox #massachusetts #northquabbin #masswildlife #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jun 10^th

OK, *now* how many colonies do you see? (2 closest stacked boxes are empty.) #bees #beehive #beekeeping #beeyard #apiary #beehives #northquabbin

Jun 10^th

Good morning. #clover #wildflowers #grapes

Jun 11^th

Pepper on her rock… The first time she saw this rock 11 years ago, she leaped on top of it all by herself. A few years later, I added the rocks on the side as a step and up until last year, she still got up there every time we took a walk to survey the field. She's done jumping these days, so tonight I picked her up and put her on top to enjoy the sunset. #dog #sunset #farmdog #saveasato #bestfriend

Jun 11^th

A little late getting this stuff in the ground… it'll grow. #buckwheat #sunflower #clover #beefood

Jun 12^th

It was one of those days. #bigclouds #bluesky #june #northquabbin #massachusetts

Jun 13^th

I'm not a hunter, but I don't have a problem with deer hunting. #trailcamtuesday #deer #youngbuck #trailcam #tickmobile #appletreedestroyer

Jun 15^th

Balboa Report (6 Days after that YouTube video) – She's still there- Laying like a champ- The colony cleared out all the brood space of the syrup. – Med. super filling up- Everything looks incredibly tidy. – Two empty swarm cups in lower box. (I removed them.)- Two solid frames of capped brood- Literal assload of eggs. I think we're OK. #beekeeping #bees #queenbee #italianbees #honeycomb #justasiplannedit

Jun 16^th

Hey, little Robin, welcome to Earth. #birdwatching #birdeggs #robin #hatchling #robinsegg #birdnest #babybird #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jun 16^th

This little one was born today. It must be exhausted. #birdeggs #birdwatching #birdnest #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary #hatchlings #robin #babybird

Jun 20^th

It was a good day in the bee yard on Sunday! NEW Video on YouTube! (Link to channel in profile) #bees #beekeeping #walkawayqueen #walkawaysplit #newqueens #queenbee #queencell #happydance

Jun 21^st

It's #foxthursday so here are your Thursday ????foxes!#foxes #foxpups #foxkit #fox #foxnews #foxfriday #masswildlife #massachusetts #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary #trailcamtuesday #trailcam

Jun 22^nd

Happy Solstice Sunset! #beeyard #bees #solstice #sunset #massachusetts #northquabbin

Jun 23^rd

Baby Robin is getting bigger. Unfortunately, it looks like its sibling didn't hatch. #robin #birdnest #birdwatching #robinsnest #babybird #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jun 25^th

Big Cloud Day. Future flower field.

Jun 26^th

Good morning. #milksnake #babysnake #snake #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jun 26^th

Robin is growing up fast! #birdnest #birdwatching #robinsnest #robin #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary #babybird

Jun 27^th

New video on the channel! I reinforced the electric fence because BEARS. (Link to YouTube in profile) #iyelledatablackbear #blackbear #bearfence #bearsandbees #masswildlife #massachusetts #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jun 29^th

Another successful bird launch at the #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary Unfortunately, one egg didn't hatch, but now we get to use the back door again. #birdnest #birdwatching #robin #robinsnest

Jul 1^st

It's a birds and bees reproduction party at the Vinofarm. #grapevine #vineyard #birdnest #birdegg #nest #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jul 1^st

It was friggin hot today. Bees are still fully bearded at sunset. #beebearding #bees #beekeeping #massachusetts #northquabbin #bearding

Jul 2^nd

First time I've ever seen this with my bees. And this is at relatively cool sunset! Huge population + 99°F daytime = bearding. #bees #bearding #hotbees #beekeeping #4monthsuntilwinter

Jul 2^nd

I made a bunch of ventilation shims. Not sure if this is a thing or what they're called. They're like Vivaldi boards without the boards. Vivaldi shims? #beekeeping #bees #woodworking #vivaldiboard #scrapwood #DIY

Jul 5^th

#milkweed in the bee yard is in full flow! Last year there were two or three plants, but it has spread nicely. #beekeeping #beeyard #nectar #bees #massachusetts #northquabbin #dontmowyourmilkweed

Jul 9^th

#blueberries #everyday

Jul 10^th

#swallowtail on #milkweed

Jul 11^th

I used to keep the orchard mowed (monthly) but this year I spread 6 or 7 loads of wood chips all over the ground and haven't mowed. Native wildflowers popped up everywhere! Not only does it look great, the bees love it! #nomowing #bees #orchard #wildflowers #northquabbin #massachusetts #julypollen #woodchips

Jul 12^th

A new mouth to feed in the orchard. I need to train these birds to eat plum curculios and caterpillars. #birdnest #birdwatching #babybird #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jul 13^th

Need help IDing this white substance. This is the weak medium frame split I made a few weeks ago. (With the mutant queen) Added a frame of eggs and brood two days ago to give them a boost and today I'm seeing white smudges on the backs of a handful of bees. Maybe 2 or 3 bees per frame have it. Never seen it before today. #whatisit #beekeeping #bees

Jul 14^th

#monarchbutterfly #bumblebee #swallowtailbutterfly #milkweed #northquabbin #massachusetts #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jul 16^th

Who can guess what's going on here? #beekeeping #bees #problemsolving

Jul 18^th

Flight school! New bees hanging out in their front yard getting to know their hive and its location. #bees #beekeeping #orientationflights #flightschool #notaswarm

Jul 19^th

No idea what kind of #moth this is. I've never seen one like it.

Jul 19^th

#bees are loving the #buckwheat field. About half an acre coming into bloom! It's really nice to see July nectar flowers! #beekeeping #otay

Jul 20^th

This is kind of unimaginable to me, but a video I made last summer has been viewed over a million times. It's not the video I would have predicted would go viral or represent the channel, but you really can't plan these things. Amazing and weird. #youtube #million #mindblown #thanks #humblebrag

Jul 22^nd

#Porcupine vs #appltree This little bugger is busting up the orchard. Urgggghhh. #masswildlife #orchard #apples #massachusetts #northquabbin #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Jul 24^th

I learned all about how much damage these critters do to trees last night. They're almost worse than deer because they eat bark. New problems every day, folks. #porcupine #masswildlife #critter #varmint #homesteadlife #farmlife

Jul 25^th

The #buckwheat is doing so well, we're going to do another acre, which should be popping around the goldenrod peak. #covercrop #honey #johnnysseeds #fallflowers #fieldofflowers

Jul 31^st

So many #Monarch #caterpillars this year! #monarchbutterfly #massachusetts #northquabbin #masswildlife #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Aug 3^rd

All bees are welcome at the VinoFarm. I've seen more of these this year than ever. #bees #nativebees #bumblebee #bombus #massachusetts

Aug 3^rd

A little mid summer storm rolling in. Maybe a rainbow photo will follow. #dayintonight #zuul

Aug 4^th

Dog days of summer. Everything is hot and wet but I've started to see leaves turn on some maples. #summer #fall #winteriscoming

Aug 5^th

Dreaming of being a farmer? If you enjoy literally *always* having a problem to solve, then you will be very happy having a farm. This is porcupine number TWO enjoying my pears. #porcupine #peartree #porcupinetree #farmlife #homestaedlife #problems #pests #rodent #farmproblems #masswildlife #massaudubon

Aug 10^th

From a couple days ago, but I just downloaded the footage! Wicked lightning storm. #lightning #homestead #northquabbin #massachusetts #storm #dronephotography #phantom4pro

Aug 12^th

#monarch #chrysalis on a #beehive #monarchbutterfly #butterfly #monarchchrysalis

Aug 17^th

We might have some #peach flavored #honey this fall. We’ve been in a dearth and the bees are finding #nectar wherever they can. The peach tree is covered in bees and wasps. Everyone’s gotta eat. #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary #peaches #peachtree #foraging #bees #beekeeping

Aug 19^th

Hello, fall flow. Any time now would be nice. #nectar #fallflowers #wildflowers #goldenrod #honey #beekeeping #bees #massachusetts #northquabbin

Aug 20^th

Coming in heavy with the pollen. #bees #beekeeping #landing #pollen #slowmotion #beekeeping #beehive #pollenpants #beehive

Aug 22^nd

Tidying up the #beeyard after a big summer of splits. It’s amazing how much gear you acquire as a beekeeper. Now, where do I put it all? I need a barn. #woodenware #bees #beekeeping #beforeandafter

Aug 22^nd

Two of these planes fly low over the field almost every afternoon. Often times they’re lower than this. What are they doing? #Lockheed #C130 #Hercules #c130hercules #lowflyingaircraft #blackhelicopters #massachusetts

Aug 23^rd

The #monarchbutterfly #chrysalis has hatched! #monarchchrysalis #monarch #butterfly #lepidoptera #massachusetts

Aug 27^th

Finally. The fall flow is on. #goldenrod #bees #beekeeping #nectar #honey

Sep 1^st

#September #goldenrod #beekeeping #foraging #massachusetts

Sep 2^nd

#September #massachusetts #goldenrod #northquabbin #wildflowers #wildflowerfield #homestead

Sep 2^nd

The flow is on. #beekeeping #bees #chaos #slomo #honeybees #nectar #beehive #massachusetts #pollen #busybees #slowmotion

Sep 6^th

I forget that not every social media world overlaps. If you’ve never checked out my videos, please come have a look! #youtube #beekeeping #bees #vinofarm #socialmedia

Sep 7^th

OK, now how many colonies do you see? (Orange boxes on left are empty.)•P.S. The FLOW is friggin’ on!!!•#beeyard #splits #bees #beesplits #beekeeping #apiary #massachusetts

Sep 8^th

Seven days ago, all hives were empty. Today, I ran out of supers. #fallflowers #honeyflow #massachusetts #northquabbin #honey #goldenrod #beekeeping #bees #ineedanextractor

Sep 17^th

#sunchokes #monarchbutterfly #jerusalemartichoke #september #northquabbin #massachusetts

Sep 19^th

The big flow is over but the bees still find every last flower. •#honeybees #lavender #lavendula #bees #nectar #pollen #flowers #fallflowers #beekeeping

Sep 20^th

Field trip to the #Maxant HQ. Great to meet Jake @maxanthoneyprocessing and get a little factory tour. Stay tuned for some future honey processing! •#beekeeping #extracting #honey #honeyharvest #maxantindustries

