Yesterday was one of those days that seemed like two separate days.

The morning saw us nipping into town so Katherine could purchase her new "beater" violin. She already has two, but both are family hairlooms--one is an antique and belonged to our paternal great-grandfather; the other belonged to Granddaddy's cousin and is in need of some repair work. So, as you can see, wanting neither to get (further) damaged, she wanted a new one for reenacting. And...she got a pretty nice one that is essentially brand new:

When we came home, I fixed lunch before betaking myself out to mow. If you are guessing that something happened, you would be spot on.

I really planned on mowing more of the yard than got done, but that piece on the steering column that we replaced 2-3 years ago has failed again. I don't remember what the thing is called and I have yet to dig into the workings of the machine (may not even get to it this week), but I have a pretty good idea as to where to start. Still, I got the front/road done, and as that is the most important part, I'm not going to blow too hard. 

I discovered, while mowing, that some silly Killdeer has decided to nest in the driveway!! Goofy bird. If the cats don't get her, we'll see if the eggs get a chance to hatch before someone accidentally drives over them. I would have attempted to divert the bird from nesting in our driveway if I had had any clue she was doing it, but I was too late...and she has three pretty eggs laid. (Seem rather large for a bird of that size.)

Well, along and along, I came in and decided that I wanted to go shooting, so Katherine and I gathered our gear and headed out to our own personal range.

We were both testing out some new (to us) guns. I've fired mine a couple of times before, but am not sure I really want to switch from my revolver to a semi-auto. 

I shoot better with the revolver...it holds as much ammo (unless there is one in the chamber of the pistol)...and I am just a revolver lover. 

As both of us are out of practice we had some technical issues to deal with, but we ended  the session taking turns with my beefy .22 and shooting buffaloes at close range. She really actually won. Five shots, five buffaloes, the extra shot flipped an oil filter. Me, five shots, four and a half buffaloes (gave one a quarter turn), the sixth shot finished him off. Anyway, we had a lot of fun and I got my first real sunburn of the year.

By the time we had used up a small pile of ammo, it was time for me to think about making supper, so we moseyed in. I took one of those "how on earth did that happen??" falls while I was closing the back of the barn. Actually, I know it was just that the worn tread of my boot slid on the very smooth concrete, but one minute I was standing up, the next I was flat. Surprisingly, after an hour or so, I would hardly have known I had hit the deck. Lord saved me from anything serious (maybe it's really actually a good thing to be short! Not so far to fall!) I ended up laughing about it because I'm sure it looked funny--but no one was there to see it, so we'll just have to imagine how ridiculous I looked.

Life marches on...next thing on my list, finish yesterday's laundry. It ought to be dry by now...

The rest of the quote goes, "In search of El Dorado" (from the film "El Dorado")...but in this case it wasn't El Dorado I was after.

Anyway, to back up, yesterday saw the day I had scheduled for Gardening Day 1. The morning started with a quick three-stop run into our little town (post office, bank to deposit a couple of checks, and the gas station). Arriving home with my fuel, I unloaded it at the back of the barn, parked the car, and headed back to open the barn up wide.

Done with that, I hopped on the mower and mowed the top half of the garden area. I mowed fairly high so that the shorter dandelions would not be damaged too badly, except for where I was going to till.

I don't recall if this is only our second year of strip-tilling or the third. Either way, strip-tilling the top half of the garden was the task I had laid out for myself. Once done with the mowing, I greased the Bolens, hopped on and gave the thing a crank. Oh, it turned over, but it was clear it wasn't going to roar to life, even after being on the charger over night. Thankfully, this battery charger has this nice 50 amp jump feature (I've used it several times for various vehicles)...and when I got that set up, old Bolly rattled to life! (By the way, I gassed up first. It's not particularly fun, especially for me being so short, to put gas in the tank over that muffler when it's hot.)

Merrily on my way (and this was before lunch y'all!), I made the first pass. At the end of the row, following my usual routine when the field is planted (it got planted Saturday), I went to back up and do a multi-point turn around (the Bolens turns like a barge on the Mississippi...or an oil-tanker--whichever "meterpher" you prefer). Nothing. 

Reverse was non-extant. 

You have got to be kidding me! 

Okay, you're not. Why do we always have something go wrong with our machinery?

