Monday, February 22, 2021

Bees, Hockey, Nuts and Target! Our Wonderful Weekend!!

 Dean and Sherry suited up and went out to check the hives Sunday.


What an amazing difference a week makes!
From a frozen winter wonderland to spring like weather in the 60's!


Thankfully, all three hives are still full of bees.....although there were hundreds of dead drones on the ground. They treated the hives with Apivar  strips for any varroa mites  - and one of the hives was a bit on the hostile side and stung Dean several times. The strips stay in place inside the hives for 42 days and this must be before you put any honey supers on. We can't harvest the honey if it's been exposed to the Apivar. While that does not matter to the bees and they can eat the honey - we cannot.

We are planning on going down to the ranch later this week, even though we can't stay more than a few days. Louis Dean has an appointment with his cardiologist on the 3rd of March so we have to be home by the 2nd. But a few days is better than no days!!
Dean and Sherry checked on the camper/cabin and all seems well.
Dean had turned the water off before the extreme weather hit and he turned it back off once they had checked on things up where our place is.

We were up early on Saturday and just before we left, Louis Dean turned all the water off to the house.
He had repaired a broken pipe but thought it best to keep the water off while we were gone.
Turned out to be an excellent idea!

We were over at Amber's by 11:00 Saturday and rode with her and Logan and Harrison to their hockey game. Mike had taken Trystan and Kailey to their game which was at a different location.


I love to see my Amber in action.
She is an excellent mother and knows all four of her children so very well.
She was a synchronized swimmer.....and now her children are skating on water ice instead of swimming in it! 


It was a good decision to get out of the house for the day!


Mike, Kailey and Trystan arrived for the second period of the game.
Kailey and Granddad always get their picture taken together!
If I don't take it, Kailey will do a selfie with him - using my phone, of course!


Amber and the girls cheered them on while Mike was over in the coaching area.


And they WON!!! 8-4! 
Harrison led the team to pile up on their talented goalie in congratulations!
Harrison is #91 and Logan #12


He was pretty pumped!


Logan and Harrison both made a bee line to their mother!

Since we were in two vehicles, we stopped by Chicken Express for some fried chicken!
Harrison opted for a grilled cheese from Sonic.
We rendezvoused back at the house where we made our plates and gathered in the living room to watch Fellowship Church service together. All services were online this weekend.

Louis Dean took advantage of the opportunity to shop Home Depot and Walmart all by himself.....


while I played NUTS with the kids!


Normally you need to be around 10-years-old to play a good game of Nuts but these 8 year-olds are pretty quick! 

Louis Dean came back and he decided to nap while Amber and I went on a Target run.


Starbucks tea as we entered and we enjoyed strolling up and down every isle!
We visited as we browsed and had the most wonderful time.
It was a really GOOD day all the way around.

We came home and unloaded all the groceries - Louis Dean had his in the trunk and I filled half the back seat with what I bought. The water was working when we left and he had turned it off just as a precaution. So he turned it back on and I started the dishwasher and we were going about our evening just fine. I went to turn the lights on the front porch out ......and I heard water!
A different faucet had burst with the pressure! I ran around filling the bathtub with water to flush the commode and a couple of pitchers full as well as our water for the coffee pots before he went out and turned all the water off. Again. He had slept for nearly 3 hours at Amber's so I went on to bed and he stayed up to fix that faucet and the one in the back. Yes, it had the be fixed - again.

I got up early this Monday morning - as in 6:00! What is up with this?? I have never been a morning person EVER but I seem to be waking earlier and earlier these days.


Louis Dean turned the water back on once he got up - and all was well - for a few minutes.
At least it was long enough for me to make breakfast, which Louis Dean gave a 5 out of 10 score!
I was more of an 8 myself!
Then the back faucet burst open. Again.
All in all, we had 4 different faucets break and one - the one by the back pond - had to be repaired FOUR times! So that's SEVEN broken pipes he had to fix!
You know what the problem was with the one that kept breaking?
He got mixed up and was using pipe from his 'trash' pile.
Instead of throwing them out - he kept them!
That did NOT work out very well for him, did it??
It's a little after 9:00 and, as I write, all our water is on again!
I get a thrill every time I flush the commode!
When it was a pipe in the back - he could turn the water off there and we still had it in the kitchen.
I am thankful for those cut off valves for the bathrooms or we would have been without water from last Saturday when that first pesky pipe broke because it was too cold to fix them for several days.