Sep 22^nd

#pollen #bees #beehive #beekeeping #foraging #insects #honeybees

Sep 25^th

Free compost pile volunteer pumpkins. These are basketball sized and look like they were cross pollinated with butternut squash. It’s decorative gourd season, MFs! #pumpkins #squash #compost #compostvolunteers #gourdseason

Sep 26^th

NEW VIDEO: The newest, youngest queen in the apiary. Just mated a week ago and already has three frames full of eggs. (YouTube Link in Profile)•#queenbee #beekeeping #bees #swarm #beehive #youtube #honeybees

Sep 29^th

Can’t wait to try this out! (Today, it *is* about the honey.) #honey #beekeeping #bees #extractor #harvest #maxant @maxanthoneyprocessing

Sep 30^th

It works! #beekeeping #honey #harvest #bees #honeybees #extractor #turnturnturn #maxant3100P @maxanthoneyprocessing

Sep 30^th

Bees doing final cleanup on the extracted frames. #bees #buzz #beekeeping

Oct 1^st

Welcome to October. It’s been a good season. #bees #bee #beekeeping #beeyard #autumn #massachusetts #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary #beefingers

Oct 3^rd

This was a “spring” frame, capped in July or so. Interesting blend of super light dandelions and apple blossoms up top with dark buckwheat on the bottom. Working on the video! It will be up ASAP. #honey #extractor #twotone #bees #beekeeping #honeybees #harvest

Oct 6^th

I’m getting ready for next season. #milkweedseeds #milkweed #milkweedpod #milkweedformonarchs #monarchbutterfly #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Oct 9^th

Right next to the bee yard, under the #arborvitae trees. I know nothing about #mushrooms but they weren’t there yesterday, then they appear today. Fascinating. #fungi #woodchips #shrooms

Oct 10^th

Packing away the pollen (substitute). Watch the leg action on the bee at the end. #bees #beekeeping #pollenpants #pollen #fallfeeding

Oct 11^th

Topping off syrup in the hives on the last warm day for a while. Too bad it’s pouring rain. #bees #beekeeping #beeyard #beehives #thingsbeekeepersdo #umbrella

Oct 12^th

NEW VIDEO • I finally learned how to mark my queens! (YouTube Link in Profile) #queenbee #bees #beekeeping #thatwaseasy

Oct 15^th

No more tar paper…ever! #beekeeping #coroplast #beehives #thatwaseasy

Oct 15^th

I need to do a few cutouts and make some different sizes, but this is so awesome! #beehive #winterfashion #windbreaker #basicblack #beekeepinglife #nostaples #beekeeping #bees

Oct 16^th

Did anyone else have a dud #foliage season? It seems the maple leaves just went from green, straight to the ground. #northquabbin #massachusetts #fall

Oct 19^th

Trying out the 5 gallon open feeder thing… 2:1 syrup doesn’t seem to flow very well. Do I need bigger holes? #bees #beefeeder #beekeeping #bucket #needhelp

Oct 20^th

Trying something different… •4 gallons of syrup with straw floating on top. Hopefully this will allow more surface area for feeding and fewer traffic jams. •Also, I made the holes on the buckets a bit larger and the syrup is flowing easily now. •Black lines on the buckets are levels at 10:30am. Let’s go!#beekeeping #bees #fallfeeding #beebuffet #massachusetts #northquabbin

Oct 20^th

So, open feeding of bees isn’t for me. It was a messy fail. Here’s a #sunset photo to take my mind off of the carnage.

Oct 21^st

Woodenware weekend. Somehow I need 20 shims for 12 hives. #vivaldiboard #beehive #beekeeping #beekeepinglife #shimlife

Oct 26^th

Something is eating my lawnmower. #wtf #lawnmowerpests #rodents #farmlife #countrylife #lawnmower #scagmowers @scagmowers

Oct 27^th

Spotted salamander family. Rescued from certain winter death and currently living in the house. They were huddled next to the front door yesterday and the temperature was about to dip below freezing. They’ll have a cozy winter home and be released in the spring. #spottedsalamander #salamander #northquabbin #massachusetts #reptilerescue #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Oct 28^th

Boom. #sunset #rainbow #massachusetts #northquabbin #sunsetbow #beeyard #

Oct 30^th

NEW VIDEO is up. It’s all about hive winterization and magical new hive wraps I built. #beekeeping #bees #beehive #beekeepinglife #coroplast #winterized #winterizing Link to channel on profile!

Nov 5^th

Look at this magnificent 10 point tick mobile who spent the summer eating my apple trees. I’m not a hunter, but I have no problem that hunting season is almost here. #10point #10pointer #buck #deer #huntingseason #trailcam #browning #massachusetts #northquabbin #masswildlife

Nov 6^th

I love my tree guy. He just keeps pulling in with loads of wood chips. If you need tree work around here, call Todd! #woodchips #northquabbin #treework #northquabbintree

Nov 6^th

I thought 2300 bulbs would take up a lot more space. #crocus #grapehyacinth #bluebells #allium #daffodil #tulip #fallplanting #springbulbs #pollen #beekeepinglife #beekeeping

Nov 16^th

It was 14°F last night and I was making a video about flowers. Is it spring yet? Go watch my NEW VIDEO! #beekeeping #northquabbin #bees #thingsbeekeepersdo #fallplanting #springbulbs #farmlife #homesteadlife #diy

Nov 18^th

A little late with the insulation, but the bees should be all set after this weekend. These are lids. New foam wraps coming soon! #bees #beekeeping #beehive #polyisocyanurate

Nov 18^th

New hive wrap shells in progress. Who can tell what’s different? #beehive #insulation #rigidfoam #beekeepinglife

Nov 21^st

Guys! New video is up for you! Next Level Beehive Insulation. Enjoy. #beekeepinglife #beekeeping #beehive #winterizing #readyforwinter #cozybees #DIY #huberwood #zipsystem @huberwood

Nov 22^nd

When it’s 2°F (-16°C) and you need just a bit more sage. #herbs #sage #winterharvest #frozenfood #northquabbin

Nov 27^th

The #beehives are insulated to protect the #bees. The #hives are surrounded by an electric fence to protect from #bears. The #beeyard is surrounded by trees to protect the hives from wind. And now the trees are surrounded by a fence to protect them from frigging DEER. The #beefortress is complete.

Nov 29^th

NEW VIDEO uploaded yesterday. I got the bees put to bed for the winter and shared my thoughts on hive insulation. Link in Profile. #winterizing #beekeeping #beehive #bees #northquabbin #massachusetts #winterbees

Dec 5^th

Poor Mr. Bee came to my channel and watched my #2 video, which is a happy queen bee success story. Just 9 minutes later he came across my #1 video which isn’t as happy. #circleoflife #funnycomments #youtubecomments #beekeepinglife #bees #MrBee

Dec 6^th

Throwback Thursday! Watch me harvest and process 1000 heads of #garlic back in 2017! The final installment of The Garlic Series is live on YouTube. #garlic #garlicharvest #organicgardening #organicgarlic #novampires

Dec 7^th

The snow melted and I found the tractor key I lost a month ago. Always put your important farm keys on giant orange key fobs. #farmtips #lostkey #foundkey #homesteadlife

Dec 9^th

Whoa! First time seeing a #bobcat on the property. This is a big one sniffing around the fox den. #massachusetts #northquabbin #masswildlife #trailcam #catsofinstagram

Dec 10^th

Two pounds of clear beeswax. (All the bits from the past two years!) #beekeeping #beeswax #bees

Dec 15^th

Friday #fondant fiesta! #bees #beekeeping #beecandy #candymaking #freakinhot

Dec 17^th

#Lichen on #granite in December. #lenstest #takumar50mm

Dec 23^rd

Happy Solstice! The back field with a full moon shining last night. My first night photo with a fish-eye lens. This was at about midnight. 20 second exposure with moving clouds. #fisheye #astrophotography #nightsky #solstice #wintersolstice

Dec 25^th

#scones #blueberries #blueberryscones #kingarthurflour @kingarthurflour

2017

Jan 2^nd

Raw iphone photo of the #wildflower meadow this morning. #nofilter #noedit

Jan 6^th

Day 4… and I'm only about 4 hours into an 8 hour #finalcutpro training course. My brain is melting. Everything so far has been edited on iMovie, but it's time to learn new things. #lyndadotcom #resolutions #takingthingsupanotch in 2017!

Jan 9^th

5 new cultures just arrived today! Stay tuned for the #sourdough videos to start in a week or so. #sourdoughstarter #bread #flourwatersalt

Jan 16^th

How to make "How to make sourdough." Today I learned all about #ISO and #whitebalance . The #sourdough series is coming soon! #diycookingshow

Jan 16^th

The #sourdough series has begun. #starterbattle #yeastolympics

Feb 5^th

Three new videos shot. Still editing. They're coming, I promise. Here's a preview… #flourwatersalt #sourdough #crumb #sourdoughbread

Feb 17^th

Three new videos! Link in profile. #sourdoughstarter #flourwatersalt #sourdough #sourdoughbread #howtosourdough

Mar 1^st

Winter is harsh. Here's the update on the bees. New video on the channel. (Link in profile) #flowhive #beekeeping #andthentherewasone

Mar 2^nd

This was not the queen I was looking for, but it's the queen I found. Hive Autopsy video on the channel. (Link in Bio) #queenbee #beekeeping #flowhive

Mar 3^rd

March 3, 2007 – Ten years ago today we stood in our field for the first time. This was the first photo I ever took of our property. We didn't own it yet… This was just the first realtor tour. It was a cold snowy day, but there was a whiff of spring in the air. A lot of dreams started forming that day. #timeflies #tenyears #homestead

Mar 5^th

Those temps are In Fahrenheit. With the wind last night it was about -24°C. I'm really glad I got the extra shelter on that little survivor hive. If you haven't seen it, there's a video on the channel! (Link in profile.) #beehive #beekeeping #windbreak #foamboard

Mar 10^th

The survivor bees were alive yesterday. They made it through last weekend's -11F arctic blast… But there is one more coming this weekend. Hang in there, bees. Spring is coming. #beekeeping #sunset #northquabbin

