Here are a few more pics from the last week, and a few from this week(i should have taken more). The bear came a tore off the top of another tree. Then it stopped raining and the weather got nice(i actually harvested a significant portion of nuts in the rain). note, there are the weevils growing in a few of the nuts, it is a relatively small number, however when you have a box of thousands of nuts sitting on the living room floor, you are bound to have a few weevils crawling around the next morning. I am still trying to implement a solution to eliminate the weevil problem while also maintaining a no-spray operation. I made some more improvements to my chestnut-vacuum(mainly just extending the sucker hose), and sucked up a few barrels worth of nuts and waste this week, and have been experimenting with burning the waste in barrels; i even roasted a few nuts on top of one of the burning barrels. The smoke is sort of unpleasant to stand around in, and so i'm thinking i need to build a solar kiln to dry the nuts and waste in the future, and forego burning. I actually already have the materials staged for building a kiln, since i was going to build one for lumber, however I'm think now that it could potentially be very easy to adapt it for chestnuts, and potentially dried chestnuts could be a better market, with various favorable attributes over fresh(longer shelf-life, easier shelling+pealing). Unfortunately it's chestnut season now, and so i don't think i will be drying nuts this way until next season. I wish i had taken more pictures of the chestnut-vacuum in operation. It works very well, however unfortunately it seems to have developed a problem; i was sucking up more nut-waste yesterday, and I noticed the plastic catch barrels which sit under the cyclone-chamber were deforming and breaking the seal where the two halves mate. This is not ideal because it obviously breaks the cyclone and also decreases suction. I purposefully chose the cheapest plastic barrels with a round shape so that i could have many of them and simply swap a barrel for another when it gets full. The problem is they are not very strong and want to buckle under the pressure. I thought i had solved this by tripling up the barrels in a stack, and this seemed to work for awhile; however, i noticed that, the way i had the whole rig strapped to the trailer, it caused the barrels to get squashed and the rim of the top barrel in the stack no longer had significant curvature to resist the inward pressure. So, as a result, the rim of the top barrel in the stack ended up collapsing inward and losing it's seal. I actually noticed this happening on a few barrels, and surprisingly the machine still work pretty well this way at first, however it seemed like the problem was slowly getting worse, and so i decided i think i am going to have to put it all away for now and work on it more later for next season. I'm thinking i either need get a barrel made out of stiffer material, or i need to build a special holder for the current cheap-plastic barrels so they don't get squashed and keep their curvature. also, should i go the 2nd route, i think i need to beef up the inner lip of the mating seal on the cyclone section of the rig. I'll have to think of a cheap and strong material which i could fit in there without taking up too much space and won't interfere with the nuts rolling down into the catch-barrel. Maybe it is time for version 2? or maybe i'll keep working on this 1st version?. I'll have to figure it out when the season is over. Here is a link to the Virginia Tech solar kiln(which i plan to adapt for my own design):
Also, I had a visit from a friend in the orchard this last weekend and we roasted some chestnuts there by the sales-tent at the front of the orchard. I plan to roast nuts again this coming weekend and offer free samples. it's kind of a lot of smoke. perhaps i'll switch to a propane skillet next year.
Here is a photo-dump from the past 6 days, including chestnut stuff, and a couple pics from the reconstructions of the old Tinker-pond involving the replacement of an old rusted drain-pipe with new PVC siphon system. Note, for those interested in siphons, i believe Beetle said he was going to revise the intake on the siphon to get it a bit lower down - not a big issue, however if you ever want to drain the pond, it helps. Anyway, there are plenty of nuts on the trees, and we had a pretty good first weekend. I began experimenting with burning waste nuts and hulls; i'm hoping this might help me get and edge on the weevil issue. Note, a so-called smokeless burner doesn't work so well when you overload it. There are also some pics related to hardware-store stuff related to the chestnut-vacuum. And then there is from processing nuts today. It looks like i forgot to take any pictures while i was out picking nuts the past 2 days - oh well. I spent about 7 hours cumulatively and picked more than 100 lbs. A large fraction were undersized however. I have updated the site with a new discount category for undersized nuts:
I got to run to the orchard now.