Look what I got in the mail today from a dear friend in Utah!!
I have never seen beehive cupcake pans before and that honeybee spooon rest is adorable!
I'm thinking I need to bake tomorrow.

I will close tonight's journal entry with this funny from Facebook!


Actually, it was -2 here in the DFW area!

I had just posted when I received a message about Lonnie.
He's having another episode similar to the one that put him in the hospital before Christmas. Prayers for our brother would be greatly appreciated.


12 comments:

Arlene G said...


So sorry to hear about Lonnie. Will pray!!

Ginny Hartzler said...

I am so sorry about Lonnie! I cannot remember what he was diagnosed with previously, though I do remember how sick he was. Goodness, all your pipe trouble is almost unbelievable. And you seem to keep your cool and just breeze through it! I guess that shows how much you trust Louis Dean to have it repaired quickly each time, and he has!

Bluebird49 said...

Oh, I'm sorry Lonnie's having health problems again!
Y'all have really had pipe problems, and it is so frustrating, I know! Hope all is well now.
It's fun seeing the quads and I know you and Louis Dean had a great time.
Hope you will be sfe going to and from the country. It's good to know the hives are okay, too!
<3

Vee said...

What a frazzling experience you've been having with those pipes. 😳

Yes, my goodness, it is so important to get out of the house. Glad that you spent time with Amber and family. I've never watched a live hockey game. It must be great fun.

Prayers for Lonnie. Prayers for everyone. Prayers for Texas to get back to normal.

Deanna Rabe said...

Just reading this now, Linda, but I will pray for Lonnie.

I love seeing families support each other and spend time together!


Changes in the wind said...

So many broken pipes yikes!! Glad they are finally fixed and praying for your brother.

Debbie said...

i am sending lots of warm wishes and hugs for lonnie, my version of prayers. i will think of him often and hope he is ok, i know how much you love him, and what it means to you!!

i followed your posts on Facebook silently, as i thought about you and hoped you were ok through the texas mess!! i miss watching my boys play sports....when all of this covid mess is over, i am going to go watch my friends kids play!!

i know first hand about frozen pipes and the aftermath of them, good luck with that!!!

my son lives in austin and he was unscathed by all of this. he knows how lucky he is!! hugs to you linda!!

Phoebes World said...


I learn do much about bees from your posts... and its so interesting.I wonder if you could use some of their honey in honey cakes in that lovely cake tin.
This cold weather has caused a lot of damage to a lot of people,, Im so glad you got your pipes fixed
And...prayers for Lonnie... and for you all x

Susie said...

Linda, You tell LD...we all know he is quicker to learn , than fix the same problem over and over...Oh yes, throw that junk stuff out Sanford. Ted is a saver of "oh I might need that, one day" junk. LOL I drove myself nuts worrying about the pipes possibly freezing here. I left fans running and lights on in the basement to help keep it kind of warm. I hate stress..so ready for simplicity . So today it is in the high 40's...dang a heat wave. Love that you got to be with Amber and her family. what joy. Blessings to all. I am praying for Lonnie. Love you, xoxo, Susie

Debby said...

Prayers for Lonnie. That was my grandfather's first name.
You sure have a lot of excitement in your life. Living in Ohio we have experience with pipes bursting. What would you do without LD's amazing talents. I bet you can't even get a plumber right now.
Love the picture of you and Amber.
❤️

photowannabe said...

Saying a prayer for your dear brother right now. Praying for complete healing.
Wow, what a saga of the water pipes.
Glad you figured out that it was old pipes that were the problem.
So nice you can be with your Grands and enjoy them to the fullest. It sure makes life worth while.
Sue of photowannabe

Carole said...

Hope LOnnie gets better very quickly. love your beehive cupcakes! Can see some honey cupcakes in your near future.... Cheers