What To Do?

Today the sky was beautiful.  We had the pleasure of being outside the majority of the day.  However, I did do some housework this morning before I went out.  So much to do, so much to do!  That brings me to this question.....what to do next.

1.  Should I pull weeds in the flower beds and clean up the patio?  We are having guests on Tuesday and plan to serve lunch out there.

2.  Should I finish cleaning up the family room and pantry?  Our guests will be using this area too.

3.  Should I paint hive boxes.

4.  Should I put together hive frames and wax foundation?

5.  Should I complete spring inspection and split the beehives.  (Can't really do that until I put together the frames and wax, also paint some hive boxes.)  But 3, 4 and 5 have to be done very soon because the tulip poplar nectar flow is going to be here in just a matter of days.  By the way, we have had 6 swarms because I haven't yet inspected all the hives.  Probably will have more swarms if I don't get it done soon.

6.  I need desperately to vacuum and mop the floors.

7.  I have a large number of things to put in the storage building, but put it off because it is a mess again.  I was cleaning it out again and had to abandon that task due to rain, snow and cold weather.

8.  I really need to spray weeds in the bee yard or they are going to take over.

9.  Our printer is on the fritz.  I bought a new one, but need to get it setup.  This is very important too!

10. I really need to finish cleaning out the alley of the barn and the bee room before our guest come on Tuesday.  They will need/want to see it.

11. I need to finish laundry, so we have something to wear!

12.  Oh...I almost forgot...I have to go to town tomorrow morning and buy paint.  Someone is coming to paint the back porch and the pergola tomorrow!!!!!

I could continue to add to this list.  I know I won't get it all done, but I also know it will all be okay.  Nothing will go away and will continue to wait on me!  Wish me luck!


 

Deja Vu

Move your cursor about 1/3
the way down this picture.
That's where the bees clustered

As suspected the honeybees are not going to wait on me to complete our tax preparation.  Another hive swarmed.  This time they clustered high in our pear tree.  Fortunately with much effort, Harland and Melvin were able get them down.  Last year Harland built a bee vacuum.  They used the bee vacuum with a long vacuum hose on a very long pole.  After trimming some limbs to gain access Melvin vacuumed them up.  Then I dumped the bees from the holding box into the hive.  We were standing back feeling good about our accomplishment.  Also, trying to decide where we would take Melvin and Shirley to dinner (for all their help for the past two days).  We noticed the bees clustering again on the other side of the tree.  So we had to go back to work. Melvin used his bee collecting creation, a collapsing mesh bag at the end of a pole.  Once the bees drop into the bag, the weight of the bees makes the bag collapse. The remaining bees were collected, with the queen.  Then were able to get them all into the hive this time.                                                          

These pictures are from a previous swarm
we removed from the same tree

Today's operation looked much the same

Harland and Daisy headed to the house for lunch

Tulips 

One of the baby rabbits

Chicks growing nicely

Gus posing for the camera

Saved by the Gummy Bears

Bee swarm settling on garden corner post

I walked to the barn this morning to take few pictures of the new calf.  I hung around for few minutes and watched Harland working the cows to worm them.  As I was starting to walk back to the house, I heard the usual hummmm coming from the direction of the hives, but much louder than normal.  I arrived just in time to see one of my hives had swarmed.  They landed across the driveway and behind the bee yard on the corner post of the garden fence.  Our friends Melvin and Shirley came to help me get them rounded up and into a hive box or as Melvin calls it, a gum.  Around here they call a deep hive box a gum.  (We can have a few words about why they call it a gum another day) After a few stings and a little smoke to encourage them to move to the inside of the post, we got them all in the box.  Thanks Melvin and Shirley!

The pink hive swarmed

Harland working cows

Wayne arrived late this afternoon with Charlotte and Bella.  They visited ducks, chickens and the new calf with Papa and he told them about the new baby rabbits.  Charlotte had seen the chicks on one of her earlier visits and she has held several chicks before.  But Bella has not had as many opportunities.  She was so excited to touch them and I helped her hold one.  Then she 'helped' me fill the feeders for the chicks and Buck our rabbit.  Charlotte got to fill the other chick feeder and also feed Alice. (It's okay, no animals were injured or killed in the production of these images)  :)

They both love to play hide n seek.  They call it hide'n. Charlotte counted to 20 first and Bella and Wayne hid.  Charlotte found them right away.  Then it was Charlotte's turn to hide.  Bella surprised us as we learned she can count all the way to 20.  She did a wonderful job (she is just two).

Wayne left shortly after that to have taxes prepared and Bella was not happy to be left behind.  After several minutes of unhappiness 'Bella style' and a little bribery 'Nana style' (with gummy bears), she decided she would go to the new hay shed with Charlotte and Nana to watch Papa work.

