Our Last Country Weekend of August......

 The weather forecast for was not quite as hot asit has been this entire week - which is a good thing if you are going to be suited up to tend to bees as we were Saturday morning.

Sometimes we get up super early - as in 6:00 - in order to be done before it heats up too badly.

Sherry thought it best to go to the hives around 8:00 when the bees are just beginning to fly.

The less bees in the hives, the easier it is to do the work we need to do.

Dean has perfected his ability to drink coffee through the netting - but he was able to enjoy a few extra sips while we were laying all our tools and supplies out.

Sherry put a picnic table in the apiary so we have a place to sit and write up the notes as we inspect each hive. Next visit I will take a bucket of soapy water down and clean off the table and seats.

Our bee suits are white! I did remember to bring a towel to wipe the dew off but used it to scrub it instead. Our main objective was to put a second brood box on three of the six hives. One already had two.

The three of us work well together.

Dean can do the heavy lifting and those hives DO get heavy!

It was a beautiful day but we were all ready to get out of those suits when we were finished.

It took a little less than and hour and a half to do our work.

I looked at the clock when I came in the front room and it was 9:30 and Louis Dean was still sound asleep. INstead of going right back to bed, I stayed up and fixed me a snack of honey and crackers.

The honey in the hives now will stay there for the bees to eat, however, Sherry cut off a little piece of honeycomb for me to sample.

Once the Snow on the Mountain - or Prairie if you live in Texas - blooms, it makes a honey that is not good to eat as it leaves a burning sensation in your throat.

The flowers are blooming here as of the last two weeks as is bitterweed and broomweed so I was interested in how it tasted. Apparently the honeycomb I sampled was made earlier as it was sweet and good. Honey made from Broomweed smells like old smelly socks and no one wants to eat any of THAT!

I went back to bed at 11:00 and slept two hours before starting my day.

Louis Dean was up and at 'em working with the tiller in the garden.

We had thought to put in a fall garden but forgot that you are supposed to plant that in late July and early August. So he is just tilling up the ground and getting rid of the weeds.

I finished up some of my art projects and started some others......

as in this one of Louis Dean in his garden.

A friend said this would make a fine painting and I think it will!

Maybe the first in a series of Louis Dean paintings.

It's just based in at this point but I didn't dull the colors.....and I think I will leave the brushstrokes as I paint. Not so much detail and the impression of it all.

I stopped work and got ready for a Girls' Night Out.

Sherry picked me up and we drove about an hour away - all along country roads - to our beekeeper friend, Rosey's home.

I brought the margaritas and Rosey poured them up and served them looking so pretty!

We sat at her kitchen counter and visited while we sipped. We talked bees, of course, and horses and books and dogs and all manner of things.

Rosey has the coolest house!

She is retired military and designed her house while serving in Afghanistan.

I admired all the framed honors, flags and commendations on the walls of the hall as I wandered around looking at amazing and interesting home. She was a recognized leader in her army career and I appreciate her service. I am so proud to be her friend. She's amazing.

That's Bunker over there on the left....don't you love the name??

She's such a good dog!!!

I forgot and left my cute little pool bag right beside the door at the ranch!

No worries!

She loaned me a tank top and some swim shorts and I was IN that saltwater swimming pool first and the hot tub next!

For dinner, Sherry had made her famous potato salad and Rosey grilled hamburgers.....

and not just any hamburger, either!

These were from her very own calf! She raises cows, calves, horses and has one cat....from the same litter that Amber, Benjamin and I got our cats from.

We had such a good time!

And we made some tenative plans to meet up for dinner and music in September - but I can't remember the name of the place! I bet Carla knows about it! She's my Rockin' K Ranch friend and she and her husband live in Gause and go to so many cool places out here in the country to hear music and dine.

I think Louis Dean and I need to get out more.

All too soon we were heading back down the country road that took us to Rosey's!

We thought about going home today and then gave that another thought and decided to stay until tomorrow as we planned. We watched Ed Young and Fellowship Church online while we sipped coffee.

I knew what my plans were for the day. Clear the art table and put it all away and then give the front room a good cleaning. Feed my herb garden and gather the ripe cantaloupes. There's always this and that to do along with taking a nap and reading and just sitting and watching. There's always something to see if you look.

Louis Dean said next visit he's like to go fishing.

I told him to go now if that's what he's like to do!

So often we catch ourselves putting off something when we could simply DO it NOW!

And so he did.

Can you see him out there off to the left?

He was gone for hours!

It started to rain so I went out to sit under the carport.

I love to watch it rain.....

It was so light you can't really see it in the pictures.

This was as I looked to the right.....the ranch road that will lead us to the gate when we go home tomorrow.

To my left I can see our apiary.

I thought Louis Dean might come back but the shower was short lived so I went back in to take a nap.

The rain returned - much harder this time - and so did Louis Dean.

Hesat on the front deck and watched it and then called out to me when it was over.

It's always special to see the rainbow.

I prepared a canvas for one more art project to start when we get back down here in September.

I can plan things in my head but when I prepare the canvas I know I will get it done.

This painting is for my friend and former neighbor, Tim.

I'm already in the girl bunk as I close out tonight's journal entry. 

I put my pictures on at the camper kitchen table where I keep my laptop, but the table is a little too high to type comfortably so, I tuck myself and my laptop in the girl bunk to write my words.

Louis Dean picked his blackeyed pea patch this evening and then sat out on the deck and shelled the entire basket.....about a gallon of shelled peas!

I left him a sandwich under a net umbrella to keep any flying insects off of it and told him I was going to bed after I finished writing. So, really, all I need to do is close this up and then go to sleep.

But I won't. I will go out there and check on him, remind him to take his medicine and visit for a few minutes. Then I can come in and go right to sleep.

Sleep well, my friends!