Sunday, February 26, 2012
Shiitake Mushroom Plugs Planted
I was able to drill holes into the oak limbs and plant the shiitake mushroom plugs finally. I have great hope that we have a harvest that lasts many years as the mushroom plugs spread into the rotting oak limbs. Wikkipedia Shiitake Mushroom
Sunday, February 19, 2012
My Dad's Garlic
The family and I met out at my Dad's and Mom's house yesterday to begin the process of culling and cleaning up their personal property. The sibling rule was that we could have one item not specified in the will if the other two agreed. My sister wanted just about everything she saw. She walked away with the jelly safe and all the Christmas decorations as well as a queen/full size head board and bed frame, Dad's rubber boots and waders, some linens for the bed and Dad's rubber floater. She also got most of her personal property that was intermingled with the estate's personal property. All told, she had four pickup truck loads.
I dug up some of my Dad's elephant garlic that had naturalized throughout his old gardens, took an old hickory stick that he had carved into a walking cane and a stone that he had smoothed into a fake Indian artifact to sell to stupid tourists, a Christmas wreath I had made for the family when I was thirteen and four cement blocks. Now you can see the difference between my sister and I. She has the hoarding instincts of both parents. I can't even imagine where she will put the stuff she took. Most of it was Mom's very old Christmas decorations. When I got home last night, the cement blocks were set up to hold the Langstroth hive, the garlic was pulled apart and planted, the wreath went into storage until Christmas, the fake Indian artifact was put on a shelf and the cane awaits me in the carport should I ever have need of it; it will be my snake poker, rat whacker stick.
We filled up a 3300 pound trash container which amounted to half their carport yesterday. They saved frozen dinner trays, all empty containers like coffee tins, vegetable cans, wine bottles, plastic cups, you name it and they had it. It was covered in rat poop. A rat leaped out of the lumber that Cody and Trent, my nephews, were moving and dived in Cody's truck engine. My Uncle Doug came over to work on the old truck that I signed over to him; it was the first new truck my Dad had ever owned. For a bit, it was wonderfully crazy again - just like when Steve and Arthur, my brothers and their family, lived nearby. I didn't realize how much I missed that kind of family interaction.
We had a trash fire going for all the cardboard boxes that they saved and roasted hot dogs over the open flames. Shannon, my brother's wife, made delicious homemade cookies. Yum! It was a good start toward the cleanup of their personal property. It was such a fun and successful day that we talked a bit about having Easter at the old place - one last time before it sells, if it hasn't sold by then.
Rain today and cold but gloriously nothing to "Have" to get done. A day to worship and then enjoy with my hubby. Praise be and Glory to God!
I dug up some of my Dad's elephant garlic that had naturalized throughout his old gardens, took an old hickory stick that he had carved into a walking cane and a stone that he had smoothed into a fake Indian artifact to sell to stupid tourists, a Christmas wreath I had made for the family when I was thirteen and four cement blocks. Now you can see the difference between my sister and I. She has the hoarding instincts of both parents. I can't even imagine where she will put the stuff she took. Most of it was Mom's very old Christmas decorations. When I got home last night, the cement blocks were set up to hold the Langstroth hive, the garlic was pulled apart and planted, the wreath went into storage until Christmas, the fake Indian artifact was put on a shelf and the cane awaits me in the carport should I ever have need of it; it will be my snake poker, rat whacker stick.
We filled up a 3300 pound trash container which amounted to half their carport yesterday. They saved frozen dinner trays, all empty containers like coffee tins, vegetable cans, wine bottles, plastic cups, you name it and they had it. It was covered in rat poop. A rat leaped out of the lumber that Cody and Trent, my nephews, were moving and dived in Cody's truck engine. My Uncle Doug came over to work on the old truck that I signed over to him; it was the first new truck my Dad had ever owned. For a bit, it was wonderfully crazy again - just like when Steve and Arthur, my brothers and their family, lived nearby. I didn't realize how much I missed that kind of family interaction.
We had a trash fire going for all the cardboard boxes that they saved and roasted hot dogs over the open flames. Shannon, my brother's wife, made delicious homemade cookies. Yum! It was a good start toward the cleanup of their personal property. It was such a fun and successful day that we talked a bit about having Easter at the old place - one last time before it sells, if it hasn't sold by then.
Rain today and cold but gloriously nothing to "Have" to get done. A day to worship and then enjoy with my hubby. Praise be and Glory to God!
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Langstroth Hive has Arrived
Yesterday I was up on top of our roof cleaning gutters. We have sprung a leak in our kitchen ceiling. This is the same place that the roof debris from winter storms gathers and sits. Our gutters were completely clogged with leaves and sticks. I am not a great heights person: I have a fear of falling but it was a warm sunny day and you could see the creek below the bluff and it was such a gorgeous view.
Still waiting to get out to plant vegetables. My clover is doing great. Hope the nitrogen it adds to the soil really makes the garden take off once planted.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Happy Birthday to Me!
I am 56 years old tomorrow, 2/11/2012. This is the first year without my Dad and Step Mom. We always celebrated at Red Lobster (they loved Red Lobster!). My Step-Mom, Polly, was born 1/7/1936; Dad was born 1/21/1926 and I was born 2/11/1956: we were 20 years and 30 years apart. What nice round numbers!
I miss them but I wouldn't wish them back for anything in the world. God bless them and I love them so much. If memories are forever, then I have many, many years of wonderful and loving birthdays to remember.
