My feelings are leave them alone the first year and feed them this winter, if you have any sunny warm days when they're taking 'cleansing flights' set out some bee food/syrup/appropriate treats on a rock about 30 feet from hives...they'll share without robbing. (I feed mine every winter to keep them safe) In spring when its consistently warm everyday = flowers are abundant and they're collecting nectar like crazy, then remove the honey super and replace it with a "shallow super", in as little as two weeks it will be full... take it for yourself and put on two more shallows and leave them for them to store what they will need for next winter. You should get 20-40 lbs from each hive anyway. In a year after, you'll have two supers plus one during nectar flow from each hive, well over 60 lbs each. Hope you have a queen excluder between the honey super and the hive to prevent brood in your honey... On the extractor = forget it. They cost a fortune and you don't need them. Brushy Mountain Catalog sells big plastic buckets that you dump the honey in and it strains into the bucket below. You can even make your own pretty simply. There is a gold mine of information is Michael Bush's website... its soooooo helpful. And in case anyone hasn't warned you - pretty spring days can still be interpreted as a "dearth" to bees if its too early. So give them time to feel warm safe and wallowing in flowers before you mess too much with them in spring. side note on honey: an old timer told me to never heat honey, it kills the natural antibodies and good stuff...the catalogs are always selling processing equipment, you don't need it

They are all beautiful, but I think Heaven on Earth is my favorite in this batch. I love how there is one little rose tucked into the middle that is more orange, very cute!

LOL littledog it's the footstool looking thing with the inverted cone (if you ever put your feet on the table you'll be shot). The top is horn and the base (black) is like hoof or something (I didn't buy it). It's actually a really lovely piece in person. Ok for you "rip it out" people...nope. That would be more than a huge expense, it would require we redo the floor as well (the floor has a band of walnut that goes around the room...if part of this goes, we need to add more to the floor and redo the band). If you are facing the fireplace, on your left side, what looks like wall is actually a very deep built in area. On the right there's a little jog around the chimney. Take out the wood...and you have exposed chimney that was not meant to be seen. We'd have to rebuild the wall, redo the floor and build something on the hearth, which wraps most of the built in shelf areas. Moula Moula moula! And not something we'd do given that we want to rip the whole thing out when the neighbors keel over.....umm I mean move to their next abode. At that time the wall goes, but not before. Here's a picture of one of the cats: You can see the "jog" around the hearth a bit here. It's a good 3 feet deep so there's a lot of space to deal with. Lynne, when we began the remodel this room was supposed to be storage only, and I ambitiously thought I'd paint it myself, so we crammed a bunch of things from all over the house onto those shelfs. They are normally carefully balanced out, and are going to be used to display some books (but they sit quite far back into the shelfs and don't crowd like they are now) and art glass as well as some native art we're beginning to collect. Although we're thinking of a phonograph collection instead, but either way, not much on each shelf so that it's not a huge pile of mishmash as they are now. There are no doors behind the design board. I've so far kept that fairly simple (the original owner had a picture of a lion slautering a lamb and a saint of some sort...). I have a picture of our basic decor (plus christmas) somewhere....(Running to photobucket): Normally it's just the mirror and the crystal candlesticks as well as uncle charlie or whoever makes the cut that week when I'm dusting the mantle. Obviously this is a weak attempt at Christmas (DS was just born and we'd spent 2 weeks in NICU then right about mid month he started getting sick...I barely got a few things up that year). The white snowmen are replaced by a simple white marble lion resting. I went with the basic mirror (who was it who hates mirrors?) anyhoo, to reflect the lake view and not to compete with the animals. I have since then picked up a larger one, but fairly similar. I want to keep that area "less done" verses more so that the focus really is on the other art. The art is fairly large and has great presence. The lion who will be over the lake view wall (the slanted wall above the chairs and horn table picture) is a great big old guy who captivates you when you see him. He adds weight to that side of the room. The above cheetah will also be on that side of the room, and he's a good heavy piece as well. The other cheetah is mounted horizontally on another of the walls, opposite the windows and provides balance. The windows will have either a deep colored matchstick blind inset or a roman shade, again inset. Very crisp and clean. I'm shooting for color on that wall that isn't as deep as the cabinets we see here...more like the landing: If it were as dark as the cabinets shown, it would be in effect the same as painting it brown...to much given the size of the wall and I'd lose the fireplace. It's a dilema isn't it :) I just can't leave it undone...it looks like an afterthought. Even painted cowslip would be better than nothing. I'd probably want to stain the mantel though in a deep shade, but that is actually "wood" so it can be stained easily. Makes a broken day bed seem like a simple task huh? :oP

Rhome, Please forgive my sleep-deprived brain. :o/ I got the Rejuvination catalog a couple weeks ago and was thinking of it when I asked but got the name mixed up. It has been crazy around here with over a month of RSV making its way through our poor little kiddos. :o( Anyway, I like looking through that catalog. They have anything from 50's/60's retro to cozy cottage to 1500's Transylvania castle. Fun. :o) I like the idea of stainless counters but worry about how much is too much. I used to work at McD's and don't want to feel like I am back in that era of my life! ;o) Malhgold, I am putting the prep sink placement to a vote today. Someone had pointed out on another thread I believe that I would need to be able to open the pantry doors all the way for the roll outs to function and the doorway trim may get in the way if the pantry is deeper. I will check with the cabinet people when I actually get to that point. I definitely would prefer deeper if it is a possibility. :o) Celticmoon, Um, are we a little territorial perhaps? Interloper? ;o) Yes, no matter how much help I have in the kitchen it is always MY kitchen. Just one of those things. Now bringing up a walk in pantry when I am trying to finish up things so hubby can start wiring/plumbing - that is just cruel. :oD Actually, I do have a large pantry and freezer area in the basement so I think a walk in would be overkill here. Swspitfire, Please explain the 30" counter depth to me. Are the cabinets underneath that deep then or do you bring them out from the wall or what? Is it going to be difficult to get countertops that depth? What is the thought behind having deeper counters? Bmorepanic, You are as young as you feel, right? :o) Yes, I won't forget about those fridge doors again. :o)