I wasn't hugely upset and decided that I would just have to bounce over the newly planted corn to get Bolly turned around and back to the barn. I also decided that I wasn't going to bug my dad with the problem unless I really couldn't figure it out myself. So I headed in to do a little research. (The internet is a gold-mine if you know how to dig right.) Locating a manual for a roughly contemporary dated Bolens yard tractor, I poked about looking for something that might be of help. I was in and out a couple of times (had to take pictures with clean-hands!) and someplace in here was lunch. After lunch, I headed out with a page printed from a manual for reference...

Fender removal was simple (and I am ever so thankful for that little red Sears tool set we keep in the back of the Suburban. It comes in mighty handy). 

​I compared my set up to the somewhat striated photos on the manual page and went to work.

I don't really know how long I spent tinkering, but I quickly figured out how the machine was supposed to work. 

When the drive pedal is pushed forward (with the toe), the forward jaw opens out (above photo) which, if my brain/knowledge is correct, engages a gear in what I think is probably called the gear box. When the drive pedal is pushed down (with the heel), it opens up the rear jaw (next picture), which reverses the gear (or some such thing). So, I may be a little sketchy on what exactly happens inside the box, but I did figure out that which side of the jaw opened corresponded with either forward or backward motion.

Furthermore, I was able to figure out, even without the help of the manual (though it confirmed my suspicions) that the thing (someplace in the manual, I thought it called it a clevis) in the next photo that is rather flat and kidney shaped was the culprit, more or less. 

The foot brake (which must be completely depressed for the engine to even think about turning over) is also connected to it (there at the rear is the foot brake bar's connection). There is a bar with an little "L" shaped end (you can just see it) that moves within the "kidney" determining the direction of motion. The Kidney is capable of some movement--which is where the problem came in. It had, somehow, since the last use of the Bolens gotten shifted ever so slightly, thus prohibiting the rear jaw to open wide-enough to engage the gear. It was an easy fix once I figured out exactly what I needed to do. (I didn't even need tools. Just some slight elbow grease--though I got more grease on me that the amount of elbow grease I needed.)

Before I put the fender arrangement back on, I cranked the machine (I was very careful, Mom!! I have zero interest in getting caught in a spinning drive shaft!) and using my hand, played with the pedal and ran it back and forth. Satisfied, I turned the tractor off, put the fender contraption back on, reattached the seat, crawled on, cranked up...and proceeded to spend the next several hours happily traversing back and forth tilling up the dirt.

I will have to till some more since today we pretty much filled up the ground I broke yesterday. But I don't mind. I like running machinery. :) 

And that was Day 1 and 2 of Gardening 2018....

This really is a tongue in cheek kind of post, but with, I guess, a dose of truth in it. 

Mowing like a (backyard) beekeeper requires, first, that one divest themselves of any remnants of a "keeping up with the Jones" mentality. Your yard is that...a yard, a pasture, not a "lawn" to be manicured.

Which leads to the second point. You have to utterly disregard how the neighbors are going to perceive you. "Dandelions...just going amok! Haven't they heard of Round-up??" (By the way, you will be greeted with a shotgun if you try to spray my beloved yellow weed-flowers. Spray 'em in your own yard. Over here, I'm propagating them. Seriously. Bees love them...and dandelion honey has such a delicate, sweet flavor!) There is also a bit of a jungle around the front of the house. Well, I'm just waiting for the Star of David to bloom. Once they are done, I'll mow it. 

Third, you will learn to dodge bees and clumps of flowers. This will result in wiggly, scriggly mow lines. If you want a checkerboard patterned lawn--don't become a beekeeper.

Similarly, you will just laugh when you see a low-flying plane and question whether the pilot thinks the idiot downstairs is mowing drunk. 

Lastly, alternate which parts of the yard you do mow...because you really don't want the grass to eat your property.

How to mow like a beekeeper: Mow the grass...miss as many flowers as possible...and ignore what the neighbors might think. 

Your crazy resident beekeeper,

It is finally beginning to look like Spring is actually getting here. But of course, as soon as I say that, it's going to drop off cold again here this weekend. (Literally.) 

Anyway, I took advantage of a beautiful sunny, low-60's temperature afternoon to begin the spring yard work. I started with the poor, mostly dead weigela out by the road.  

Some of that might not survive still, but that was all that had any life left in it. 

​Once I got done trimming, I collected the trimmings and the windfall linden branches and zipped them up the hill in the go-buggy. After dumping that load, I collected another load of windfall maple wood.

Poking around here, there and yonder, I discovered that various mints are peeking out, the bleeding heart is coming up, and joy of joy--DANDELIONS!!