I'd like to post an update but i really don't have time. i picked up about 70 lbs all alone in the orchard today. it took me 5 hours. When i came home i found my mom had thrown out a basket of nuts i was saving for potting. what the hell?! is she all right? this sort of stuff is kind of problematic for future planning. i think i need to go to the store now and get more materials to make everything work this season. i also need to process the nuts i picked over the past 2 days. fortunately the store will be closed before i can get there tonight. it's also late, and i don't think i can handle processing nuts right now. it's fortunate i've already started looking into local food charities to come and help me out; i don't seem to be succeeding all on my own.
Things are coming together over here(albeit with some difficulty). Yesterday, i managed to get the chestnut-vacuum rigged up and over to the orchard and i did a first test run(with some success). sorry no pics of it in operation; it started raining, and i had to quit and take my helpers home early. the plan is to start burning all the junk and undersized nuts in my barrel at the back of the orchard. This is to prevent weevils in future seasons. I was thinking i'd like to go back today before it rains and try it some more, however my parents have a lunch date, and it sort of requires 2 people to operate in it's current form. It looks like it is going to rain this evening; maybe i should close. hopefully it's better tomorrow. I did get the first batch of honey in jars. after tasting the 2nd batch i'm thinking i might sell that as well, and it is currently straining, and then will also go in jars. it's a fairly small harvest this year: probably less than 3 gallons. I also have managed to make another 2 quart batch of hard-lotion(beeswax + lanolin). I did some boiling and filtering of some wax and lanolin i had, and then combined them in the croc-pot. the pot is cooled now, however i still need to cut the it into bars.
Anyway, i feel like i need to take a vacation, however i guess i won't be doing that any time soon. i probably need to update our pre-picked nuts offering to better reflect what i realistically think we will be able to offer this year. My mom has been out there this last week trying to fill orders, however its a bit slow going given her age. I had to cancel my first harvest session on Tuesday, and only yesterday was ready to start picking and then the rain hit. There are nuts on the ground, and the deer and bears are doing their things. On some trees the nuts are still developing, and i expect the next 2 weeks to be big weeks, in addition to the 1st week in October. The 2nd week of October there should still be some nuts falling, however it becomes less-and-less as we approach 1st frost. Anyway, i need to figure out what i need to do this morning now.
I started feeding my bees in preparation for winter yesterday. For one of the hives i had to swap the bottom board for one with a full 3/4" drop, so i could fit the jar-holder in place. This was somewhat difficult, given my busted finger and the fact that the hive appeared to be pretty full of honey, and i still do not own a hive-lifter. With the help of my dad, we both suited up and just barely managed to move the hive 2 feet to it's new bottom-board without tipping everything over, and without crushing too many bees(some were crushed, oops); i did use smoke; no stings. I'm getting pretty low on my supply of cane sugar. Perhaps i will run out before we even get frost. I don't think this is a problem for most of the hives, since they appear to have healthy honey reserves. The only hive i'm worried about is the one i harvested from; maybe i'll get a small bag of sugar to help that one along through winter. Hopefully, i find the time this winter to repair my hives, and i can get my numbers up next year, and start managing the bees in such a way where i don't need to feed for winter anymore; that is the goal.
September/15th/2026
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current setup:
west
• - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - •
| _ |
|$$$[2]b2 |
| | | |
•BAD[2]b1 •
s | | | [e] | n
o | |_| _ | o
u • [e] • r
t | | | | t
h | [e] | h
| | | |
• _ c2[2] •
| [e] |
| | | [e] |
• | | •
| | | |
| [e] [2]a1* |
| |
• - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - •
east
a,b,c = lineages from last year
1,2 = hive numbers from early splits(march/25th)
* = new boxes from last splits(may/19th)
[e] = empty box
[number] ~= approximate height of each stack in deep hive-bodies
BAD = bad bees(as noted from July/30/2026 - planned for harvest)
$$$ = harvested 5 frame today(Oops, i was supposed to do the BAD hive)
I also took some time yesterday to boil and filter some more beeswax and lanolin. I'm hoping to have lotion bars ready for sale this coming weekend(we will see). Also, i'm beginning the harvest with my high-school helpers tomorrow evening. I've got to get the harvester ready, so i can begin my new procedure i have for the orchard this year. I can't remember which university published the study, however for no-spray orchards it is ideal to clean the orchard completely and regularly during each season to minimize the future weevil populations(hopefully i can get there). Anyway, i think my mom said we had some weekday customers today. i think i need to run over there now and make sure we have the necessary signs and equipment ready for them.
