I am not a morning person.
Everyone knows this.
But there is a beauty to getting up before the sun rises....
sipping coffee in the dark and getting dressed by dim lights so as not to wake up another.
Sherry was waiting on the front deck when I opened the screen door at 6:15 on Monday morning.
It was still dark as we approached the gate and I noticed they have solar lights on each gate post.
We drove to Mart, stopped at the donut shop and then drove on to Leroy, Texas.
We arrived at 6:59 and the sun wasn't all the way up yet!
By the time we were all climbing into our bee suits - the sun had risen!
We were here to observe and help a fellow beekeeping couple treat for Varroa mites.
By using chemicals in a vapor.
It gets complicated so I am not even going to try and explain!
This was WAY different from the way we treated.
Because it is not safe to breathe these chemicals, we need to wear a ventilator.
I.could.not.do.this.
On TOP of the ventilator you must then put on the bee hood.
You can see Sherry handled this just fine and dandy!
And Liz and Larry (our beekeeping friends from out bee club) did, too!
So I handled the smoker and took pictures using my tapper since I was all gloved up!
They have a LOT more bees than we do!
However, they are in a small area considering how many hives they have.
This makes the bees more aggressive.
A LOT more aggressive!
These bees were really pissed!
I got stung on my right ear and had a moment of panic.
I have trusted my suit and the angry bees have never bothered me before.
However, this time I had to walk away and regain my confidence and composure.
I prayed. I centered myself and, while I was not that much help, I wasn't a liability. I hope.
I won't go into all that this treatment involved but it took two hours for four people to do it.
AND they had done this same treatment LAST MONDAY and will be doing it again NEXT MONDAY! Three treatments in a row. We did our mite treatment, albeit for three hives as opposed to seven or more here, in under an hour and we were DONE! One time shot!
We learn so much when we visit other beekeepers and see where and how they keep their hives.
Liz and Larry have an electric fence enclosing their apiary.
This is to keep the raccoons and skunks away as welll as their goats.
That's why the bee yard is too small. They kept adding hives.
Larry plans to enlarge it once the weather cools off.
I love to see how other people keep their bees but I also love to see where other people live!
Larry and Liz are fascinating!!
He was a truck driver for HEB and retired in 2008.
Liz is a retired school teacher and she had stories to tell.
Suffice it to say - she never had a discipline problem in any of her classes!
I LOVE this lady!!
I love this truck!!!
Wish I had got a better pic of it because it will make a great painting!
Larry collects old trucks, bicycles, and Volkswagons.
Liz has to pick her garden in a bee suit!
Maybe when Larry enlarges the space, the bees will calm down.
They get really aggressive in close quarters.
Louis Dean was up and had started packing the truck up to come home.
It was 2:15 when we pulled up to the ranch gate.
Leaving is always hard.
But we needed to go home and we did - with no truck trouble whatsoever!
We pulled into our driveway at 4:45 and spent an hour unloading and putting up the perishables.
Sherry had taken me into town to do my grocery shopping after our bee adventure.
We do most of our shopping in Waco. It's safer.
I changed clothes and Louis Dean took the quickest bath he has ever taken - or so he says!
We made it to the last half of the quads last hockey game!
We were so tired we hardly knew who we were - but the kids did!
They were glad to see us and we were glad we had pushed through the fatigue and showed up.
Then we went home and crashed.
My only photo of this Tuesday is our salad lunch.
We are both bone tired.
I have done lots of laundry - we were gone 24 days!
Plus I pulled off four sets of sheets and several covers, blankets and more so the washing machine and dryer are STILL going with loads ahead to do tomorrow.
Louis Dean has weed whacked the jungle that grew up in the back yard while we were gone.
In between I have started packing up the patriotic things from the gazebo and the spring and summer things in the house to make way for the deluge of all things fall to come!
We are only home for 10 days and I must make these count!
I love your sunrise picture; a rare thing for you to see! Oh no, how on earth did a bee get to your face? You poor thing, and you were so brave! Did you get the bee out of your suit? AND you have created this blog post while bone tired. You amaze me with your energy and determination!
