well gypsi, 2 1/2 yrs ago, i had 10 productive hives. i could harvest anywhere between 650 and 950 pounds of honey in a season. then the anaphylaxis, and allergy diagnosis came. i have one hive left that has managed to survive pretty much on her own since that time, untouched, it's amazing. survival of the fittest i guess. i could not manage them properly. i might have lost them anyway (what i tell myself). i might have saved them with proper management. three i could have saved with extra feed this past winter. it's just the way it is. i can't look back now, i can only look forward. i did the best i could under my circumstances......actually WE as beekeepers can only do the best we can under each of our individual circumstances. some of us (okay probably most of us ) don't make any extra money to cover our expenses. i really don't and never have.....maybe i am doing it all wrong....but i really don't care.....it's a passion, not a hobby. i hear ya on throwing the towel in.....but you love bees....and you won't throw that towel in......
passion is when you really care about something, irregardless of the 'cost' and i am not talking all about dollars, there are many costs outside the dollars. to quote what you said:
"The golden queen in hive 3 provided the brood for most of the harvest though. I sure hope she is ok..."
you have the passion gypsi. hang in there.
the one hive i have left provided me with a good harvest of honey this year, about 200 pounds. i hope she makes it through winter so i can divide her in the spring, whatever queen is in that hive is genetics i want for a divide come spring.
our gardens? shaw....that was a crapshoot again this year.....all the hard work; not a good year again for tomatoes, we harvested some. squash; we harvested some yellow, butternut and acorn, but really was not good. a few pie pumpkins. the beans and peas got ate up by critters. very few cucumbers and peppers of all sorts a small harvest. potatoes this year was a great harvest. reds, yukon golds and russetts.
missed picking the wild blackcaps this year to make jam with.......
so the harvest? .........