A Few Thousand Friends In A Box

Today, John brought my Nuc box. As you can see, it consists of 5 frames. It is a colony that had been working well for a time and the bees know and are related to their queen. The frames contain honey and pollen and eggs and larva. The frames were pulled from a working hive. This is the nucleus of a hive. If you feed the bees and keep them happy, they already have a good start and will stand a better chance of success than a package.

Right now I am a total novice, without experience. I have high hopes, though. This time next year maybe I will have more hives.

Have a great weekend!

My post from yesterday should be restored per Google. I guess the system went down and I lost yesterdays post.

ToodleBug Farm

Jennifer, Alex and I are picking strawberries today. Well, not so much Alex. I love the experience when you can go to a u-pick and enjoy plucking each berry off the vine. You know exactly what you are getting. It is 90 degrees and hot, but I am not complaining. After all, the best tasting strawberries are the ones u-pick! This weather is suppose to hold out one more day. I just wish my garden would dry out so I could get my tomato plants set.

Have a berry nice day!

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

4 cups fresh strawberries

1 can of Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

1 tub Cool Whip

I am using a chocolate pie crust. Mash berries and mix with cool whip, and condensed milk. Freeze for 6 hours. How easy is that?

School Is Cool!!!

Here comes the end of the school year- a time to celebrate how much they've learned.

This K thru second grade are displaying their love of country. What a great way to end the year.

Well done Alex and Landen!

This Is Why I Love To Live In The Country

The urge to live in the country besets most of us sooner or later. Spring with grass vividly green, buds bursting and rhythmic whistle of frogs. But the basic one is escape from congestion and confusion. Here we can be turned out to run and race, kick up our heels and enjoy life. We have owned three farms, and now have settled in a country setting of a little more than an acre. Which by the way, at times I wish for the farm days. I loved the sweet smell of hay. Walking in the woods and just sitting on the porch when time permit. Have I convinced you yet?

Last night we went to the bee keepers meeting, and I gathered a wealth of information. Most of those farmers are chalk full of good ideas and they know what works from their experiences. I think I found a mentor. She has been keeping bees for three years and said she would love to share all the knowledge she has gotten so far. We exchanged phone numbers and I am ready to communicate. Basically this hobby or cash crop is done mostly by men. That makes it more challenging to me. Although it is opening up to women. I suppose on the farm the women were busy with cooking, cleaning, canning, taking care of the children and so on it goes.

Will catch you later. I have to make sure my bees are not out of sugar syrup. Have a great day. I hear rain is coming in soon. I thought I was going to get my garden planted, but so far it is not dryed out from the last round of storms.

Happy Mother's Day

Remember when you were a child and used to make your own arts and crafts in school. You'd dedicated your art work for your mom? Remember the priceless smile on the face of your mother when she saw whatever you had created with your own two little hands and then said"I love you" as you handed it to her proudly.

As Mothers Day approaches I always go to the Scripture Proverbs 31:10. A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands, She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sasches. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears (respects) the Lord is to be praised.

Listen To This

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGMG_PVaJoI&sns=em

In these difficult and strange times, I think this may give us some answers.

O'Where, O'Where Have My 10,000 Bees Gone

The story begins Sunday around 1pm. I come home and go to check on my bees out in the back yard to see how things are going. I notice one hive is buzzing and see activity. While the other is silent. Hum! I come in and tell David about the situation, and he goes out and opens the hive and finds out the Queen and her attendants have fallen to the bottom of the hive face down. There are no bees in sight. I am frantic by now, and decide to call a friend and get some advice. Tana tells me the bees have to be no more than 100 feet from the hive. I go seaching thought the trees, all the trees, even the ones in my neighbors yard. No bees to be found. I am beside myself. I take the Queen and the attendants out of the hive and put them on my kitchen counter. Yikes! What do I do now? I drop a little sugar water on their screen and a touch of water too. I call Kelly Bee Company, and since it is Sunday they are not open. I leave a message, and I am still waiting for their return call. In the meantime, David has gone to Kelly on his travels today through Madisonville and the sourrounding areas hoping that they will sell us another package of bees. How could this have happened? Besides David dumping the can of syrup on them, I just have no idea what is going on. I will let everyone know how things turn out. In the meantime I am sad.

I pray that Kelly Bee Co. will have an extra package of bees. What am I going to do with the Queen and her attendants? Stay tuned.