Well, my mother is threatening to send my to the mental hospital again. In my opinion, she is the one who should be institutionalized. Also probably my sister. No one seems to have any sense around here. i guess we are supposed to wait for my sister to burn down the house? i am living under the gun again. Interestingly, the last time i was at the doctor, they no longer ask tha question about if you feel safe at home anymore - not that i ever thought it was a useful question. No time to write any more on this topic now. will there be chestnuts this year? do i need to go find a new life? where will i go?
my doggy bit me again yesterday, this time on the fingertip. i can still sort of type, and so i think perhaps it is not broken, however there is a gash in it and i expect the nail will fall off soon; i have a doctor appointment about it later today, and i already took some Advil(it was a little swollen this morning); i put a bandaid over it last night with anti-biotic ointment. Also, this morning I discovered that my sister had a very close call and almost burned the house down in the kitchen last night. It smelled like smoke when i came in this morning, and my mom informed me that Kaia had been cooking something and forgot it and left it to start smoldering on the stove-top; mom woke up to smelling smoke, and went to the kitchen where she discovered the source, and she was able to fix the situation, however it's not really reassuring given Kaia likes to cook, especially when no one is around. I think i have a valid concern that she might burn the house down if she continues to live here. I also feel like the biting dog problem is related to her as well. I don't like the way she interacts with him(she is used to pit-bulls). at least she seems to have stopped taunting him, however i think he picks up on all the extra stress she causes, and it gives him the wrong idea about his purpose in the house. Honestly, he had a bit of a problem to begin with, however it was only after she has lived with us that the bad behavior got to a point where he is now biting me so bad i have to get checked out. anyway, my finger is sort of busted for now. i guess i can do some light computer work, however i'm not sure how this week will go getting ready for chestnuts. maybe the finger will improve quickly. i'm going to the doctor at noon today.
I got the honeycomb out of the frames and in the strainer yesterday. I also melted down the absconded hive. There was actually a couple quarts of honey still left in the absconded hive. I'm not sure what i will do with the absconded honey yet, however i am going to sell the honey from the 5 frames i strained. 5 frames is a somewhat smaller harvest than usual. i'm debating adjusting my price up slightly. i also got a nice cake of wax from the melted hive(sorry no pic).
It was only in the 80's°F today however i was still sweating under my bee-jacket and multiple layers. i also got a good dose of smoke, however i managed to do a very crude butcher job on one beehive and harvested some honey before the rain hit this afternoon. Actually, i was as delicate as i could be, though i did have to use the knife, and one of the frames broke under the weight of the honey. All-in-all, i took about 4.5 frames of honey from one hive. There were plenty of bees and i could see some brood in the other half of the box; maybe they will recover and make it through winter. Sorry, it was just me working all alone today, so no progress pics(only the final layout). Also, i had one hive that looked like it recently absconded - maybe it was robbers? Anyway, there was lots of good looking wax, and i plan to get busy melting it all down tomorrow to save it from the moths. i also plan to work tomorrow on mashing up all the honeycomb i took and getting it straining in my special bucket-strainer system. I now have only 4 living hives now(actually 3.5). This is alittle concerning going into winter; is this worse than last year? I simply just don't see the swarms in the woods like i used to since orchardists started spraying for lanternflies. Perhaps if i work more on equipment i can compensate for this, however the way it currently is, i have the same level of mortality i used to have, but my replacements are fewer and fewer. Actually my mortality is probably worse; I need to work on the equipment; i think if i do that i can improve things - a plan for winter.