Mar 10^th

There's that #cherrytree again. #northquabbin #winterevening

Mar 15^th

We got about 15" up here. Hive is still looking solid. I hope the bees are cozy. #blizzard #northquabbin #snowshoeing

Mar 27^th

This has been a long March. #donewithwinter

Mar 27^th

Thank you 8000 subscribers! We got a new toy. Video on the YouTube Channel. (Link in Profile) #farmdrone #quadcopter #phantom4pro #onlyonecrashsofar

Apr 2^nd

Still not a sure thing, but there were a few bees flying out of the hive today. A great sight after a month of awful weather. #springanytimewouldbegreatthanks #beekeeping #northquabbin #massachusetts #clouds

Apr 9^th

The hive is ALIVE. And the QUEEN, too! #beekeeping #bees #survivors #springishere

Apr 11^th

Spring is finally here! Come check out what I found inside the hive! New video on YouTube (link on my profile page) #beekeeping #northquabbin #survivors #bees #nojacketrequired

Apr 15^th

#farmdog #saveasato #sato #mossnap

Apr 17^th

The flower show on the big mother apple tree starts in about a week or two. I need to hurry up and prune. #appletree #sunset #procrastination

Apr 19^th

Freshly plowed field. The #bees are going to get a new acre of flowers this summer! #plowing #furrows #northquabbin #massachusetts

Apr 20^th

We've had this tractor since 2010. This is the first time it crossed my mind to try this. So much better than a ladder!#pruning #appletree #fordttactor #farmtractor #ford641 #massachusetts #northquabbin #osha

Apr 20^th

Really glad I didn't have the drone in the air. Two military cargo planes just buzzed the field at about 200-300 feet. #lowplane #outofnowhere #whoa

Apr 28^th

#appletree planting day today. #heirloomapples #massachusetts #northquabbin

Apr 29^th

We have not had flowers on this peach tree for the past two years due to late frosts. I was thinking it might be a goner. #woohoo #peaches #massachusetts #northquabbin

May 1^st

Oh, hello. #asparagus with #garlic in the back. #northquabbin

May 3^rd

The second starter battle video is up on YouTube! (Link in profile) #france vs #finland #sourdough #bread #sourdoughstarter

May 6^th

Lots of activity at the #swarmtrap this afternoon. I don't think there's a colony in there, but this is pretty awesome after just 4 days. #swarmcommander #bees

May 9^th

Using a chainsaw to attract bees? New video on YouTube. #bees #swarmtrap #chainsawbeekeeping

May 12^th

When your plow guy starts tilling your field and his axle snaps off. #thatsucks #bransontractors #farmfail

May 17^th

Ask a Beginner Beekeeper Anything About Beginning Beekeeping. New Video on YouTube. (Link in profile) Ask questions over on the video or right here. I'll be answering on a future video! #ama #qanda #beekeeping #questionsandanswers #bees

May 19^th

#bees #beekeeping #russians #russianbees #russiannucs #russiansdamn

May 19^th

Picked up the nucs and learned first hand about how aggressive Russian bees can be. I'm going to give them some space for the day. #nucs #newbees #russiannucs #russianbees

May 20^th

Finally starting to feel like a bee yard. #newbees #northquabbin #welcomehome

May 20^th

13 years ago, the best dog ever came home. Love you, Pepper! #sato #saveasato #shelterdog #puertoricostreetdog

May 21^st

Two weeks late getting the tomatoes in the ground. Today is the day. #hoophouse #tomatoes #before

May 21^st

30 #tomatoes and 20 #basil in #hoophouse number one. #sauce #bruschetta #after

May 21^st

May 20, 2017. So marks 10 years on the homestead. Feels like we're just getting started. #farmaversary #livingthedream #yeareleven

May 23^rd

This little #russianbee rode home on my dashboard. She and her sisters are now living at the Vinofarm bee yard. Watch the full nuc installation video on YouTube! (Link on my profile) #beekeeping #beehives #massachusetts

May 29^th

Little #redfox in the yard this morning. This is the third sighting in 3 days. #massachusetts #northquabbin #fox

May 31^st

Exactly one year ago, we hit 100 subscribers and I was amazed. Today, I'm amazed by about two orders of magnitude. Thank you! #YouTube #10000

Jun 2^nd

Form AND Function. We added some more trees to the property. We're hoping these grow into a nice wind break hedge. NEW VIDEO on YouTube. Link in Profile. #arborvitae #beeyard #windbreak #beehives #massachusetts #northquabbin

Jun 16^th

The bee yard arborvitae is already making new friends. #birdnest #birdsandbees #northquabbin #massachusetts

Jun 16^th

When your plow guy comes back (the first day after fixing his axel that broke the last time he was in your field) and snaps his rototiller in half. #farmfail #rocks #stones #boulders #thatsucks

Jun 23^rd

Here's the full backstory on the vineyard. Happy Birthday, Mrs. Vinofarm! (Link to YouTube in my profile!) #vineyard #grapes #espalier #appletrees #beetles #fungus #dreams #changeofplans

Jun 25^th

Arborvitae #sparrows hatched and are taking a nap. #birdnest #babybirds #massachusetts

Jun 26^th

An unfortunate find today. #windowstrike #hummingbird

Jul 11^th

I opened the door to the barn today and two little foxes ran out the back. Now I know exactly what #fox #poop looks like.

Jul 12^th

This #blueberry is larger than a quarter.

Jul 14^th

More monster berries. #blueberries

Jul 18^th

Heavy grape situation this year. #organicgrapes #frontenac #northquabbin

Jul 25^th

#tomatohornworm #hornwormmoth #giantmoth #moth #northquabbin #massachusetts

Jul 26^th

Spotted 4 #vineyard bird nests today. Three with eggs, one with tiny babies. #massachusetts #northquabbin #birdwatching #grapes #organicgrapes

Jul 31^st

So how's your Monday morning going? Concrete truck on the way. Hope it holds. #concreteforms #concretepour #fingerscrossed #18thcenturyhomeimprovement

Jul 31^st

Well, that happened without too much drama. #18thcenturyhomeimprovement #concreteforms #concretepour #bulkhead

Aug 2^nd

One of those epic sky evenings. #blueberries #sunset #northquabbin #massachusetts

Aug 6^th

#bulkhead #foundation finally coated. That feels good. This is taking way, way too long. One more coat and we can backfill. #18thcenturyhomeimprovement

Aug 7^th

Is there a color greater than this? #basil #pesto #massachusetts #northquabbin #harvest

Aug 7^th

The Italians have found the #goldenrod and the #pollen rush has begun. #beekeeping #massachusetts #foraging

Aug 8^th

I backfilled a hole today. Sooooo satisfying. #bulkhead #jobsite #18thcenturyhomeimprovement

Aug 10^th

An old forged nail (hook?) with a decorative tail? Anyone? #whatisit #18thcentury #forged #antiquehardware #oldnails

Aug 10^th

Load number 1003 of handpicked rocks. #frigginrocks #frigginglaciers #frigginiceage #northquabbin #fordtractor

Aug 10^th

Waiting for a bulkhead… and spare time to paint the house. #donediggingrocks

Aug 16^th

Removable #bulkhead stairs. #18thcenturyhomeimprovement #solid

Aug 18^th

The most beautiful #bulkhead I've ever seen. #mysummer #over

Aug 18^th

When you're about to leave town and 50 pounds of #organic #peaches needed to be harvested. Now what? #farmproblems

Aug 24^th

Still needs a second coat, but it's no longer an eyesore. #checkingthingsoffthelist

Aug 26^th

New videos on the YouTube. The Italian survivor queen is missing and there's a new queen about to pop. Nothing but queen drama this year. #supercedure #beekeeping #queenbee #circleoflife

Aug 28^th

#verasion is when the grapes turn from green to purple. Looks like it's going to be a good harvest. #frontenac #vineyard #organicgrapes #nospray #northquabbin #massachusetts

Sep 4^th

One of three nice #monarchbutterfly caterpillars on this milkweed plant. I went years without seeing Monarchs but this year they're everywhere. #massachusetts #northquabbin #monarch

Sep 8^th

New YouTube Video… Last week's giant #queencell is gone and now there are 10 new capped #swarmcells in the Italian hive. No evidence of a queen for over two weeks, so I'm thinking they probably won't swarm and these are emergency queens. Trying to decide whether to let the bees handle this OR purchase a mated queen and get them back in business faster. There's only 6 weeks before winter starts to settle in. Looking for advice! #mentorisonvacation #beekeeping #massachusetts

Sep 9^th

Smile, bees. You're about to be on YouTube. #beekeeping #massachusetts #requeening #ripqueenbalboa

Oct 7^th

Antique hive smoker #beekeeping #bees

Oct 8^th

I stole some #honey from our #bees and I feel bad about it… but not too bad. #holycrapthatsgood

Oct 9^th

2 quarts of #honey from one deep and one medium frame. It's not much, but it's our first harvest after two seasons. #massachusetts #northquabbin #beekeeping #thankyoubees #patience

Oct 13^th

October 13, 2007 – The best day, ever. I love my wife and family and friends! #farmwedding #tenyears #bestdayever

Oct 16^th

Making #beekeeping videos. Who knew #bees were such #cameragear nerds? ( #wherelumixgoes This is my #lumixg7 shot with my #lumixg85 )

Oct 18^th

New Video on the YouTube! Link in Profile… #firstharvest #honey #beekeeping #massachusetts #northquabbin #honeyharvest #patience

Oct 22^nd

#monadnock #northquabbin #thousandacreswamp #massachusetts #autumn #phantom4pro

Oct 22^nd

Half the reason we wanted a drone was for Autumn flight photos. #phantom4pro does not disappoint. #massachusetts #northquabbin #autumn #foliage #thehomestead

Oct 23^rd

Fresh #tomatoes on October 23rd in Massachusetts? Thanks, #hoophouse !

