Page 13 - Home & Garden

By Brian Rogers, Great Falls MT: We had a question on this blog from Monique in South Africa. Monique Budge: Hello, Thanks for the information! I'm a new beekeeper from South Africa and I would like to build my own solar wax extractor. I think this would be similar to the crush and strain method but you would be able to better use the melted wax. Do you foresee any issues with this?” Wax Extractor Versus a Solar Wax Melter... What's the Difference? Hi Monique!  Wow, a solar wax extractor (one that melts wax and honey), rather than just a solar wax melter (one that melts wax only) is a great exercise in efficiency and ingenuity at first glance!  So, in the interest of brainstorming this concept let’s see if what we would get in reality is the same as what we envision.  As with anything going from theory to practice, we need to make...

Few things can inspire, relax, rejuvenate and humble more than the classic American campsite. In the wild, one's true nature, in all its flaws, is brought to the surface and enveloped in the infinite stillness of the woods. We open ourselves and share our pains, face our fears, and shed the troubles of modern life in a silent exchange between the winds, the trees and, for a lucky few, the big open sky. Here is our wild game processing tools and accessories catalog if you need game gear. Who Uses Wild Game Seasonings? I find myself settled in and relaxing at a campsite in Beaver Creek Park just outside Havre, Montana cooking some Wild Game sausage and enjoying a delightful cup of Twisp, Washington's Blue Star coffee. Prior to living in Montana, I lived in a homestead style house nestled deep in the woods of Okanogan County. My family and ...

As autumn approaches it’s time to revel in the apple crop. But after eating fresh apples that taste like no others, or making a few delicious apple pies, you may ask, what else is there to do with this fruit? Fortunately, apples are one of the most versatile fruits to store and use, so they offer many options. Storing Fresh Apples Just like many other fruits and vegetables, some apple varieties store better than others. Cortland, Fuji, Honeycrisp, and McIntosh (often the late-harvest varieties) all store well throughout fall and into the winter months, under the right conditions. But don’t hesitate to try to keep other varieties. If you have a bushel of apples from your tree, regardless of the variety, and you like to eat them fresh, here are a few steps to keep them crisp and delicious. —Apples like high humidity and low temperatur...

“As the dog days of summer grind on it’s important to not forget about the health of your apiary.” -- By Amy Grisak The honey harvest is fast approaching, and even though we might feel as if we’re celebrating the culmination of hard work throughout the season, the bees are beginning their new year. Keep ‘em cool Like most of us, honey bees need to stay cool when the mercury climbs above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, the dog days of summer can be tough on the colony. While most of us realize how winter temperatures impact hive health, it’s just as critical to moderate extreme heat events to keep the hive productive. Optimal brood rearing temperatures range between 91-97 degrees Fahrenheit. The bees expend a lot of effort, and significant resources, maintaining this level. Fortunately, we can ...

“I’m a signalman for BNSF railway.” That’s how the interview with Sam McAnally opened. For me, that profession is a white space—so, I had to ask what that job entailed. “See this?” Sam says, as he points at the light switch in Drew’s office, “It has wires and electricity inside it that allow me,” he flips off the switch, flips the switch back on, “To open and close the circuits that allow energy to pass through and control the light in that outlet. A signalman does the same thing, except we work on the connections between tracks. So, when a train switches tracks, when the arms come down and the signals blink, there has to be a circuit that opens or closes to make that all happen. A signalman works on those connections, for railway boom trucks, cars… all the equipment you see on a track—we work on the electricity...

Plant now for a garden that keeps giving through the holidays. Even with the summer vegetable harvest coming on fast and furious, it’s time to prepare for your fall garden and extend your season for as long as possible. Growing for Fall Harvests is "Easier" Veteran gardeners know that fall is an easy time to grow vegetables. Insects are on the downward slide, weeds are far less of an issue, and the extreme heat has passed. There might even be additional rain to assist in watering. But timing is everything. With limited days before severe cold hits, and with decreasing sunlight, seeds and plants need to be planted with enough time to mature. The window to plant can slip away in the exuberance of a summer harvest, which is why this is the perfect time to pencil out your fall gardening plan and put it on the calendar. Looking for the too...

Nursing—the profession that launched a thousand shoe designs. That’s because nurses often spend over 12 hours per shift on their feet, and with that kind of mileage you can bet there isn’t a better judge of shoes. So, when we wanted an honest and genuine review of Dansko’s Coral slip-on shoes, which are specifically designed for the nursing profession, we turned to a local nurse and gave her a pair of Dansko Coral’s to try for a couple weeks. Check out the Dansko shoes we have online here. Breanna has been a nurse in Montana for two years. She graduated from Stockton University and moved to Montana to work on Benefis Hospital’s oncology floor. Bre has also worked at a prison in the Great Falls, Montana. When we asked her what she looked for in work wear, she responded simply: “Functionality and comfort.” This is her revie...

Spring is in the air and soon we'll be surrounded by the wonderful buzz of our most valuable, favorite pollinators; the honey bees!  Whether you're just starting out or you're a veteran beekeeper, you'll recognize that knowledge is essential for our toolkit in having successful dealings with our bees.  And let's face it, sometimes us beekeepers can be rather, umm, opinionated; so, there's no shortage of suggestions on how to accomplish a certain task in the bee world. After all, it's not surprising to find that this hobby/business can be as complicated as we want to make it with details, facets, factors, circumstances and a whole host of concerns to keep in mind; the more information we have the better in general. We've got a wide range of beekeeping supplies online here. But in the end, it's more important that we just jump in and do ...

The Cardinal Rule of chicken farming? Don't get more chickens than you can care for! If you buy too many chickens for the amount of time/money/energy/space you have, chances are they are not going to flourish- and could actually get sick, or in some drastic cases, the outcome may be even worse. For example, imagine you don't have the correct watering system, or your waterer is too small for your flock -- or, you live in the Northwest where summers are hot and chickens need water. No matter the manner, without water, chickens, like people, cannot survive. Going too Big, Too Fast Chickens can also get sick if you go too big, too fast. And when that happens, it happens slowly and you might not catch it at first- Imagine your life as a chicken. If there is not enough space for the pursuit of life, liberty and the decent meal worm, you will s...