The last birthday we spent together, I stopped by Red Lobster and ordered our birthday meal to go. Dad ate very little. He was already in his rapid death decline. He said he could have the rest of it for his next meal. In actuality, he never finished it. Mom enjoyed her shrimp very much. My brother and sister and her hubby joined us and we pulled chairs in from the florida room to eat on. Mom and Dad were both pretty much confined to the living room couch at this point and we wanted to eat with them. The TV was on and it was the ever present Bonanza that was Mom's favorite show. She watched back to back episodes whenever they were on. It was a sweet birthday.
Three years prior to this birthday, we all met at Red Lobster for lunch. Dad, Mom and my hubby all got some type of flu sitting there. By the time we left, all three were running high temperatures and had body aches. That was not a great birthday.
Five years ago my Dad and Step Mom were in much better health and we met for our birthdays at Red Lobster. Dad flirted with the waitress, Mom chastised him for being a dirty old man and we laughed and joked and had a wonderful meal.
Maybe I'll go to Red Lobster for dinner this weekend. I'll have Dad and Mom with me, in my head. It will be lovely
I miss them but I wouldn't wish them back for anything in the world. God bless them and I love them so much. If memories are forever, then I have many, many years of wonderful and loving birthdays to remember.
The last birthday we spent together, I stopped by Red Lobster and ordered our birthday meal to go. Dad ate very little. He was already in his rapid death decline. He said he could have the rest of it for his next meal. In actuality, he never finished it. Mom enjoyed her shrimp very much. My brother and sister and her hubby joined us and we pulled chairs in from the florida room to eat on. Mom and Dad were both pretty much confined to the living room couch at this point and we wanted to eat with them. The TV was on and it was the ever present Bonanza that was Mom's favorite show. She watched back to back episodes whenever they were on. It was a sweet birthday.
Three years prior to this birthday, we all met at Red Lobster for lunch. Dad, Mom and my hubby all got some type of flu sitting there. By the time we left, all three were running high temperatures and had body aches. That was not a great birthday.
Five years ago my Dad and Step Mom were in much better health and we met for our birthdays at Red Lobster. Dad flirted with the waitress, Mom chastised him for being a dirty old man and we laughed and joked and had a wonderful meal.
Maybe I'll go to Red Lobster for dinner this weekend. I'll have Dad and Mom with me, in my head. It will be lovely
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Beekeeping Symposium
Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System hosted about 420 beekeepers from across the state on Saturday, 2/4/12. In my opinion, it was wildly successful. They had three tracks in each of the break-out sessions geared to the beginning beekeeper, to the backyard hobbyist and the more commercial beekeeper. Vendors from several companies brought plenty of material for sale and the food was great. I learned much and appreciated, in particular, Dr. Tew's dynamic opening session. Beekeeping Symposium.
Auburn University is about 4 hours away from our home and the drive down through heavy, torrential rain and then again on the way home was made slightly better by the warm and sunny weather that greeted us in Auburn. 75 degrees and sunny is hard to beat. Mike did antique hunting while I attended the beekeeping classes and then met me for lunch in Auburn's AgBusiness arena. There was a live beehive demo during lunch that was great. Beekeepers are friendly folks and love to mentor newbees like myself.
One of the county extension apiary agents will be in contact with me before I make the decision to burn my hive due to American foulbrood. They were doubtful that this disease would manifest itself in a first year hive. Only 2% of all hives contact foulbrood. So I hope the apiary agent helps me rule out foulbrood so I can reuse my hive.
After all the Auburn sessions, I am ready to invest in more hives and bees. My package bees from Draper's arrive the week of April 23rd. I want to order two more top bar hives and at least one Langstroth_hive, which is geared more toward commercial beekeepers. Commercial beekeeper is my description for any beekeeper who wants more honey than they can use themselves and they want to make a profit in producing it.
Mike and I stayed one night at the very well run The Hotel at Auburn University. I highly recommend it to any other travelers to Auburn University. We managed to do a little sight-seeing; we found the Toomer's Corner trees that the man poisoned, Toomer's Corner Oak Trees in the news, and the famed Jordan-O'Hare football stadium and last but not least, Tiger Rags, where you can find unique Auburn Tiger T-shirts not found anywhere else.
All in all, excluding the heavy rain downpours, it was a great weekend! I am armed with knowledge and ready to establish a new bee yard!
Auburn University is about 4 hours away from our home and the drive down through heavy, torrential rain and then again on the way home was made slightly better by the warm and sunny weather that greeted us in Auburn. 75 degrees and sunny is hard to beat. Mike did antique hunting while I attended the beekeeping classes and then met me for lunch in Auburn's AgBusiness arena. There was a live beehive demo during lunch that was great. Beekeepers are friendly folks and love to mentor newbees like myself.
One of the county extension apiary agents will be in contact with me before I make the decision to burn my hive due to American foulbrood. They were doubtful that this disease would manifest itself in a first year hive. Only 2% of all hives contact foulbrood. So I hope the apiary agent helps me rule out foulbrood so I can reuse my hive.
After all the Auburn sessions, I am ready to invest in more hives and bees. My package bees from Draper's arrive the week of April 23rd. I want to order two more top bar hives and at least one Langstroth_hive, which is geared more toward commercial beekeepers. Commercial beekeeper is my description for any beekeeper who wants more honey than they can use themselves and they want to make a profit in producing it.
Mike and I stayed one night at the very well run The Hotel at Auburn University. I highly recommend it to any other travelers to Auburn University. We managed to do a little sight-seeing; we found the Toomer's Corner trees that the man poisoned, Toomer's Corner Oak Trees in the news, and the famed Jordan-O'Hare football stadium and last but not least, Tiger Rags, where you can find unique Auburn Tiger T-shirts not found anywhere else.
All in all, excluding the heavy rain downpours, it was a great weekend! I am armed with knowledge and ready to establish a new bee yard!
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