The evening ended with spaghetti for supper.  Bella's favorite at our house.  I think we have had it every time she's come.  Then they gave kisses and said their goodbyes.

I headed to the barn to put up the ducks and chickens.  Harland and I still had to strap down the new hive and move it to the bee yard.  Happy to say we accomplished this with no more stings today. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer than today.  I am expecting more swarms since I have not worked any of my hives yet.  Hopefully after Saturday I will be able to dive into the bee yard full time to get caught up.  But, like I said, I doubt if the bees wait on me!

I just want to add that I still have honey for sale.  (If you are local) Leave me a note in the comments if you are interested in purchasing some.

Rush gets an apple!

Unexpected Results

One of our cows was expecting and Harland brought her up to stay in the lot beside the barn.  She can get out of the rain at the back of the barn.  So today we had the most unusual thing to happen.  He went out to check on her this morning and sure enough she had a little heifer calf.  But, she was born with NO TAIL.  None, nada, nothing!  Not even a nub.  She looks perfectly normal and adorable, but bless her heart nothing to swat a fly with.


I think I may have found the answer to why, with a little internet research.  Here is my simplified explanation, because while interesting, this genetic stuff is complicated to me.......It seems if you breed a black bull with a blonde (yellow) cow and both carry a recessive gene (called a diluter gene) and the resulting calf is black it can be born tailless  If the mother carries two copies of the recessive gene it would be the result (for a black calf) for every birth, if one copy the result is a 50/50 chance.  Our cow Butter has been around for many years.  She typically has a yellow calf, but we know she has had black calves with tail in previous years.  So she must just carry one copy of this gene.  This can happen with red or blonde (yellow), but I understand only if the bull is black.  Typically Black Angus crossed with another breed.



Alice our pet rabbit had kits this weekend and I forgot to mention this in my previous post.  It was cold and I didn't want to disturb them.  But today it was a little warmer, so I checked on them.  She had 5 kits.  Last year she had eight.  All seem to be doing okay.  I will have to wait to get pictures of them until they start moving around a little and get some hair.

This is the new mom, Alice

This is dad, his name is Buck

Harland got the floor in the hay shed today.  He said he needed to put the gates at the end of the trough.  Then he is also waiting on panels, but that may be next week before we get them.  But hopefully we will be finished once the panels are up.

JoCasta called this morning and said Charlotte and Bella are coming to hang out with us tomorrow while Wayne goes to file their taxes.  So we are looking forward to spending some time with them here at the farm.  I'm sure they will want to see all the new babies.  Speaking of taxes (believe me I don't want to) I am working getting our stuff together this week.  I may miss some posts this week!

I love this picture of all my granddaughters.  Isn't it adorable!  It was taken in March when we were all visiting in Virginia for Wren's birthday party.  Notice Charlotte has her pretend cell phone in her back pocket!

I love spring!

The weekend was so beautiful.  I am just going to ignore today's weather and share pictures from a sunny day!  Saturday, Harland was spreading gravel on the back side of the new hay shed.  There will be a small holding pen there.  The alley along the arena will allow access to the hay shed from three of the four pastures. It's looking good.  Here are the latest pictures.

Harland and Daisy taking a break

I helped spread the gravel in the alley.  The tractor was too wide.  I got an upper body workout and a sunburn on my neck.  

We have an injury we have been treating this weekend.  The other chicks were pecking at his wing.  Its lonely in the smaller brooder box alone. :(  The wing looks better already.     

Here is one of the honeybee foragers on Henbit.  Her bags are filled with red pollen.  I wish I knew where she found it.  I noticed there are dandelions along the driveway.  Hoenybees love them and the pink flower below too. I have known it as a Fringe Bush, but found out it is actually a variety of Witch Hazel.

Honeybee  loaded down with red pollen, visiting the abundant Henbit along the garden fence.  

Fringe Bush - Witch Hazel

I love spring!

It's Just What You Do

Thanks Harland for all you do for our family!

Some time back I remember asking Harland when do we just sit down for a bit and enjoy all our many blessings.  We work hard here at the farm and probably will until we can no longer.  It is just what you do when you chose to live farm life.  But I have wondered, when do we just enjoy a job well done without looking about to see what is still left undone.  I mean really, how much should we imagine that we can do, care for, build or make happen in a day.  Saying yes to so much that before you know you are overloaded and stressed.  

