Beekeeping Chores, Alligator Dinner, Vistit With Lillian and We Are Home!!!

Late Monday afternoon, Sherry and I divided up our 8.17 gallons of honey - leaving all of the Bitterweed Honey there so we can try our hand at making mead.

Then we proceeded to do the rest of our beekeeping chores.

Sherry had left the frames out in the garden for the bees to clean up.

They get every last drop of honey out and the wax clean and ready to start building again.

We scrape all of the excess wax off so the edges of the frames are nice and clean.

I scooped up the wax scrapings and will see what I can with them later on.

Now is the time to bucket feed the bees.

That just means you make sugar water from 5 pounds of sugar to half a bucket of hot water. Stick some grass, weeds or twigs in it so the bees will have something to walk on in order to drink up that nectar. Since we just took most of their honey, it's only right to prepare a special buffet of sugar water for them to get started on making the honey they will need for the winter.

We put all the clean frames back in the bee boxes (supers) and put our bee suits on for trip to the hives. Since we look like astronauts, Sherry said, "Let's take the Moon Rover!"

It's HOT in those bee suits - it was 100+ that day.

As soon as we finished, I was pulling those gloves off! Sherry dropped me off at the camper and I was ready to hit that shower!!

We often have meals together and, since this was our last night, we decided to cook some alligator!

Alligator nuggets look much like chicken nuggets but alligator is a bit more dense than chicken. 

And, no, it doesn't taste like chicken although it DOES look like it.

I could detect a light 'fish' taste to it which is as it should be.

Dean made some tasty red sauce and we all chowed down.

He cooked some shrimp just in case someone favored that over alligator.

His dad appreciated that!

This was our breakfast Tuesday morning!

SO good!!

It took us awhile to clean up the yard area, do all the chores of packing, loading, cleaning, etc.

We rolled out the gate at 2:00 Tuesday afternoon.

First stop was the bakery at Hillsboro and I practically bought out their day old sausage rolls and pastries. We like to have them when we get home so there's no meal prep needed right off the bat.

Next stop was the outlet location of Bath and Body Works.

I scored well with everything in my bag being 75% off!!

We took the I35 split towards Fort Worth and stopped at a Walmart to pick up some groceries for Lillian.

She was so glad to see us and we were glad to see her!

I stocked her mini fridge and then we went to the family room to show her all the photos and videos of our time at the ranch. I'll go back next week to take her out to lunch and maybe do a bit of shopping. 

We were home before dark and began the huge task of unloading and putting away, starting laundry and opening mail. But before I did any of that, I took a jar of honey and $$ over to our sweet next door neighbors. The honey was for Olga and the money was for her oldest daughter, Angie, who faithfully watered our flower beds in the front yard while we were gone. This is the very first August that my big containers of mums have not bit the dust! And she kept my lavender plant happy plus everything has grown and prospered in the 24 days we were at the ranch!

What a joy to drive up and see our place looking so nice.

When we get the back yard back - I'm hoping she will offer her services again and do both!

I worked steady until late last night. Just think - 3 weeks of laundry!

Except Louis Dean washed some of his at the ranch using tubs.

The house looked great and there were no alarming pieces of mail in the two big stacks!

Praise God!

We always pray for God to protect our home while we are away.

We slept like babies!!

I knew when Louis Dean got up this morning but I just turned over and slept another hour!

He brought my first cup of coffee to me while I was still in bed.

We've both been busy today....as we always are.

He's been working on cleaning up the Sanford and Son area and I worked on laundry.

In between loads, I cleaned the den and started carrying in some fall decorations.

I hope to finish the den and foyer tomorrow.

At first I felt overwhelmed. But as I started putting things into place - and it changes every year with what goes where - I looked around and felt a great feeling of joy. The den is already warm and cozy - and I'm only a little over half way done.

You know the feeling you get when a friend or loved one gives you a really good hug?

That's the feeling I felt when I walked in there earlier this evening.

Ahhhhh.....I do so love all things FALL!

In the middle of the afternoon, anticipation got the best of Louis Dean.

It was time to cut the first watermelon from our Ranch Garden!

He accidentally picked it on Monday while Sherry and I were near the garden doing our bee chores.

He wanted to document the moment!

While it wasn't the best watermelon - it wasn't the worse one either.

It was on the what I call 'grainy' side. The seeds were brown instead of being black.

But it DID taste like watermelon.

We ate a bit and then set both halves out on the stone wall for the birds.

Then we cut the one from HEB and watched Grantchester while we ate it - sprinkled with salt!

Louis Dean had just taken a bath and gone into the guest room for a late nap when a dear friend stopped by. I told Tim I had honey for him and I was expecting a visit from him.

Tim was our neighbor across the street when Louis Dean and I first married.

We love him and all three of his children - Brittany, Tray and Nicole.

We had a bit of a honey tasting right here in our living room.

I let them taste the Free Bee Bitterweed Honey first.

Both Tim and Jo tasted the whang after taste.

Nicole did not.

Then we tasted the GOOD honey.

Tim asked, "Now, the honey in the jar you gave me is the GOOD honey?"

Absolutely! And it was a small jar but I told him, "It's refillable!"

I started this journal entry much earlier in the evening but I had another Grantchester to watch so I got sidetracked. Tomorrow I will watch the last one of Season 4.

Okay, Folks! That's all for tonight.

Hope you all sleep well!!