ReplyDeleteYou are brave for facing those mad bees!! I'm glad you learned alot tho--there sure is alot that goes into beekeeping that I never knew about. Glad y'all are home safely and just take your time with all that laundry and such...it will get done, rest when you can. I've sure enjoyed all the pretty pictures from this time in the country....always looking forward to more, on your next visit, and I'm sure you are looking forward to that as well!
ReplyDeleteGoodness, I am sorry you got stung again. You are a brave soul and nothing keeps you down!
ReplyDeleteYou nearly stayed an entire month this time, and aren't staying home long before back to the ranch. 😎 Y'all are something else!
All that washing and drying after you got home from the hockey game, too. I know the Bells were thrilled you were there -- that was all that mattered to them.
I'm praying that along with all this stuff, you are also setting time out for your book! I told you I'd pray and I am.
Please say an extra prayer for David. He has to have a sonogram on one of his testicles because of a small knot. Don't know when they can set it up, but he's worried because of all the other stuff he goes through with Crohn's. So an extra mention to bring David peace in every circumstance is what I'm asking.
Hope maybe you can see Lillian. I think of her often.
Love you!💕
I like bees, but stay a healthy distance away. I could not do what you and Sherry do. It was so nice of you to help your fellow beekeepers. And you always get more than just bees from your visit. I love the picture of the truck!
ReplyDeleteIt was great that you got to see the kids' game. They look so glad to see you.
Get some rest. September 1st is coming!
Sounds like the method you and Sherry used is much better Linda. We are hoping our bees make it this year. Leta reported that they were all over the corn so hopefully they are doing a good job making honey for us.
ReplyDeleteAm sure there is a reason for the different way of treating the bees but this one sure seems more complicated. The quads look so big!!!
ReplyDeleteLinda, So glad you and LD made it to the game , and got some kid hugs. My gosh those children are growing. I love the front on picture of the truck, if you paint it...leave those power lines out. LOL. I am learning a lot about bees...and I am thinking, that's a lot of work and worry. I sure hope all the mites got taken care of. I hope the way you and Sherry did yours works too.
ReplyDeleteI know you are ready for your fall decor. I have not decorated for anything for a long time. Just the porch at 4th of July. Blessings to all of you. Stay safe. xoxo,love, Susie
Those bees are amazing..interesting to learn how other people tend theirs.
ReplyDeletePlease rest and the work will still get done, especially that wonderful Man of yours...
10 days will seem like an eternity, but the Ranch will be home to you soon enough.
Happy Fall debris ...(:0)
Sue
Another sting? Ouch! Those bee keepers would have to get those bees calmed down before I would be willing to help again. Glad that they are working on it. It sure is a big job.
ReplyDeleteThe grands were so thrilled to see you! One thing is sure...you go the extra mile.
Happy days at home!
You are so excited for fall to come while I hate seeing summer come to an end.although I did have my son bring the fall bins in the house. Slowly I'll decorate for fall and hope to be done by Labor day , the unofficial end to summer here. For all practical purposes, summer will be over. All those bees would be nerve wracking being as aggressive as there were. You are one brave lady. My grandfather only ever had but 2 hives and I watched him care for the bees and harvest the honey, using his smoker. My only experience with bees. We did love the honey.
ReplyDeleteHello my dear friend who he is not a morning person lots of love and hugs from your dear friend who is a morning person! I am writing on your blog at 4 p.m. and I have never written on your block after 10 in the morning. We had a wild Wednesday. But nothing like your wild Wednesday and I would never look at another be again once I got stung one time you were so brave. And I love love love love love that truck. I think you should do a painting of it of course I don't know when you'll find time to
ReplyDeleteI’m looking forward to fall as well!
ReplyDeleteHi Linda :) Oh gosh...your beekeeping stories are great, but this one kind of scares me!! Angry bees are frightening! That old truck is so cool, and yes, would make a super painting! Oh I love your salad plates!
ReplyDelete