Trailer full redy to work bees

Staging area

 For us, the same work and responsibilities that can sometimes feel overwhelming also bring us comfort, peace, enjoyment and entertainment.  For instance, in the heat of the day we like to take a break and sit under the peach trees and watch the honeybees.  Listening to the constant hum lulling us from the hives and watching their continuous coming and goings.  How ironic that watching them work is peaceful for us!  I also look forward to that time in the early evening, those moments between daylight and dark.  Sitting down together at the barn to just take a breath and watch the sun go down.  We enjoy watching the ritual calf games of run and play, kick and chase, push and shove.  Before long the mommies break it up and call for babies and nudge them to come for supper.  These are peaceful quiet and rewarding moments, watching the mommies feed babies.  When we are working in the garden we occasionally take a break to cool off and sit in the swing and watch the chickens clucking around.  Or sometimes we will stop at the swing on the way back to the house in the summer evenings.  These are the moments that make all the work worth while!  

Our bee watching postitions!

However we still need to work harder at balancing the work part with the fun part.   Maybe a trip to the beach to fish or a trip to Missouri to visit best friends would be great!. 




Now tell me again about that next project!

   

Trying Something New in the Kitchen

A few months ago we were visiting at JoCasta and Wayne's house.  She was putting whole chicken breasts in a clay pot.  I asked her what she had there and she said it was a Romertopf clay pot.  She had the chicken, potatoes, carrots and I don't know what else in there.  We were there for a while and it was smelling really good.  But, as it sometimes goes we didn't get to stick around to eat with them that day.

Sunday when JoCasta came to pickup Charlotte she gave me a paper bag and said she had a surprise for me.  It was my own Romertopf clay pot.  She found it at a rummage sale for $5.00.  It looked like it hadn't been used much.  So I washed it up and set it on the kitchen table where it has remained most of the week. On Tuesday, I pulled a chuck roast out of the freezer and put in the refrigerator to thaw.  I had forgotten about it and told Harland we were going to have hamburgers for supper.  We even went to the grocery store and bought hamburger buns.  I left the barn with all intentions of fixing burgers.  But when I opened the refrigerator I saw that roast and thought, dang I gotta do something with this roast.  I pulled it out and set it on the table.

So there they were, the roast and the Roertopf pot sitting beside each other on the table.  This is at 5:30 in the afternoon.  Not a lot of time before supper time and JoCasta told me I need to soak the pot before it goes in the oven. I put the pot in water to soak while I peeled some potatoes, carrots, onions, celery and mashed a couple of garlic cloves.  I put a little season salt and pepper on the veggies, put on the lid and threw that pot in the oven at 375, then walked out the front door and back to the barn.

Harland and I came back to the house at about 8 this evening.  When I opened the front door my mouth started to water.  It smelled so wonderful in the house.  I threw two plates and tableware on the table, fixed the glasses, took the pot out of the oven and dinner was served.  I have to pat myself on the back even though I didn't do so much in the way of preparations.  But, it was good enough to do again.....soon!  I love a great supper that comes together with little effort.  Thanks JoCasta!  Sorry, I didn't take a picture. I think this is a new kitchen tool I will be using often.  Now I just need to try some of that chicken like you made and look up some more good recipes.  Please share any recipes you have in the comments and  I will keep you posted when something new goes in this pot!

We like to sit here and watch the bees.

The honeybees were very active today.

Leaving you with a few pictures from life on the farm today!

Most of these daffodils came from Harland's mom's yard.

New girls on the block.  Khaki Campbell ducks.

Harland's new project.

Hay will be stocked in the trough down the center.

This is Rush....  She is a new girl too!  Getting some extra special care. She loves apple slices.

One of my girls has gone broody and wants to sit on some eggs. I chased her out two days.  Just left her there today.

Enough for Today!

Hello friends.

Sorry but this is going to be a long post.  It has been too long since I jotted down my thoughts. Life has just been rushing right along as it tends to do, whether we are ready for it or not.   Many new life experiences within our family over the past year and a half.....

JoCasta and Wayne's daughter, Bella was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis the week before Christmas, December of 2012.  She spent a week in the hospital and came home on Christmas Eve.  Although we knew many of her joints were affected, visibly swollen and painful, we just could not grasp how painful until we began to notice her developmental delay.  She stopped crawling, pulling up, cruising and baby jabber.  I can tell you truthfully in the first weeks and months after her symptoms appeared we wanted so much to help, but felt useless.  We could provide little relief for Wayne and JoCasta as Bella would have no one else but the two of them.  She just could not trust that anyone else could hold her in that special way and comfort her like mom and dad.  Our friends and family continued to pray and with God's help and the excellent care of a wonderful physician, Dr Stein at UNC-Hospital, Bella is doing much better.  We were so excited when we received a video last summer of  Bella walking, finally at 18 months.  What a difference a year made.  She began taking Hippotherapy (riding horses) once a week on her 2 year birthday.   Therapy was very painful in the beginning with a lot of tears. Now she loves it and looks forward to therapy days. She has been learning to talk and working with a speech therapist and another therapists to assist with movement.  Although we don't understand all the words we love to hear her hum and sing what is clearly a lovely tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  

Chistmas morning 2012.  Just home from the hospital.