Oct 27^th

New video! Flash back Friday! One year ago, I shot a video about how to plant garlic. (Link in Profile!) #garlic #organicgarlic #prefacialhair

Oct 28^th

Want to live in the country? Snakes in the basement are a thing. #massachusetts #milksnake #cohabitation #mousehunter #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Nov 2^nd

Birds are artists. #birdnest #sparrow #massachusetts #northquabbin #birdwatching

Nov 4^th

Last year I bought Vivaldi boards. This year I figured out how to make them. Video coming soon! #vivaldiboard #beekeeping #woodworking #diy #winter

Nov 6^th

Phase one: Vivaldi boards and tar paper. It's a warm day, but no fun in the rain. #beekeeping #winterizing #massachusetts #northquabbin #beehives #vivaldiboard

Nov 7^th

New video! Over on YouTube, I answer a bunch of questions about the #beekeeping #gear I use. (Link in Profile)#beginnerbeekeeping #beekeeping101

Nov 16^th

New video on YouTube! How to make a Vivaldi Board for #overwintering your #beehive …#beekeeping #diy #howto #vivaldiboard #massachusetts #builddontbuy #makingit #woodworking #dewalttools

Nov 23^rd

This turned out way better than I thought it would. #solarpower #microclimate #beekeeping #winterizing #massachusetts #archimedes

Nov 23^rd

Hanging out in the orchard today. #porcupine #massachusetts #northquabbin #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Nov 23^rd

#givingthanks #happy

Nov 25^th

Making sweet treats for bees. If you don't know how to make #fondant there's a video on my channel! Search: (fondant bees) on YouTube! #beekeeping #bees

Dec 17^th

Not much beekeeping going on when it's 2°F (-16c) At least it's not windy. Stay cozy, bees! #winter #northquabbin #massachusetts #bees

Dec 26^th

#grapevine #birdnest #northquabbin #massachusetts

Dec 28^th

1. Acquire brand new fastener case. 2. Carefully fill each compartment all the way up with fasteners. 3. Close latches securely. 4. Lift and carry your case wherever you like. #dontforgetstep3 #usererror #badwords

Dec 31^st

Check out the new 'Outtakes 2017' video on YouTube! Thanks to everyone for the support and all our best wishes to you for 2018! #sunset #bluesnow #2017isover

2016

Jan 19^th

Another perfectly good bird. #windowstrike #chickadee #birdcloseup #apgb

Jan 22^nd

Apple Order 2016! #heirloomapples #appletrees #cantwaitforspring

Feb 2^nd

We are jumping into the world of beekeeping with a brand new Flow Hive from Australia. Check out the unboxing and assembly video on YouTube! (Link is in the bio.) #cantwaitforspring #flowhive #bees #beekeeping

Feb 3^rd

Flow frames have arrived! #beekeeping #bees #flowhive #cantwaitforspring

Feb 24^th

25 pounds of #wildflower seeds arrived today for a new bee-friendly meadow. #beekeeping #wildflowers #honey

Mar 4^th

New camera test on a bitter cold afternoon. #farmdog #shelterdog #saveasato #sato

Apr 10^th

Full halo around the sun right now. #sunhalo #halo #sun

Apr 10^th

Another view of the wicked #sunhalo this afternoon. It hung around for quite a while. #sunbow #22degreehalo

Apr 13^th

#mightymachines have arrived on the farm. #logging #skidder #timberjack

Apr 13^th

#logging #treechipper #contraption

Apr 16^th

Just pick that tree up and put it down. #logging #fellerbuncher #timberjack

Apr 16^th

Gone in 60 seconds. #wholetreechipper #woodchips

Apr 19^th

First snake of the year. Saved this little guy from the rototiller. #gartersnake #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Apr 19^th

One of those epic cloud days. Some freshly tilled soil. Green tips on the tree branches. #spring #accidentalhaiku

Apr 21^st

#blackflies are early this year. And they're hungry.

Apr 23^rd

#pruning #grapevines

Apr 23^rd

Digging holes for 30 new #heirloom #appletrees arriving next week. Anyone need any rocks? I've got rocks.

May 2^nd

#appletree planting day in the rain… The best kind of planting day. #heirloomapples #fordtractor #ford641

May 5^th

#appletree flowers are patiently waiting for some sun and heat. They've been stalled at this stage for a week. #applebuds #appleflowers #latespring

May 6^th

A few rows of goodies planted in the rain today. #garden #brassicas #seeds #ko #planting #dirt

May 7^th

It looks like some #ladysslippers survived the #loggers mayhem and destruction. #ladyslipper #orchid

May 9^th

It's not much, but it'll do for dinner. #firstharvest of 2016! #asparagus #risottoagliasparagi

May 11^th

The Baltimore Oriole has returned, right on time. Welcome back, bird. Have an orange. #baltimoreoriole #orioles #birdsofinstagram #birdwatching #massaudubon

May 12^th

Bird nests are so awesome. #birdnest #nest #birdwatching

May 14^th

We have #bees. #flowhive #beehive #welcomehome

May 14^th

#flowhive #bees #thisisexciting

May 16^th

NEW BEE VIDEOS, people. Link to YouTube on my profile page.

May 18^th

Finally some #appleblossoms on the #appletrees

May 18^th

May 18, 2004 – 12 years ago, the best friend ever came home. Happy anniversary, Pepper! #sato #saveasato #shelterdog

May 19^th

Nine years here. Happy anniversary, homestead.

May 25^th

#amateur #beekeeper #fail (Link to full video on my profile.) #flowhive

May 26^th

#hoophouse number two: Future #tomato and #eggplant jungle.

May 28^th

#flowhive broken comb retrieval and inspection. Video link on my profile page! #bees #beekeeping #honeycomb

May 30^th

#demolition #another20yarddumpster #18thcenturyhomeimprovement

Jun 1^st

#before #18thcenturyhomeimprovement #demolition

Jun 1^st

#5050 #insideout #farmhouse #renovation #hopeitdoesntraintonight

Jun 7^th

Had a little stare-down with a #redfox last night.

Jun 9^th

#dragonfly #hoophouse

Jun 9^th

First #rainbow of 2016.

Jun 10^th

New beehive video on the YouTube. I found the queen! (Link in my profile) #queenbee #flowhive #beehive

Jun 16^th

#window #farmhouse #renovation #jobsite

Jun 24^th

1000 subscribers on YouTube within 6 months!!! I can't believe it. Check out my latest video where I bring you up to speed on the last 9 years. (Link in my profile) #farmhouse #renovation #hoophouse #18thcenturyhomeimprovement #20yarddumpster #termitedamage #peacepole

Jun 28^th

Summer #sunset over the field.

Jul 4^th

It begins… #tomatoes and #blueberries are about to be consumed in bulk. #

Jul 10^th

The #wildflower meadow is coming along nicely. #bees #beekeeping #flowhive

Jul 13^th

Only the second snake I've seen all year. #gartersnake

Jul 14^th

Hot day today. #bees cooling off at the entrance at sunset. #flowhive #beekeeping #hotbees

Jul 15^th

It's great to know a tree guy and have a lot of space to take wood chips. Thanks, Todd!!!#woodchips #northquabbintree #northquabbin #beehive #beeyard #treetruck

Jul 17^th

Working on the #electric #bear #fence around the #beehive #beeyard and this sweet #sunset appeared over the #fordtractor and the #flowhive. #eclectictagging

Jul 17^th

Building an electrified bear fence around the #beeyard. Work in progress. The electric bits arrive this week! #flowhive #needmorehivesnow

Jul 18^th

7 pounds of #blueberries from the first three rows. Three rows to go this afternoon when things cool off.

Jul 19^th

@abbynewbold The #vinofarmcommute comes with fresh tomatoes. Does your boat have fresh tomatoes???

Jul 19^th

#faceseverywhere #facesinthings

Jul 19^th

#hammock #cherrytree #justintimeforautumn

Jul 22^nd

I got a #mediumsuper for the beehive. Video coming soon! #adorable #bees #flowhive

Jul 26^th

15 minute #rainbow tonight and it didn't even rain. More like a #humiditybow

Jul 31^st

Well, summer sure was fun. #autumninjuly

Aug 7^th

Fresh #tomato and #basil #pizza for dinner tonight.

Aug 8^th

#Frontenac #verasion #wine #vineyard #organicgrapes

Aug 11^th

#pollen coming in fast and heavy. #beekeeping #flowhive #bees #hugepollenbaskets

Aug 12^th

We have frogs that hang out on our front door. #doorfrogs

Aug 14^th

#dog vs #porcupine close call this evening! First time I've ever seen a live porcupine in the wild.

Aug 14^th

#Bees doing orientation flights this afternoon. #beekeeping #flowhive

Aug 16^th

Bedroom project started at the end of May. #homestretch #farmhouse #renovation #18thcenturyhomeimprovement #floorfinishing #widepine

Aug 17^th

Top coat on the antique #widepine floor boards. This stuff is over 200 years old. #18thcenturyhomeimprovement #renovation #farmhouse #pleaseletthisprojectend

Aug 18^th

#reclaimedwood to be used for baseboards and window trim. I've been cannibalizing all the old doors and other parts of the house we removed during demo and putting them back into the new work. #farmhouse #renovation #18thcenturyhomeimprovement

Aug 29^th

@knottycoppertop visits @vinofarm for a hive inspection… And it turned into a three part YouTube video! (Link to part ONE in my profile) #flowhive #beekeeping #hivewinterizing #varroa #knottycoppertop #bees

Sep 17^th

Dead varroa mites. Sooooo glad I did the treatment. #flowhive #varroa #maqs #beekeeping #beehive

Sep 21^st

New video on YouTube! #carpenterbees #mating #bees #sexytime #bowchickawowwow

Sep 23^rd

The #bees are loving the #sunchokes today. #autumn #jerusalemartichokes #beekeeping #flowhive

Oct 8^th

#field #moon #sunset #october #northquabbin

Oct 25^th

Late October #tomatoes are sweet, but a bit chilly. #hoophouse #northquabbin

Oct 30^th

This little baby #bee rode down the hill on my jacket. So I walked her back up to the hive. #newbee #flowhive #beekeeping #vinofarmwildlifesanctuary

Nov 4^th

#cherrytree #sunset #northquabbin

Nov 7^th

Well, I'd say tomato season is over. #hoophouse #sniff

Nov 13^th

Waiting for a super moon.

Nov 19^th

Last day of #beekeeping of the year…. And first #beesting of the year. Almost made it a whole season. #sniff

Nov 25^th

It's been an amazing year learning about two amazing things: Bees and YouTube… The final bee episode is up on my channel. (Link on my profile) #beekeeping #flowhive #bees #thankyou

Dec 10^th

14°F (-10°C) last night. Winter is here.