Right, so there were only about an even half-dozen that I saw, but still...bee forage is a comin'!

Katherine hied out to plant the cherry trees that Mr. Y, a WWII vet from church, had given us.

I took my shotgun out with me, on the off chance that a Starling would show his pointy little beak. Naturally, true to form, I saw nary a one during the entirety of my time out of doors, but I decided to give my little break-action a mini-photoshoot of her own:

I have bees buzzing in and out of both hives (Huzzah!) I made up some syrup and put it out since it will be warm enough (day and night) for the next few days to enable them to consume the stuff. 

That's the outdoor report. Indoors, I am taking baby-steps towards conquering a few piles and messes that I have not been able to keep up with with my feet being broke out (speaking of which, they are look and feel the best they have since before they broke out in November).

I am still extracting the honey I took off the hive that died in January (I think it was).
I finally washed the honey bucket that had the Spring 2017 honey in it that I fed back to my little hive. It had been sitting on the table for weeks now. (Procrastination. And not feeling good. A combo that I really am trying to to address better.) 

I still need to vacuum the floor here to finish my to-do list for the day...better go do that....

With the sunshine today and the fact that my feet, which have been suffering from a bacterial infection for some time now, felt as though they could risk a little while in socks and boots, I pulled on my coat, collected my clipboard and pencil, and proceeded to walk to the barn. My gimp wasn't too noticeable, so I'm happy.

I decided that I might as well run the vehicles while I was out there, so I cranked up Annabelle and the Ford and let them run while I gently eased myself onto the loft stairs. Once in the loft I set about inventorying my bee-hive components. I have two living colonies (check out the Bee Project for the latest news) and two more 3 pound packages on order. These should arrive on the 19th of April so I want to make sure I'm ready for them. (Look at me! Thinking ahead! Somewhat at any rate. I call this progress. ;] )

I have enough components to start me out this season, but I would like to have at least one extra hive body (I'd prefer two) and several extra supers on hand in case of the need for a split--or a swarm. I had a first-year swarm mid-July last year. (Which is a little late in the year--but the ironic part is, the swarm which went into the winter with next to zero stores, is still alive. The big, strong hive they swarmed from--with nearly two supers of stores--died. Anyway...oddness which I can't account for.) So, I'm weighing my options and my costs and trying to determine how much I want to spend. I've sunk a couple thousand into bees already in the last three years and I want be wise and not just buy extra stuff because I "might" need it--but at the same time, I don't want to need it and not have it. (You can loose a swarm that way, you know.)

Anyway, when I got done with that (and bawling Tom-Tom out for climbing the apartment's screen door), I gingerly climbed out of the loft, turned off the engines and closed the back door of the barn. Then I went for a slow little walk from the barn door--to the bee-hives and through the orchard. It was too cold for the bees to really be out, but I'd seen one going into the little hive on my way to the barn, so I know they are still okay. 

But to the trees...we have four pear trees (counting the little one which I doubt will bloom this year; it didn't last year and it's still only about as tall as I am and big around as my thumb at the bottom). Part of one of the pear trees is dead...but the ends of the  living branches are getting 'fuzzy'. The maples, by the way, have the little pinky-red flowers coming out all over them! (And I just had a thought and went and looked it up--and the Red Maple flowers are a source of pollen and nectar for bees! Yay!! More trees, please! ;] ) The Yellow Delicious apple and the red apple (I don't know what variety it is) are "fuzzing" too, as well as that flat peach--which I'm a little surprised about. I've been expecting that thing to be dead for several years now. :D  Of course, the Lindens are no where near leafing out (and they leaf out before the flowers come--normally in early to mid-June around here if my memory serves me correctly). 

The Flowering Quince is still just sitting there--I know there's a lot of dead in it, so I don't know exactly where to look. Also, I'm rather disappointed to say, the Wigglia is mostly gone--I'd noticed a couple days ago looking out the window that it looked awful broke down and I hadn't remembered it looking that bad. Well, I found out why. The center section is laid over, dead and rotted at the roots! 

In other news, the Daffodils are coming up (no blooms at all yet)...and there are wee patches of wild garlic here, there, and yonder. Even the day-lilies are poking up around the Lilac! Before I know it, the grass will need mowing. :D

Spring hasn't quite sprung, but we're getting close! 

Right, so that sounds like there was something really exciting that happened. Well, not so. It just wasn't a "usual" Saturday. 