September/11th/2026
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after today's operation:
west
• - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - •
| _ |
|$$$[2]b2 |
| | | |
•BAD[2]b1 •
s | | | [e] | n
o | |_| _ | o
u • [e] • r
t | | | | t
h | [e] | h
| | | |
• _ c2[2] •
| [e] |
| | | [e] |
• | | •
| | | |
| [e] [2]a1* |
| |
• - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - •
east
a,b,c = lineages from last year
1,2 = hive numbers from early splits(march/25th)
* = new boxes from last splits(may/19th)
[e] = empty box
[number] ~= approximate height of each stack in deep hive-bodies
BAD = bad bees(as noted from July/30/2026 - planned for harvest)
$$$ = harvested 5 frame today(Oops, i was supposed to do the BAD hive)
Oops, it looks like i harvested the wrong hive. I should have known better and checked, however it's easy to get them confused given that all hives tend to get temperamental at this time of year. Oh well, i got the wrong one; perhaps this is good: irritable hives tend to produce more honey(however they also tend to sting you). perhaps next years harvest will be better?
I had a brief hiccup just now logging into the credit union for the first time since they completed their recent tech upgrade. fortunately it all seems to be working again. Basilisk() seems to trip something in their security features. Fortunately it seems like logging in with Firefox-esr and completing the securty form and then logging back in with Basilisk has fixed the problem. I'm sure i will have another panic again soon. It's like Tech is crumbling out from under my feet these days. can i stay ahead of it?
I've been doing some minor edits to today, in addition to doing some chestnut related planning, and now trying to get us on the Nelson County events calendar for chestnut season... It's funny, I guess it's Cloudflare or maybe all the AI slop going into web-dev these days, but i'm having significant problems accessing the calendar myself. I understand most people with a new iphone should have no problem accessing the calendar(which is probably most of my customers), so i guess that's not a really big problem. Funny world we live in. Anyway, hopefully they get us in the calendar soon. We will be open. We will have chestnuts: copying our chestnut schedule here(for no real reason): Mon-Thur: By Appointment Only Friday: Open 2pm-6pm (Sep-18, 25, Oct-2, 9, 16) Saturday: Open 10am-6pm (Sep-19, 26, Oct-3, 10, 17) Sunday: Open 1pm-5pm (Sep-20, 27, Oct-4, 11, 18)
I made it over to check on the chestnuts briefly today, and while i didn't find any nuts on the ground yet, it looks like some trees are dangerously close to starting to drop. I expect to start picking up nuts next week, and it looks like perhaps we will start sales next Friday(the 18th). I did succeed in updating the website, though with great difficulty, and i can't say it's finished; i'm not sure how many people actually check it anyway. actually the analytics here on neocities would probably give me some help; maybe i should be running the farm site through neocities? anyway, it's updated now:
I'm having all sorts of technical difficulties with browsers and my web-host today. I guess namecheap has now decided to go with cloudflare, and so my old version of firefox no longer works on their site. perhaps that is for the best, however it appear cloudflare is also blocking pale-moon and seamonkey, and while basilisk is sort of working, there is still a problem where cpanel gives a mangled page-load. i managed to get to file-manager through dev-tools, and am updating the chestnuts site now. i'm going to have to figure out a solution to this problem; this is really inconvenient; i'm hanging by a thread here. i guess i need to take some time and update linux and begin the migration? alternatively i could ask around the support forums for basilisk, pale-moon and seamonkey? i don't have much confidence cloudflare or cpanel would help me? who knows if the devs at the browsers will Be Able To Do Anything however? time is an issue. i guess i will just keep going until something breaks completely.
It's hot as heck again today and so i am hiding out indoors. it looks like it is going to get pretty nice soon though so i guess i just need to hold out a little longer. The heat today is pretty intrusive(hope i can survive); it's even radiating in through the window to where i practice piano. i think i will head to church in a bit to continue practicing; maybe it will be nicer there. I had to turn-off in my workstation down in the barn when it seemed to get overheated while i was browsing youtube and eating lunch today. also, i made the mistake of falling asleep on the couch down there last night; it topped out at 82°F inside, and when i finally bailed and went up the hill at 2 am it still read 80 inside and 77 outside on the deck(i never did get my hammock set up outside this summer). it's a busy weekend coming up. hopefully i can get some stuff done this coming week!
I decided i better clear my spam messages from my phone again before things get real busy with chestnuts. This is such a frustrating problem! i wish there was an easy solution. it looks like the election season spam is ramping up. it's mostly democrats this time, however there are a few republicans, and there is still plenty of time for republicans to even the score.