Dec 11^th

#beehive moving day! #beekeeping #ratchetstraps

Dec 14^th

First real snow on the hives and I realized I need to add some awnings to my foam insulation design. Melting snow was dripping down onto the landing boards and going into the hives. Still learning every day. #beekeeping #beehive #snowdog #northquabbin

Dec 14^th

If you haven't subscribed to the channel yet, now would be a good time! #subscribe #youtube

Dec 17^th

6-9 inches of snow this morning. I got the new plastic awnings installed before the freezing rain hits. Stay warm, bees! #beekeeping #flowhive #beehives #northquabbin

Dec 18^th

8" of snow yesterday. 50°F (10C) today. Everything melts. #fog #dog #vineyard

Dec 27^th

I love this tree. #northquabbin #sunset #cherrytree

Dec 30^th

Good morning. #morninglight #cherrytree #northquabbin #bobross

2015

Jan 11^th

The boy got an easel for his 4th birthday and promptly composed his first still life. #pear #kidart

Jan 13^th

New #sourdough starter has been activated. #kingarthurflour

Jan 14^th

Got my hands back into #sourdough after far too long. Photo by the 4 year old. #kingarthurflour #bertinet #flourwatersalt

Jan 14^th

#sourdough A 4 year old composed this photo by himself. #prouddad

Jan 20^th

Thank you, @funnyonceaday for the fantastic platform feeder! #birdfeeder

Jan 26^th

The bread aisle is INSANE today, just 8 hours before a #blizzard apocalypse. #hannaford #stockingworldchamps

Jan 27^th

It's so windy there's more snow INSIDE the #hoophouse than on top of the hoophouse. #blizzarddynamics #bernoulli

Jan 31^st

A pair of #hawks surveying the field on a sunny afternoon. Photo taken with an iphone through a child's telescope. #redtailedhawk #massaudubon

Feb 9^th

Check out this #snowdrift. (I've added a 17' wide, 11' tall, 50' long #hoophouse for scale.)

Feb 10^th

Almost 3 feet of snow on the ground, but I have to admit… Spring is in the air. #bluesky

Feb 21^st

The new #apple tree catalog is here! The new apple tree catalog is here! #fruittrees

Feb 27^th

Does this snow look WHITE or BLUE to you? #thedress

Mar 3^rd

@funnyonceaday Thanks for the jar of seeds! How many bagels did you have to scrape to harvest all of these? #poppyseeds

Mar 8^th

Back in the saddle. #sourdough #flourwatersalt #bertinet

Mar 19^th

3/17/10 – Every year around mid-March, I take a hike through the woods to survey the property and see what the winter left behind. There's this patch of #snowdrops that pops up every season out there and it's always the very first flower I see, anywhere on our land. This year, we still have 2 feet of snow and bitter cold covering this spot. It feels like the snowdrops are still a month away. #tbt #springplease

Mar 20^th

Fresh powder on the first day of Spring! #sonofabitch

Mar 21^st

Winter is officially over. Tomato seeds are about to touch soil. #tomatoseeds #johnnysseeds #hoophouse #shiftinggears #seeds

Mar 25^th

#tomato sprouts appear. One of the best days of the year. #seeds #seedlings #spring

Apr 4^th

A hint of garden. #melt #hoophouse

Apr 4^th

Grass finally poking through the field snow. #mudseason #melt #clouds

Apr 7^th

Finally… #snowdrops. Only 3 weeks late.

Apr 9^th

April 14, 2007 – #tbt – That day we bought our first tractor. It was a 1948 #farmall #superA that started with a hand crank. We used it for three seasons and then found a 1961 Ford 641 with a loader that better suited our needs. The guy that bought this one from US went in to fully restore it to parade quality in 2011. #farmtractor #oldtractor #craigslist

Apr 10^th

#soggy #foggy #doggy

Apr 13^th

#pruning #handtools #appletrees

Apr 16^th

An afternoon #cloudbow appears.

Apr 17^th

April 16, 2008 – Pepper poses with some of the boulders we dug out of the garden. #tbt #shelterdog #sato

Apr 19^th

#sourdough baking day. I used a #bertinet mix/shape and a #tartine Dutch oven bake… I've never had a crust this crisp before. It's crackling on the counter.

Apr 20^th

Apr 21^st

70 tomato plants potted up today. #sungold are the old standbys, but we're trying 4 new varietals this year. #seedlings #hoophouse

Apr 21^st

Another happy Spring moment: The day the #basil seedlings start to smell like basil.

Apr 27^th

The #blackbears are up and making the rounds. (@funnyonceaday – I just took your feeder in two nights ago.)

Apr 28^th

19 of 30 apple tree holes dug today with the greatest shovel ever. A box of apple trees arrives tomorrow! #kingofspades #appletrees

Apr 30^th

Apple trees have arrived. #progrock

May 3^rd

May 5^th

Our Baltimore #oriole has arrived! Welcome back. Have an orange.

May 7^th

May 6, 2012 – Kitchen demo day. This is the view from the kitchen, through the old timber framed floor, down into the basement. #tbt #timberframing #farmhouse #renovation #themoneypit

May 10^th

This kind of stuff popping up everywhere in May is the counterbalance to the black flies. #appletrees #appleflowers #apples

May 11^th

Another happy spring moment… First round of #tomato plants are in the Earth. #hoophouse

May 13^th

We set up the telescope and have a front row seat to the Baltimore Oriole weaving her nest. Totally fascinating! #baltimoreoriole #oriole #nestbuilding

May 14^th

Heirloom apple tree in full blossom. This one only flowers on the odd years. #appletrees #appleflowers

May 14^th

#birdnest progress for the day. Work stopped around 7pm and there's nobody around tonight. This little #oriole was working like a sewing machine. #baltimoreoriole #birdwatching #birding #massaudubon

May 14^th

The #birdnest is looking great today. #baltimoreoriole #oriole #birding #birdwatching

May 14^th

It's going to be a cold night tonight. #hoophouse #tomatoes

May 14^th

May 15, 2009 – That day we installed the plastic on our first hoophouse. #tbt #hoophouse #safetyfirst

May 15^th

Ready for eggs. #birdnest #baltimoreoriole

May 17^th

This will be a tomato jungle in two months. #hoophouse #tomatoes

May 17^th

Sourdough bread just came out of the oven. Listen to that crust crackle. #sourdough #crust #bread #flourwatersalt

May 17^th

More #tomatoes are in the ground. #hoophouse

May 18^th

And so begins year nine on the farm. #farmiversary

May 22^nd

Just started demo on this year's big construction project. The last renovation of this room survived 40 years and one month. #farmhouse #renovation

May 23^rd

#tomato flowers in the #hoophouse

May 23^rd

Leaving air gaps in exterior sheathing wasn't really a big deal in the 18th century. #demolition #timberframing #farmhouse #renovation

May 23^rd

Stopping point for the day. I hope nobody is offended that I don't intend to keep this construction "period authentic". This construction has stood for 200+ years, but I bet those old colonial farmers would have used #zipsystem sheathing if they had it back then. Now we know why this back corner was always so chilly. #farmhouse #renovation #postandbeam #demo

May 31^st

A chilly, rainy day… Perfect for stringing up some tomato plants. #tomatoes #hoophouse

Jun 6^th

New:Old #farmhouse #renovation

Jun 6^th

New framing. New view. #farmhouse #renovation

Jun 6^th

American Chestnut lumber from our 18th century farm house. #americanchestnut #reclaimedwood #farmhouse #renovation

Jun 9^th

Job site. Nearing completion of phase one… Framing, flooring windows, sheathing. #farmhouse #renovation

Jun 9^th

Starting to look like a house again. #farmhouse #renovation #zipsystem

Jun 10^th

That's better. #farmhouse #renovation

Jun 18^th

I took a few months off from my real job but I have a gig tomorrow and I'm cramming for the test. That table feels taller than I remember. #thejimshow #likea45yearoldcat

Jun 23^rd

Jacking up a ceiling… 17th century 3×5" chestnut joists spaced 24" apart and spanning 12 feet? I think we'll add a bit more support. #farmhouse #renovation #postandbeam

Jun 23^rd

Jun 25^th

Finally… We have some metal on the roof! #standingseam #metalroof #farmhouse #renovation #zipsystem

Jul 8^th

Tomatoes are finally starting to come in a week and a half late… Not many yet, but enough for lunch! #tomatoes #sungold #hoophouse

Jul 8^th

Blueberry season has begun! #blueberries #cheerios

Jul 9^th

I didn't see a hummingbird until I was 38 years old. Then I started seeing about one or two per year and it was always thrilling. We put up a feeder two weeks ago and now there are several that come have a sip every 3-5 minutes all day long. So cool. #hummingbird #birdwatching

Jul 10^th

@funnyonceaday Can I get my photos on fleek? What's the URL?

Jul 13^th

The #canning #tomato jungle is coming right along. #hoophouse #tomatoes

Jul 14^th

10.5 pounds of #blueberries tonight.

Jul 17^th

This little bird just smashed into the window. She seems a bit dazed, but I think she'll survive. TIL: Female Scarlet Tanagers are not scarlet at all. #scarlettanager #birdcloseup #birdwatching

Jul 19^th

#Blueberries – 13.5 pounds today with the family.

Jul 20^th

Another bird rescue at the Vinofarm Wildlife Sanctuary and Window Emporium. #birdcloseup #birdwatching #windowstrike

Jul 20^th

Hot summer night. #hoophouse #tomatoes

Jul 24^th

This has been a good year for rainbows. #doublerainbow

Jul 30^th

Last winter must have been rough on the local frog population. It's the end of July and this is only the second frog or toad I've seen all year. This little guy is hanging on our front door. #graytreefrog #frog

Jul 31^st

#siding #dormers on a #metalroof today. #jobsite #standingseam #gettingclose

Aug 3^rd

It's the year of the birds here at Vinofarm HQ. This dude just landed on the deck. Lost #homingpigeon

Aug 4^th

ONE panel left and the lightning storm/tornado warning hits… Time to get off the metal roof. #standingseam #farmhouse #renovation #metalroof

Aug 6^th

Another perfectly good bird. Is there a problem with Earth's magnetic field or are our windows just too clean? #apgb #windowstrike #birdcloseup

Aug 7^th

A #hummingbird doesn't mind if you stand right next to their feeder with an iphone.

