Beekeeping Lessons Learned on Sunday and Monday Treasures....

We were all three so excited Sunday morning as we rolled through McDonald's for breakfast sandwiches and drove over to our mentor friend's house to help him harvest his honey and gain some experience before harvesting ours this week. We ate our meal tail gate style and then went around to the back of Jame's house to start work.

James and his friend are new beekeepers like we are - except they have a year's experience.

However, they have no extractor and Sherry does - so she loaned him hers for the harvesting.

It was in pristine condition and only required a hot water rinse and she was ready to assemble.

An extractor makes it so much easier to get the honey and this one holds 3 frames.

Sherry and Crystal all suited up and ready to drive the short distance to the hives.

Who would have ever guessed I would be a beekeeper???

Not I! And probably none of my children would have dreamt I would be unafraid of thousands of swarming honey bees!

Their hives......

James set to work opening up the first one.....

I had studied and thought you used a smoker to calm the bees down.

WOW!!! So many bees!

And still he opted not to have a smoker.

He left his at home.

First lesson learned - always have a smoker with you. ALWAYS!

This hive was an especially aggressive one.

Sherry was wearing a purple sweatshirt and that was the problem......

James instructed Sherry to stand in front of the hive and help open it - to the front.

That's another thing she and I thought we knew - do not stand in FRONT of the hive and do ANYTHING! Second lesson learned.

Third lesson was - wear white! Or grey.....NOT purple.

The bees swarmed out of that hive so pissed and angry and covered Sherry's shirt.

They even got in her veil.

She didn't know they didn't have a smoker and when she finally realized it - she had been stung multiple times. We three went back up to the road and yet the bees continued to attack Sherry!

We finally got most of them off of her and they were still buzzing around me so I walked back down to the hives.....

the bees started mingling with the others and I slowly backed up step by step.

This is what wax moth looks like.

We finally got rid of the bees up by Crystal's truck and got in but by that time the damage to Sherry had already been done.

I'll skip over the trauma of it all and just say that Sherry is an amazingly strong young woman.

She is also a woman of faith and such fierce determination.

These held her in good stead Sunday.

That and the prayers that were prayed for her as she struggled with anaphylactic shock for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Crystal drove her mama to the nearest Baylor Scott and White Hospital Emergency Room.

I called ahead to tell them the situation and they were waiting with a wheelchair as we pulled up at the door. By this time Sherry was in bad shape.

Dean and Louis Dean met us at the hospital within minutes of our arrival.

I have to say we all did what needed to be done.

Crystal was scared but she took care of her mama and made sure she got the treatment she needed.

In cases of emergency and life and death situations - it's good to know that God gives you the courage and strength to do what you need to do when you need to do it.

Praise God and bless her guardian angels - Sherry is doing well.

It could have gone so wrong.

They released her and we were all home before dark.

We learned lessons the hard way that day but they are lessons we will never forget.

I came in, took a shower and went straight to bed at 8:00.

My sister, Nita, called me. She said she needed to hear my voice and that was the sweetest words she could have spoken to me. It gave me an opportunity to share the scary parts of what we went through that day and give God the praise for his protection and mercy.

Talking to Nita allowed me to empty my emotions and go to sleep.

I didn't get up until 13 hours later.

Thank you, my dear sister!

The doctor said Sherry did not have a TRUE anaphylactic shock - but they treated her for one.

Her breathing was the one thing that was never compromised. But if you look up the symptoms - she had nearly every one of them but that one. And that was THE most important one NOT to have.

Once again - Praise God!

Today - Monday - was a low key day of rest and recovery for all of us down here on the ranch.

I was grateful for all the sleep I got last night.

Louis Dean sat up by himself since I went to bed so early.

He saw an amazing meteor or shooting star super bright with a ball of fire in front of it coming right at him. I got up around 1:00 this morning and went out to the front room to refill my Yeti with tea.

I took it out to the front deck and sat watching the stars and sky - but I couldn't concentrate on looking for meteors. Instead, I kept thinking how gracious God is in protecting us from ourselves.

This morning I made us a good country breakfast of biscuits, eggs and hash brown -patties, as Harrison would say.

I thought all the bacon was frozen so I cooked some hot dogs instead. Rufus will get those as treats when he comes down here later this week.

We did our reading and devotionals. 

In Gods and Generals, we are on chapter 37.

I am trying hard to finish this book so we can watch - once again - the movie.

It will be so much more meaningful this time.

It's strange how when reading the book - when it's a chapter on a a Northern general - as in Chamberlain (my favorite) - I find myself rooting and cheering for him. 

Then in the next chapter - on General Lee - I am willing him victory.

This is a real thought provoking read for us.

Yes, we are southerners. We are in the south.

But what if the south had won?

Would we be like Europe today?

A continent of different countries?

Without unity?

I am not a scholar. 

I am not an educated person.

But I am grateful that we - all 50 states - are united States of America.

We are in our last week here at the ranch.

This morning I took my coffee out to the front room and admired my table setting.

I love the centerpiece! Reclaimed wreath with a bucket bouquet of red plaid napkins in the middle.

It's Monday and we needed diesel in the truck and milk and - peaches. 

Louis Dean has been loving the peaches this season.

So off we went this afternoon!

Of course we had to hit up the Goodwills first.

I did find some treasures......

A brand new Chico top - $54 regular - for $4.99!

And this nice - what do you call it?

Whatever - I love it and will wear it a lot.

The back......so cool!

A nice black casual dress from Old Navy.

You can't go wrong with this.

Especially when you can dress it up with this swirly pretty chiffon float.

I layered them all together on one hanger to take home.

I scored on this pair of Yellow Box sandals.

They feel so good.

I am all about footwear that FEELS good.

This $0.99 hook now holds my towel by the shower.

And this one holds my nightgown.

I love hooks to hang things on.

I may need to change that 'keys' to something else......

We came in this hot afternoon and put up the groceries from HEB - I do so love that store!

We both took naps and then regrouped.

I had goat scraps and needed to take some things back to Sherry so Louis Dean drove us down to their place in the truck. 

I saw the ducks were still out and I dearly love putting them up at night......

so I did and was surprised to see.....

A huge rat snake that Sherry had killed a day or two ago.

She said it was full of eggs!

I close this journal entry tonight so grateful to be here in the country.

So grateful Sherry is recovering and well.

Life is an exciting adventure.

Whether you are in the city, the country, the dessert or where ever God has you at this moment in time......the one thought on my mind tonight is this......

Thank you, Lord Jesus!!