In the beginning Harland and I drove down to help as leaders and side walkers as Charlotte gets to be a companion rider on therapy days.  She is blossoming into a horse lover as well.  Harland and I chuckled together on our way home remembering her saying, 'I am really good at this'!   She just spent a week here at the farm, going home on Sunday.  At 4 now, she is so sharp.  She doesn't miss a thing and REMEMBERS everything.  She loves it here and looks forward to each day helping with farm chores and checking on the animals.  We love having her here!

Audrey and Jon blessed us with another beautiful little girl in March of 2013.  Her name is Wren.  I spent almost three weeks with them at their home in Leesburg, Virginia.  In addition to a new baby they also closed on their new home the day after Wren was born.  The first week we packed and prepared to move to Purcellville, while we waited on Wren to arrive.  Then we cleaned, painted and moved after she arrived.  It was busy, but I loved being able to help and spend time with Audrey, Jon and Wren.  Everyone came up to see the new addition to the family and see their new place.  We were just up to visit with them for Wren's first birthday a couple of weeks ago.  I stood in front of their house just thinking it seems impossible they had been in their lovely home for a year and Wren could be a year old already.  Wren is one of those babies that wants to get all her milestones gathered all at one time.  She is so smart....at Christmas she got one of those little walk behind toys and she immediately pulled up and put it to use.  Audrey send us a video of her walking down the hallway like she had been doing it forever.  She is taking a couple of steps on her own now then plopping down.  So it won't be long before she is off and running.  She is also learning so many words.  She watches your mouth move and copies quietly.  Then she just spits out a new word.  I think one of the funniest things she does is shake her finger when you sing No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.  Audrey told her that story one time and she picked that finger thing up right away.  She is a little pistol!

Wren walking with her push toy after Christmas.

Almost two years ago now, Chris came to visit and had "The Talk" with Harland.  Of course we were thrilled that Chris wanted to marry Amber and finally become an official member of our family.  After they set a date and asked if they could get married here on the farm, Harland and I looked around and began to see the farm though new eyes.  We spent all of 2013 getting the farm ready, repairing fences, rebuilding the arena and cleaning out the barn.  As well, many other projects we had wanted to do for a long time, but put off to take care of everyday chores.  Expecting wedding guests from all over the US,  Chris' family would be traveling from the Seattle, WA area and the west coast.  As well, their friends from high school and college were spread out across the US.   Well ahead of the event we planted grass and fenced off the area they selected as their wedding site from the cows.  Amber and Chris had a goal for their wedding.  They just wanted a simple wedding with a big party to celebrate. A few days before the wedding the crew arrived to put up the huge tents in the arena with a big dance floor and lots of tables and chairs.  We moved hay bales down to the wedding site and covered with our precious old family quilts and borrowed quilts from friends .  My cousin Tommy Archer is a minister.  He and his wife Cindy drove down from Indiana to officiate the wedding.  He also officiated Audrey and Jon's wedding.  It was special to our family to have him here with us and be an important part of this event.  So on the cloudy and misty day on October 19th 2013, our great and best friend Skeet Davis pulled a trailer with Amber and her bridesmaids across the pasture to the arena.  As they stepped off the trailer the sun popped out on queue!  Harland walked our last (unmarried) little girl down the aisle.  I have to say their goal was accomplished as a big time was had by all.  We celebrated and danced the night away and made great memories right here on the farm where she grew up.

Two weeks ago we were with Amber and Chris in Columbia, SC for 'Match Day".  A celebration all medical students in the US  have on the same day to learn where they will do their medical residency.  The medical school at USC-Columbia invites all the families of their students to share this celebration.  We were excited with her as she learned she will do her residency in Dermatology at Einstein Hospital in the Bronx, NYC and a preliminary year with Internal Medicine at Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia, SC.  

Harland is nearing the end of his latest project.  He is building barn specifically for feeding hay to the cattle.  The end result is the ability to stock five or six bales of hay at once in the trough, keep hay off the ground and dry, cows can shelter out of the weather with continuous access to hay.  Less weeds in the pasture from rolling out hay. 

As you know in 2012 I became a beekeeper.  In summer and fall of 2013 while we were busy preparing for Amber's wedding, I also took my first honey harvest, designed and put together a label and purchased bottles.  After the wedding, cleanup, Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and a 'bout with the flu in January, I finally began to bottle the honey in February.  I am currently trying to develop an on-line store to sell my honey.  In addition to selling honey, my goal is to eventually sell honeybees, products from the hive and possibly other products from the farm.  Once the website is up and going you will find me at www.topofthehillhoney.com.  I hope you will visit me there soon! 

What a year we lived in 2013 and we are rushing right along in 2014!