Aug 8^th

#tomatoes #eggplant #garlic #august

Aug 9^th

#apple and #pear #orchard ripeness sampler.

Aug 10^th

Ridiculously photogenic farm dog. #sato #saveasato #shelterdog #farmdog

Aug 11^th

Masked off and ready for some #sprayfoam #insulation tomorrow. #polyisocyanurate

Aug 13^th

Expandy Foam Day 2015 complete. Next up: Sheetrock. #sprayfoam #polyisocyanurate #insulation

Aug 13^th

#fungi #mushroom #circleoflife

Aug 19^th

#Garlic haul of 2015

Aug 24^th

Another perfectly good bird. #sparrow #birdcloseup #windowstrike #birddog #apgb

Aug 24^th

#dragonfly swarm… Probably 100 of these buggers flying in tight circles. I've never seen this before. #dragonflies

Aug 25^th

Here we go again. #sheetrock #mudding #drywall #farmhouse #renovation

Aug 27^th

One of the best tools ever invented. #drywall #panellift #farmhouse #renovation #diy

Sep 1^st

What kind of bird builds its nest in the ground? Never seen this before. #groundnest #blueeggs #birdwatching #birdnest

Sep 3^rd

#goldfinch number one #windowstrike #birdcloseup #birdwatching #apgb

Sep 3^rd

#goldfinch number two… 3 minutes later. Ugh. #windowstrike #birdcloseup #birdwatching #apgb

Sep 8^th

Mud is done. Finally in painting phase. #primer #farmhouse #renovation

Sep 9^th

Painting is finished. Now I just need to install trim, install floors, build two hearths, finish floors, install baseboard and electrical fixtures. Almost done! #farmhouse #renovation #diy

Sep 10^th

#sunchokes #september

Sep 12^th

A #graytreefrog hanging it all out on our front door last night. #frogpose #frogs

Sep 12^th

#soapstone sink, before and after. This is going to be a hearth. #farmhouse #renovation #reclaimed #stone

Sep 13^th

#powerwashing the deck is so #satisfying

Sep 14^th

Disassembling these old pine doors to use the lumber to trim the new windows. #reclaimedwood #farmhouse #renovation #patina

Sep 16^th

Finished the deck with 3 gallons of penetrating oil… and a paintbrush. #icingmyback #deck #penofin

Sep 21^st

#organicapples #september #fallinnewengland #crimsoncrisp

Sep 24^th

Our new/old floor at the lumberyard. #widepine #flooring #whitepine #farmhouse #renovation #mannlumber

Sep 25^th

2015 #grapeharvest begins… #leonmillot #organicgrapes

Sep 25^th

#grapeharvest 2015… It ain't much, but it is more than we've had for the past three years combined. 105lbs of #Frontenac #leonmillot #LaCrescent

Sep 25^th

Crushing and de-stemming only took about 3 hours by hand. #winemaking #handcrushed #pinkhands #crusherdestemmer

Sep 25^th

105 pounds of grapes turned into about 9 gallons of juice and pulp. #winemaking #homegrown #homemade #vino

Sep 29^th

#soapstone project is coming along. This is hearth number two. Final stone shaping and placement today.

Sep 29^th

This is hearth number one. Hopefully gluing and grouting tomorrow. All this stone is #reclaimed from antique sinks. #alberenesoapstone #soapstone #farmhouse #renovation

Oct 2^nd

#soapstone project part 37… Base stones are glued and ready for grout. Still need to cut face stones. #reclaimed #stone #farmhouse #renovation #stonehearth

Oct 5^th

Epic #October #sunset

Oct 6^th

2015 #LeonMillot / #Frontenac has been racked. #winemaking #homemade #homegrown

Oct 8^th

That crisp #October light.

Oct 8^th

#flooring is coming along. #widepine #farmhouse #renovation #jobsite

Oct 12^th

Nobody is going to see this detail on the floor because it will be behind a couch. So you should look at it now. LOOK AT IT. #woodfloor #handcarved #handhewnbeams #widepine #farmhouse #renovation #lookatit

Oct 13^th

8th wedding anniversary gift is supposed to be sawdust, right? I sure hope it's sawdust. Happy Renoversary, @thebreeshow !!! #october13th ???

Oct 14^th

Sanded and ready for #polyurethane tomorrow. #widepine #whitepine #flooring #farmhouse #renovation

Oct 15^th

That crisp #October frost.

Oct 16^th

#flooring #topcoat #widepine #farmhouse #renovation #polyurethane #satisfying

Oct 18^th

Baseboards installed. Almost ready for furniture. This thing started in May. #farmhouse #renovation #patience

Oct 25^th

Another perfectly good bird. #apgb #tuftedtitmouse #windowstrike #birdcloseup

Nov 5^th

Here we go again. #floorsanding #widepine #whiteoak #farmhouse #renovation

Nov 5^th

Sanding done. First coat tomorrow. I can see the finish line. #farmhouse #renovation #whiteoak

Nov 7^th

Top coat is down. Sofa king satisfying. #renovation #farmhouse #widepine #whiteoak

Nov 8^th

#Farmhouse kitchen-henge #sunset over the new #whiteoak floors.

Nov 19^th

A couple live-edge #blackwalnut shelves with one coat of #danishoil so far. #Farmhouse #renovation #details

Nov 20^th

Another perfectly good bird. He was a little dazed but flew away after a couple minutes. #tuftedtitmouse #windowstrike #apgb #birdcloseup

Nov 20^th

Finishing some #blackwalnut projects today. This is a live edge piece that was a cutoff from the bar. #Farmhouse #renovation #details

Nov 20^th

Finally got around to putting a top coat on the #blackwalnut bar top. #renovation #Farmhouse #details #liveedge #bar

Nov 23^rd

Last night's sunset was impossible to capture with a phone, but I tried. #sunset

Nov 29^th

This has been the mildest autumn I can remember; making late-November gardening possible. The #garlic will be planted in December this year. #nobugs #nosweat #illtakeit

Nov 30^th

A rare inverted triangle ice spike formation in the birdbath. #icespike #ballydorseymodel #reversicle

Dec 7^th

Turing soil on a balmy December morning. #plowman #plowing #pasture

Dec 12^th

The #garlic was planted into warm December soil today. 60°F in Massachusetts. No sign of winter.

Dec 12^th

I built a home for wayward shoes and it's everything I hoped it would be. #farmhouse #renovation #shoedenza #organization #shoeporn

Dec 14^th

Tractor tuneup day… One of those jobs I happily pay a professional $118.00 to take care of. #carburetor #fordtractor #ford641

Dec 16^th

Another warm, sunny December day. The #garlic and #asparagus have been tucked in for the winter.

Dec 21^st

Boston, Massachusetts December 20, 2015 #elnino #globalwarming #wtf

Dec 23^rd

An unexpected box arrived today!!! #flowhive #bees #cantwaitforspring

Dec 27^th

A study in brown, grey and gray. #fog #farmdog

Dec 27^th

#farmdog #saveasato #lichen

2014

Jan 1^st

I wish I had thought of this 7 winters ago.

Jan 2^nd

A new year, a new sourdough.

Jan 8^th

Let the mudding begin.

Jan 21^st

The homestead doesn't look so much like a construction site from a distance.

Jan 23^rd

Farmhouse kitchen sunset. The days are getting longer.

Jan 27^th

Winter sunset. Too bad I couldn't get up the hill in time to see the full show.

Feb 11^th

Opening the 5th bucket of mud for the project that will not end.

Feb 17^th

Paint. So we're almost finished, right? Right?

Feb 20^th

#tbt – May 2012 – That time I gutted my kitchen all the way down to the dirt floor in the basement.

Feb 22^nd

Feb 27^th

#tbt – January 2013 – That time I finished the gutted-kitchen project with a built-in bench

Mar 5^th

21 new shelves. That's a lot of shelves.

Mar 6^th

#tbt March 2009 – That time I prepped the first 10 rows of the vineyard with our old 1948 #Farmall #Super-A.

Mar 6^th

Knee-wall-closet-storage-cubby #renovation project part: 5 subsection: 3

Mar 13^th

March 2010 – That time we got our new (to us) 1961 #Ford #641 #Workmaster – I can't believe we spent 3 seasons here without a loader.

Mar 17^th

#Tomato seeds are in soil… Sapho, Sungold, and Mountain Magic. Hoping for a May 1st hoop house planting.

Mar 17^th

Finished that closet-storage cubby-shelf array.

Mar 18^th

Old Floor, meet New Floor.

Mar 20^th

March 3, 2007 – The very first photo I ever took of this place, the day we looked at the house. This was during the realtor tour where you are told vague lies for 90 minutes.

Mar 23^rd

Mar 27^th

March 2009 – The first time we burned a brush pile, we lit it with matches and newspaper and it took over an hour just to get it started. The next year, I learned that you can buy a flame thrower on the internet and hook it up to your gas grill tank.

Mar 27^th

John Higby Yo-Yo art collection. One piece going way back to 1997! #johnhigby

Apr 2^nd

Windows open. Painting pine.

Apr 2^nd

When you start handling 220 grit sandpaper and polyurethane, you know the project is coming to a close.

Apr 2^nd

Evening walk. I'm not wearing a coat. I can smell someone grilling. I hear woodcocks. This winter was a gigantic April fools prank.

Apr 3^rd

April 2008 – While laying out and digging the garden, we found a few rocks.

Apr 7^th

The Outswing Thumb Latch Box Strike. Lost for 7 months, unable to be ordered online… She has been found.

Apr 13^th

I was supposed to plant #garlic in November. Oh well. I put it in today. We'll see what happens.

Apr 15^th

#Thumb-latch Tuesday. Here's a sweet outswinger with an offset bar and locking lever.

Apr 16^th

I haven't been able to do anything productive outdoors during the last two days of extreme wind and rain… Today I wake up to this. #weatherwhiningwednesday

Apr 16^th

Wood-handled tools ready for dirt.

Apr 17^th

This is not part of a Halloween costume. I wish I had taken a 'before' photo. #scythe #throwbacklawnmower

Apr 20^th

Potting up hoop house tomatoes.

Apr 24^th

April 2009 – Building the first hoop house. This was the day we had 22 yards of pea stone dumped for the ground cover.