I am including short descriptors for each number since this is so frustrating. i need to write my own spam-block apk once i get my office fixed up in the barn. here is the list: 3rd/September/2026 1.900.070.004228 verizon ad 1.229.226.0188 jon ossoff 1.202.864.2063 bombshell 1.737.259.0477 james talarico 1.540.628.8997 eugene vindman(multiple) 1.202.227.3805 nepal 1.929.560.6629 millennium alliance(multiple) 1.313.708.3732 research opinion insight(multiple) 1.203.309.1952 americares emergency update 1.903.600.2808 loanshark 1.771.213.2862 RNC 1.540.301.2423 eugene vindman 1.202.864.0981 mary trump August/2026 1.240.318.9058 nepal 1.318.217.1146 DNC 1.771.772.9106 DNC 1.202.428.4131 DNC 1.571.932.9524 nepal 1.770.628.0986 jon ossoff 1.843.888.0575 annie andrews 1.240.233.8843 nepal 1.203.309.2169 nepal 1.540.412.7884 mark kelly 1.309.394.0409 adam kinzinger 1.771.213.2850 DNC 1.771.217.5934 DNC 1.502.738.6397 loanshrk 1.900.070.004771 verizon ad 1.703.452.4491 ken burns 1.943.218.9374 actblue.com 1.771.202.5948 gaza(multiple) 1.318.685.0548 actblue.com 1.719.800.5274 roofing ad 1.771.772.9172 actblue.com(multiple) 1.678.434.0247 tree trimming(multiple) 1.771.772.2913 kamala harris(multiple) 1.771.213.2865 mark kelly(multiple) 1.970.528.3905 eileen laubacher 1.540.301.3035 eugene vindman 1.437.998.6960 scammer 1.540.301.3025 eugene vindman 1.601.202.1025 israel 1.656.219.9821 loanshark 1.900.070.00229 verizon ad 1.833.330.0438 angie nixon 1.737.251.1897 james talarico 1.706.775.9436 tree removal(multiple) 1.770.666.0853 jon ossoff 1.771.213.2863 dscc.org 1.248.516.0359 tree removal 1.737.225.8758 talarico4tx.com 1.23456 nikki haley(multiple) 1.843.256.1622 actblue.com 1.712.634.9628 joshturek4ia.com 1.512.222.4947 james talarico(multiple) 1.202.864.2057 actblue.com 1.202.987.9873 votevets.us(multiple) 1.877.433.5130 eugene vindman(multiple) 1.231.262.0525 realtor 1.434.299.2089 us opinions 1.920.283.2996 david crowley 1.540.301.2374 eugene vindman(multiple) 1.313.270.6864 realtor 1.737.225.9040 jamestalarico.com 1.833.330.2134 facts26.net 1.737.225.9045 james talarico 1.540.301.2379 eugene vindman 1.771.202.5809 emilyslist.org 1.540.805.6119 realtor(multiple) 1.771.202.5556 chuck schumer 1.380.219.9864 sherrodbrown.com 1.313.482.9831 research-polls(multiple) 1.712.430.4779 josh turek 1.470.313.7047 roofing ad(multiple) 1.470.628.9426 tree removal 1.900.070.001044 verizon ad 1.737.260.2375 jamestalarico.com 1.704.251.6796 land scalpers 1.248.297.6622 abdul4sen.org 1.313.306.5340 johnjamesmi.com 1.216.772.7882 loanshark July/2026 1.602.428.4952 mark kelly(multiple) 1.248.206.5377 facts290.net(multiple) 1.737.702.6674 james talarico 1.770.628.0549 keishaforgovernor.com 1.771.217.5181 demgovs.co 1.900.070.003129 verizon ad 1.573.432.6780 loanshark 1.313.432.6805 qualtrics.com 1.207.559.2092 troy jackson 1.207.559.2268 troy jackson 1.771.202.5300 troy jackson 1.207.559.2324 troy jackson ...
here is the link the the last spam list: ...i've got go solve this problem. i suspect its going to get real bad again leading up to midterms.
