It Just Wasn't Meant to Bee

The bees are gone. As I had worried earlier in the Spring, they were dead and mostly moved out. the recent activity was that of scavenger or robber bees. It must not have bee-n meant to bee. Sorry, couldn't help myself. :)

We had a wonderful time cleaning out the hive though. Jill and Sean of Blue Gate CSA brought equipment and experience, yet we got two trash bags full of bees wax that will be processed into candles and wax blocks. Cool. Jill also gave Lil'Bug a story that she has really held on to this week, about the moon and the sun fighting. Trust me that she needed it. 

We are grateful to Jill and Sean for more than this afternoon, so much more. We met them years ago at a Farm Crawl, Sean gave us a tour of his bees. Then last year, as we were moving down here to their neck of the woods, they invited us for apple cider (and for us to ask all sorts of questions about all sorts of farm things). When I have a question about local things from when to plant, soap, propane, ect.....I shoot Jill an email and always get an answer. Lil'Bug and Blueberry adore them and they make us love living here even more. So a HUGE thank you to them. 

Sprouted new.....

Lettuce, spinach, chard.....

Eggplant that I mistakenly direct sow'd. 

Zucchini 

Green beans

Yellow onion

Maybe the beets. My tags are there but the names washed off. 

I will be weeding today because the weeds also loved the rains.

Yuck and Other Things

I am so done with having chickens and ducks inside the house. They are still incredibly cute, fuzzy, and chirp-y BUT they are also poopers and stinkers and the warm weather has really amplified these abilities. ESPECIALLY THE DUCKS.

This week has been interesting. Lil'Bug and I installed chicken wire around the corn crib and the first 10 chicks went outside. Oh for the day when all the little future pot pies move out there with them. (We watched Chicken Run with new perspective this week.....)

We also planted more: onions and broccoli. Cabbage goes out today I hope. 

We welcomed home our new used tractor. It is beautiful. I named it MacBook Pro, Mac for short. I know that the tractor will earn its keep well before a new computer would, but still. It is my way of keeping my humor about. Sometimes I still want to name our farm Wits' End, you know? 

The porch is jacked and ready for operation bee relocation. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. 

I finally ordered soap from the local ladies, Prairieland Herbs,  (still incredibly sad about Foil Hat though, her Tupelo Honey bar was like bathing in sunshine.....) and it is really good soap. Actually I bought the Bug Off shampoo and body bar in my panic freak out about the ticks that turned on ME. I mean, I love Hobbit, but once the jumped off him and went for me, it meant WAR. It's not like anyone makes Frontline for people. Well, actually, the Bug Off soap is pretty darn close. Not a single tick since using it on me or Lil'Bug, which is something. 

I'll post pictures later, but that's the short of it so far today!

Easter, Belated Photos

Easter at our house involves sword play.

Blueberry girl got a copy of Blueberry Girl. An amazing story. She was feeling a little clingy so she stayed strapped on almost until dinner. Pawpaw and Nana played with her for a bit and she napped, mostly she watched her sister go nuts over the eggs and cry about her puppy. It was a really hard weekend. 

Lil'Bug loves eggs. LOVES eggs. She still has and plays with all 40 of the plastic eggs she got last year, plus about 8 wooden ones. Easter is her day.

Dinner was lovely.  Blueberry thinks feeding Hobbit is hilarious. The more frustrated I get, the funnier she thinks it is. Luckily, nothing she eats (yet) will actually hurt him.

How can I be mad. She has carrot and beans in her hair!

Easter ended with my homemade apple pie. Lard (in the crust) from local pig, apples handpicked and stored in freezer. 

All and all Easter was just family. A lovely low key day.