Apr 27^th

Here we go. #apples

Apr 29^th

Swing set is built. 12 yards of sand arrives tomorrow. Time to play.

May 1^st

May 2, 2009 – The first 1/4 acre of #grapevines are planted. One of the best days ever.

May 2^nd

I'll bet that felt great. #bear #poop

May 3^rd

Hello, asparagus nubbins. I'll be eating you later this week.

May 6^th

This is a photo of a woodcock and her four woodcocklings right after they narrowly escaped a tractor accident. #wood #cock

May 8^th

May 2010 – It was a great year for Lady's Slippers. #orchid

May 8^th

#asparagus #risotto soon.

May 9^th

Cool, rainy day, but we were able to put some #tomato plants in the ground. #sungold #hoophouse

May 9^th

Garden cooking season starts off with a bang. #asparagus #chive #risotto

May 10^th

$5 at a yard sale and I'm ready for the zombie apocalypse. #billhook #oldtools

May 12^th

I've been on the lookout for one of these for a couple years, but didn't want to spend $100. However, $5 at a yard sale sounds just fine to me. #oldtools #peavey #logging

May 14^th

Sad raspberry patch hopefully rejuvenated. Rough winter.

May 15^th

Pruning was miserable yesterday. Not today…. COME AT ME, BROS. #blackflies

May 15^th

May 15, 2004 – That day we met out little pup at Cape Ann Animal Aid in Gloucester, MA. Rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico and brought to snowy New England. Her shelter name was Vicky, but she was Pepper by the time she got home. Still the best friend, ever. #10years #capeannanimalaid #sato #saveasato

May 16^th

Disc harrow welding repair. Best $65 I've spent in a long time. Thank you, Wright's Welding.

May 19^th

For the past 5 years, I've noticed a group of 3-4 Baltimore orioles arriving in our yard during the first week of May. 1-2 weeks later, a hanging nest appears in the same tree, on the same branch. For the past two years, I've noticed oriole babies in the nest. It's amazing to me that these birds could go anywhere on the continent, but they keep coming back to the same tree in our yard, year after year, every summer. We've recently learned how much they love oranges. Welcome back, orioles.

May 19^th

Today is our 10th May 19th together. Happy anniversary, Pepper. #sato #shelterdog

May 19^th

Today is our 7th May 19th together. Happy anniversary, dandelions.

May 20^th

Sometimes, decisions have to be made. #vineyard #circleoflife #happysad

May 21^st

Keeping the infrastructure, but trying something new here…

May 21^st

A box of whips. Very exciting. #fuji #gingergold #empire #zestar

May 22^nd

Very happy with this year's #compost. The voles and snakes seem to love it, too.

May 22^nd

May 23, 2007 – Our old house came with an old stone bakery. It stopped being a bakery 5 years before we moved in, but it will be something again, someday. This wall is one of the only spots on the property that doesn't have termite colonies.

May 22^nd

Overcast and rainy… A perfect day for planting trees!

May 24^th

Outside the kitchen window tonight… #blackbear #bigbear #bear

May 29^th

May 2013 – Our first #blackbear sighting. He was back again last week, and also about 10 minutes ago… In the middle of the day. Watching my back. #bear

May 29^th

Hoophouse number 2 foundation. 32 ground posts driven in today. #hoophouse #garden

May 29^th

#Robins in the woodshed. #hungrybirds

May 31^st

In the midst of #hoophouse construction. Crazy light after a crazy downpour.

Jun 2^nd

Lodi, Lodi, Winesap, Winesap, UltraMac, UltraMac #apples

Jun 4^th

Only a few Lady's Slippers this year, but this one is nice. #ladyslipper #orchid #eatenalivebymosquitoes

Jun 4^th

Future pesto. #basil

Jun 4^th

Jun 5^th

June 7, 2007 – Our first meager garden. Tomatoes, peppers and cabbage; random seedlings that the previous owners had left for us when they moved out. I still remember planting those seedlings about a week before this. It was my very first time sleeping here and I woke up with the sun at about 5:30… Wide awake and completely excited. I was out in the garden, in the dirt, at 5:45AM planting vegetables. I remember it was totally silent, no wind, calm, peaceful. Suddenly, I heard a gentle 'wooshing' sound overhead. I looked up, and there was a giant Great Blue Heron cruising over me at treetop height, heading straight toward the rising sun. It was magical. I still see herons flying overhead regularly, but never that low. I still have that hose.

Jun 10^th

Calm evening, light breeze, dog on deck. #peace

Jun 11^th

Jun 11^th

#Groundhog eating my #poppies

Jun 12^th

June 17, 2007 – My first time driving a farm tractor… A 1954 Ford NAA Jubilee. The tractor was borrowed, but we still have those discs. We got the property only a month earlier and didn't have a lawn mower yet. We used the discs to knock down the 4' tall grass and weeds growing in the orchard. #fordnaa #naa #fordjubilee #fordtractor

Jun 15^th

Happy Hoophouse Day to all the other hoophouses out there. #hoophouse

Jun 16^th

#monarch #butterfly and #chives #soundslikearisotto

Jun 16^th

Teaching the 3.5 year old about ramps. #xgames

Jun 19^th

June 15, 2011 – Double rainbow, all the way. #doublerainbow #alltheway

Jun 21^st

#Tomatoes are a little bit behind, but it's been really cold at night up here. Finally got around to mulching and twining today. #hoophouse

Jun 22^nd

Wicked #clouds today on #route2

Jun 23^rd

#Route2 #clouds #again

Jun 23^rd

Jun 26^th

#hoophouse is ready for plastic but it's been too windy to attempt for 3 days now. Waiting.

Jun 26^th

June 27, 2013 – One year ago, our backyard was a massive construction site… AKA: Toddler Playground. #tbt

Jun 27^th

Finally. #nowind #hoophouse

Jul 2^nd

Biggest spider I've ever seen in the house. Almost 3 inches long! Big web over the toddler's bed. #spiderbaby #arachnid #creepy

Jul 3^rd

#Sunset after the storm.

Jul 3^rd

I thought it was a small bird flopping around in the grass. Nope… #Tomato #Hornworm #Moth

Jul 5^th

This looks like fun… Just parked on the side of the road. #athol #70s #scrambler #gijoe #amphibious

Jul 5^th

The cold spring has pushed back the bruschetta by almost two weeks. #sungold #patience #steadyholdholdhold

Jul 6^th

#sungold #tomatoes

Jul 9^th

Hand sanded oak railing pieces. I can't feel my hands.

Jul 9^th

I converted an old, dead wheelbarrow into a flatbed tool-tote / project-cart. I wish I had thought of this 7 years ago. #farmsolutions #wheelbarrow #homestead #hacks

Jul 12^th

Another lovely visit to @lincolnpeak vineyard. #vermont #vineyard #fieldtrip

Jul 13^th

Best meal in #Burlington VT. If there were more restaurants like this, there would be more vegetarians in the world. Awesome food, @revkitchvt #revolutionkitchen #vegetarian #vermont #fieldtrip

Jul 15^th

Loft Before: Toddler safety hazard.

Jul 15^th

Loft After: Antique Oak and steel safety railings. Demo on this project began 11 months ago. Finally friggin' finished. Time to open a new project. #farmhouse #renovation #handmade

Jul 21^st

100 feet of new/old #hoophouse Today is dismantling day. #craigslist #treasure

Jul 22^nd

It doesn't look like 6 hours of work, but this baby is ready for pickup. 90°F two days in a row and I'm beat. #hoophouse #craigslist #greenhouse

Jul 24^th

Last year at this time I was yanking a few dozen diseased canning tomato plants. I will never grow tomatoes out in the rain again. #tomato #hoophouse #canning #greenhouse

Jul 28^th

#blueberries are coming in strong. 15lbs in the last couple days.

Jul 29^th

The herb garden smells like perfume. #basil #oregano #tarragon #cilantro #dill #lavender #sage #lemonverbena #chives #herbs

Jul 31^st

#hensandchicks and #lichen on the old stone wall.

Jul 31^st

July 31, 2010 – The pregnant wife shoveling up our first major demo project in the house. No visible piece of wood or plaster in this photo exists anymore (except the pine floor in the foreground, which will be gone next summer.) #tbt #demolition #farmhouse #renovation #pregnantdemo #termites #horrorwiring #rodentmummies #moneypit

Jul 31^st

10 more pounds tonight. That brings us to about 35 so far this year. And we're only about halfway. #blueberries #bumpercrop

Aug 3^rd

Freezer is packed full of #blueberries. Time to start #canning.

Aug 3^rd

I'm getting bored of picking 10 pounds of #blueberries every other night. There were probably 15 more pounds just hanging out there ready for picking. Ugh. Send help. #weregonnnaneedabiggerfreezer

Aug 7^th

It's a beautiful night for #canning. Although, I'd probably be canning even if it wasn't.

Aug 7^th

August 3, 2010 – So, you want to buy an old farmhouse? You should probably hire a home inspector that isn't a complete jackass. This is our dining room. It's all better now, but here's the BS was uncovered behind every freshly painted wall and shiny floor the previous owners left for us. #termites #renovation #farmhouse #tbt #notbitter

Aug 9^th

Every night in August. You should come visit. #aubergine #eggplant #blueberries #tomatoes #harvest #dinner

Aug 11^th

TurkeyVulture-nado

Aug 11^th

I've been sanding this deck for 5 hours and I still don't know karate.

Aug 14^th

August 15, 2011 – At the fabrication shop with our #soapstone slabs. These pieces of stone now live in our kitchen. #tbt

Aug 16^th

Almost no wood on this property can be split with an axe. That pile of split wood is from TWO 3' diameter rounds. Two hours of work with a 20 ton splitter. #oak #cordwood #logging #frustration

Aug 19^th

Fifty. #blueberries #canning #fin

Aug 21^st

August 21, 2013 – Demolition uncovers all sorts of treasure. #farmhouse #renovation #rodentmummies #sothatswhatthatsmellwas

Aug 21^st

New #roofing materials unloading off the #boomtruck. Hoping to finish this project before it snows.

Aug 23^rd

Sunset #grapes in the #vineyard – #leonmillot

Aug 28^th

'Tis the season…. First 25 pounds of #canning #tomatoes. (And I can't believe I'm still picking blueberries.)