Well, the wool-balls appear to have succeeded! After first a vinegar wash and then a peroxide wash, i can say all bad smells have been eliminated! I also did some repairs with the needle and yarn, and then ran the balls again in stockings with soap and agitation. note about soaking with vinegar or peroxide: vinegar helped though it was the peroxide wash that finally removed the worst smells; i did this last wash concurrently with the soap and the balls in the stockings. Also, I think it's probably best to only use cold water when using peroxide for best results; this is probably also the case for vinegar; i'm relieved to say the squeaking during spin has seems to have gotten better for now. I guess i'm becoming somewhat of an expert on laundry now. Anyway, i think that is all for now. The balls look good, and they smell good! i am happy very with them now and excited to get them delivered to Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in time for the annual Ukrainian festival where they will be used as fundraiser items for Saint Andrew's charity mission to Ukarine Note, links to Saint Andrew Cathedral and Ukrainian Festival:
Also, in other news, we have begun reconstruction of old pond my grandfather(Tinker) built like 50 years ago. We even had a visit from the Virginia DEQ, though i was too busy with wool-balls to make that meeting. I was told we were pretty much in compliance, and so there were no major problems. I am excited to get the old rusted drain-pipe out and install a new modern PVC-pipe siphon system, and to restore the water-level to it's full height. here are some progress pics(from before DEQ visit).
It's supposed to be hot as hell again today. I've got a bunch of farm stuff to do however i think maybe i will try and pick some indoor-task i can do. I also need to practice organ for Sunday. It is the last Sunday before i will be taking leave of playing church organ to spend more time on chestnuts and farm stuff. It is also the funeral for Nancy Eagles Tapager, our late organist at Grace Church, this Saturday. I have been filling in for her as interim this summer after her health deteriorated so much she was no longer able to play. She was a wonderful woman and very talented, and with a kind spirit. I wish we all had more time with her. She will be missed.
What a crazy late-season heat-wave we are having; it's 2:30 am and it's 80°F on the deck(current forecast says it is 72, oh well). yesterday it did reach 95°F even though they only forecast 91°F. Also, the neighbor's hay-bales caught fire a couple days ago and have been smoldering to this point. I went through all the wool-balls yesterday and repaired the busted ones with needle & yarn. the spandex stockings smell much better after washing with peroxide. i did get my ice-cooler set up, however it still felt to hot in my place yesterday evening, and so i came up the hill and I ended up falling asleep early last night. i woke up at 2am and i'm now drinking coffee and i'm thinking i should probably get going on the day now; perhaps i can get the balls back in the stockings and running in the wash before things start getting hot down there today; my plan is cold water with agitation, detergent, and peroxide; I feel confident this should improve the smell even more, and hopefully i can eliminate it entirely. from what i have researched i don't think it will instantly destroy the balls, assuming i don't exceed the quantity for a normal wash. it's going to work! UPDATE(11:30am): well, it seems like peroxide was the solution for the smell. they are getting to the point where i think i would buy one myself now. i still don't know if the wool is messed up until i take them out fo the stockings, though i suspect they will be fine - not sure why i was worried? i still have one more load to tranfer to the dryer in a few minutes, and then i plan to get them out of the stockings and then set them up sun-drying on this very hot day. ...oh fyi, small addition on nighttime temps, the thermometer outside the barn read 75°F, so i guess the forcast was correct, though that's still hot for nighttime! the other location at the house gets afternoon sun and the wall is thicker and i suspect holds more heat than the walls of the barn.
It looks like they walked back the heat advisory a little, and they are now saying it will only get up to 91°F today, however they have extended the hot weather into Friday now. It's pretty excruciating down in the barn with suboptimal cooling, however i'm thinking i might be able to continue surviving and working down there with the help of a cooler of ice and my thermos. I'm still trying to finish the wool balls. i'm pretty sure i will give them a peroxide treatment, however i need to stitch up some loose ends first, and then get them back in the stockings for the final wash(i also need to wash the stockings first; they are smelly). Anyway, it's almost chestnut time, and i still need to do a bunch of stuff to get ready. i also still need to harvest honey. Also, i was hoping to do something with all my beeswax, though at this point i am sort of running out of time. i did manage to find a friend who was able to help me deliver the wool-balls. Also, everything is squared away again with Mailfence. I guess i'm doing OK.