Aug 28^th

Red wine, eggplant, tomato and basil #risotto. Veggies from the garden. #cabernetfranc wine made with #UMass grown grapes!

Aug 28^th

This is the 5th #soapstone sink to land on the homestead. Two are in the kitchen. This one and the remaining two are being transformed into a sweet hearth for the wood stove. #stonesink

Aug 28^th

How to remove a 400 pound #soapstone sink from your minivan… all by yourself. #hyperlapse #leverage #gravity

Aug 28^th

August 30, 2013 – Mixing concrete with one foot in the living room and one foot in the basement. #tbt #farmhouse #renovation #concreteparty

Aug 31^st

#garlic #harvest

Sep 1^st

It's about time for a new roof. #farmhouse #renovation

Sep 2^nd

200+ years ago, they used beefy 5"x5" rafters, but they spaced them 36" on center. Thirty six friggin inches. #farmhouse #demolition #renovation #horsehair

Sep 3^rd

Hello, backyard! #farmhouse #renovation #demolition #dormer

Sep 4^th

#tbt – Insulation from the past… Gold Bond Rock Wool. National Gypsum Company, Buffalo, NY. Check out the car in the garage. #farmhouse #renovation #demolition

Sep 5^th

18th century notched and pegged rafter tail sitting on 21st century Advantech sheathing. #americanchestnut #timberframing #handhewn #farmhouse #renovation

Sep 6^th

We're not cooking meth in here… just fixing the roof, officer. #sheathingbad

Sep 9^th

My boy had the biggest zucchini in all the land. #zucchini #prouddad #blueribbon

Sep 11^th

September 8, 2009 – The first time I saw live, active #termites. That's what's left of an 8×8" solid wooden sill beam. The entire east side of our house looked like this, but was covered up by a nice fresh coat of paint before we bought it. #sill #renovation #farmhouse #themoneypit #inspectorfail

Sep 12^th

49 pounds of #canning #tomatoes tonight brings us to around 150lbs for the year so far. We're not even half way through. The #hoophouse is already starting to pay for itself. Never grow tomatoes outdoors, people!

Sep 13^th

#treepruning day on the #silvermaple

Sep 16^th

#sunset and #sunchokes

Sep 18^th

Dormer number one. #roofing #framing #advantech

Sep 18^th

View from Dormer number one. #dormer #roofing #renovation #farmhouse #framing #advantech

Sep 18^th

50 more pounds. 200 so far. #canning #tomatoes #hoophouse

Sep 19^th

Wicked #clouds over the farm today.

Sep 24^th

Dormer progress. These things take time. #farmhouse #renovation #roofing

Sep 24^th

Expandy foam day 2014! #polyisocyanurate

Sep 24^th

Expandy Foam video. #farmhouse #renovation #sprayfoam

Sep 25^th

#roofing in New England with modern materials… 6" closed cell spray foam up against 3/4 #advantech sheathing, 2" Atlas board insulation, 5/8" #zipsystem sheathing. Standing seam metal going on top. #bombproof #insulationlasagna #farmhouse #renovation

Sep 25^th

Sep 26^th

50 more gorgeous pounds tonight. 250lbs for the year from one #hoophouse and 24 plants. Probably only halfway through. Amazing. #canning #gardening #tomatoes

Sep 26^th

Love, love, love the #zipsystem 2/3 of the roof is weather tight. Dormers are done except for window installation. Phase 2 (insulation and sheathing) complete on Monday. Phase 3 (extended roof awning) next week. Phase 4 (metal) before it snows. #roofing #renovation #farmhouse #dormer

Sep 27^th

The old bakery entrance. #doorway #stonework #archway

Sep 27^th

Im doing some #canning tonight. While prepping jars, I pulled this one out of a brand new case. The jar is intact, but the side is smushed in. #ball #masonjar #bendgate

Sep 29^th

I love my tree guy. Free #woodchips when he's in the area! This is a pile of spruce and black birch. It smells like spearmint and Christmas. Thanks, Todd!

Sep 30^th

Aaaaand, we're watertight! No more tarps. #roofing #dormer #zipsystem #farmhouse #renovation

Oct 1^st

A chilly, rainy start to the best month of the year. #october

Oct 1^st

53 pounds. That brings us over 300lbs for the year. More to come. #canning #hoophouse #tomatoes #gardening #socksandsandals

Oct 2^nd

Oct 6^th

Windows in. Awning finished. Just a few trim pieces left and it's time to order metal roofing. Let it rain! #zipsystem #roofing #renovation #farmhouse

Oct 7^th

#hyperlapse #windturbine Weird blade timing action.

Oct 8^th

I walked in on my 3.5 year old playing by himself and he had created a gruesome accident scene. Apparently a car had caught fire and backed up traffic for almost a meter. Luckily police, fire and rescue had arrived with a palace guard and everyone was OK. #imagination

Oct 8^th

The first photo I posted here was of me standing in a dumpster. One year later and here's the new view through a new window. Construction is ongoing but our #renovation is coming along nicely. #farmhouse #october #instaversary

Oct 12^th

#hyperlapse #route202 #quabbin #foliage #bluesky #october

Oct 16^th

October 2004 – A walk through the countryside outside of #sangimignano in Tuscany. This is one of my top five photos I ever took. #italy #vineyard #inspiration

Oct 19^th

We're supposed to have a hard freeze tonight, so this is the last night in the tomato #hoophouse until spring. #runningdog

Oct 19^th

The last #eggplant blossom of 2014.

Oct 19^th

Final harvest. Over 400 pounds of #tomatoes from 24 plants this year, killing our previous best of about 240lbs. #hoophouse #garden #eggplant #canning

Oct 22^nd

After #canning 76 quarts of tomatoes, I got sick of canning #tomatoes. I'm going to try freezing the last 40 pounds as an experiment. I've read that freezing whole will retain flavor, but they're only good for soup or sauce when they defrost. I'm eager to taste the results. #preserving #garden #frozentomatoes

Oct 27^th

Dormer from the inside. Today is primer and paint day. #farmhouse #renovation

Oct 30^th

#oak at #sunsetSo long, October.

Nov 5^th

It took 4 months, but I finally got around to building the end walls for #hoophouse two. Need a couple doors and we're ready for winter.

Nov 6^th

The aftermath. #hoophouse #tomatoes #farming #circleoflife

Nov 7^th

The #metalroof has arrived. Now to assemble the most expensive 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle I will ever lay my hands on. #roofing #farmhouse #renovation #verticalseam

Nov 7^th

The #metalroof has arrived. Now to assemble the most expensive 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle I will ever lay my hands on. #roofing #farmhouse #renovation #verticalseam

Nov 13^th

Farmhouse kitchen #sunset

Nov 13^th

Same #sunset 15 minutes later from the hill.

Nov 16^th

#cherrytree at #sunset

Nov 16^th

We have about r-50 insulation under the roof deck… But the snow is melting where the nails and fasteners are buried into the rafters. The heat inside is being passed through the individual nails. Amazing. #thermalbridging #roofing

Nov 25^th

Tonight's #sunset was so amazing, it even looked awesome facing EAST.

Nov 26^th

We finally got the #garlic tucked in for the winter. Just in the nick of time. #thanksgivingblizzard2014

Nov 26^th

And then it was winter… About 6-8 inches of sticky, heavy, heart attack snow. We're only about half way through the storm.

Dec 4^th

Pepper surveys the property. No bears or coyotes tonight. #sunset #dog #sato #saveasato

Dec 5^th

This is mounted on a rock in the middle of our field. #geodetic #monument

Dec 17^th

Balmy, rainy, foggy day. Nice light, though.

Dec 17^th

Knee wall cubby access door. #gremlinshield #farmhouse #renovation

Dec 17^th

Finally got around to trimming the new dormer windows. #farmhouse #renovation #windowtrim #reclaimedwood

Dec 24^th

#gnocchi di patate

Dec 24^th

Dec 24^th

#gnocchi #needtruffles

Dec 26^th

Fallen #birdnest

Dec 27^th

We are finally back in #vinyl after many months. The 4 year-old is about to get a late 20th century music education.

Dec 29^th

The days are getting longer.

2013

Feb 5^th

Stone Wall Break

Feb 7^th

Calm Before Snowmageddon

Mar 29^th

Mar 29^th

May 10^th

May 10^th

Asparagus is up!

Oct 18^th

Framing Progress

Oct 21^st

Oak post: before/after

Oct 22^nd

Oct 22^nd

Oct 22^nd

Oct 24^th

Good day to install the chimney.

Oct 28^th

Soapstone project: rough layout of the hearth

Oct 30^th

Oct 30^th

Slab prep Part 2

Oct 31^st

Nov 3^rd

Still need to finish the hearth, but we finally have fire.

Nov 5^th

Soapstone project: getting there

Nov 10^th

Construction zone cycling

Nov 11^th

The next month of my life.

Nov 25^th

Sculpting a closet and storage cubby out of a 240 year-old knee wall. #farmhouse #renovation

Dec 12^th

One month later: From 41 sheets of drywall to 1 sheet of drywall.

Dec 14^th

Bird house factory

Dec 14^th

These birds will have nicer roofs than we. (Or is that nicer rooves than us?)

2012

Jan 18^th

Test post from iPhone

Jan 19^th

Test two from iphone

Jan 24^th

Spring in January

Jan 30^th

Feb 1^st

Feb 27^th

Hoop house planting

Feb 27^th

Grape vine rooting

Jun 18^th

Jun 20^th

Dec 18^th

2010

Apr 26^th

Apr 28^th

2010 Vineyard Planting in 3, 2, 1…

May 2^nd

Vineyard Planting Day – May 1, 2010

May 3^rd

Leon Millot Bud Break

May 4^th

First Tomatoes Go Into The Earth

May 5^th

Tomato Trench, Times Two

May 7^th

Ten More Tomatoes and a Pepper

May 8^th

Seed Room Closed for 2010

May 9^th

Garden Weeding and Seeding

May 10^th

May 11^th

Looks like we made it.

May 12^th

Lady’s Slipper

May 13^th

Math and Tractoring

May 14^th

May 15^th

Discing, Manure, Raspberry Prep

May 16^th

Raspberry Transplant

May 18^th

May 19^th

May 20^th

Helloooo, Ladies…

May 25^th

Tomato Progress