I started out this morning making myself a list of things I wanted to see get done (so far, I've gotten all but one of those completed). 

First up was straightening up the living room. I wouldn't say it looks spotless, but it's certainly better than it was! I still have sewing stuff out, but at least it's not completely filling two chairs and spilling haphazardly onto the floor from the card table I have set up. There is something rather satisfying in taking five minutes and turning chaos into order.

I had two other main jobs slated for today (other than the usual Etsy, cooking, dishes, etc.): plant my flowers and go through the doll dresses.

I actually got started on the doll dresses first. I sorted them into "put on Etsy" and "not good enough" and then I took a break and betook myself outside. It it unseasonably warm for February (not that I'm complaining!) so I was comfortable with my sleeves rolled up past my elbows while I played in potting soil and flower seeds. I have to say, I think Snapdragons have the tiniest seeds of any plant I have ever played around with! Wow...and I though carrot seeds were small........

I planted a rather huge (for a greenhorn on flower growing) selection in the potting tray. A couple different kinds of carnations, dahlias, zinnias, celosius (?), two snapdragons, a couple others I can't remember...oh and some pink daisy. That's what I put in the trays. After that, I puttered around with the stuff that the packages said could be direct sown this time of year and poked those seeds in various spots. Yeah. Real organized. I did try to be tasteful in where I put things though. And out of the way of mowers. Oh well. I'm planting flowers for the bees I need to order...so I'm going to be praying that they come up and grow nice and bloom delightfully. 

I had a wonderful time getting dirt up my fingernails and playing with cats between time. It felt downright delightful to be OUTSIDE in the sun.

I came back in and after a good hand-washing, readdressed myself to the doll clothing. I went through and sorted it further into "lots"--which I then wrote down a piece of paper for quick reference when I begin to list them. (They all have "inventory numbers" which is quite helpful.) Since each Etsy listing cost $.20, I figure I might has well put as many outfits per listing as logically will go. Different styles paired together (I mean, stuff of the same style)...or color paired together. For instance, I have a 'Red Dress Lot' (four entirely different styles, but all with a red base) and I have a 1940's Style #1 (there are actually 4 1940's Style lots)--it only has two dresses in it, but it's the same style. I think I may have fun getting these listed. I also, naturally, have other nick-nacks and the like left to list too...but I might as well get these dresses up along the way. Some of them are still hanging around from 2012!!

I think I had better go get started on supper... ;)

You may be wondering why, as it is Wednesday, that I am writing of Monday's adventures. Eh...that's a story we'll get to in a few moments, so bear with me. ;)

Monday I worked some on getting stuff out of Savannah's room and back into mine--I pulled all my yarn out of the dresser that isn't going back into my room and packed it into several Vitacost boxes. Mmmhhhm...I need to knit a little more. (I recently sold a pair of socks via my Etsy shop, so I do actually move the things from time to time!) Anyway, between boxing up the yarn and putting it on my new shelves and arranging my hat collection on the same said shelving, that is about all I got done in the morning. Very sad, I know--but we are such terrible slow-pokes in the mornings!

Well, I drafted back upstairs some time after lunch and piddled about a little more til I decided that I would turn my attentions to my "foot-locker" (actually a covered wooden box). I planned, ever since hauling it north from Florida that I was going to eventually strip off the old covering and recover it...or something. "Well," thought I, "now is as good a time as any. I'm more likely to get it done if I do it before I put it back into my room."

Following this line of reasoning, I pulled it's contents out (costumes and various reenacting and/or prop gear) and hauled the greatly lightened box to the garage where I began pulling staples and tiny nails. After I took the hinges off, that is.

I whipped out my pocket knife and started cutting off the vinyl material. Almost as soon as I began cutting, I started to get just a little excited....

Let me step back a moment and explain that I assumed that Grandmother had covered this box in the early to mid-sixties due to the apparent age of a particular relative who had scrawled her name in crayon on the back of it. It clearly had been the kids toybox.

Anyway, as the vinyl came off, I discovered that Grandmother had first covered the box with newspaper and then the brown material. It was the newspapers that got me excited.

I don't suppose it was even so much the newspaper at first as the date on it. She had used portions of the November 1, 1953 edition of the Miami-Herald to cover this box. Notably, the sports pages and some ads.

1953.

Grandmother and Granddaddy did not meet until 1958. So--this box had been covered not only a rough decade before the time I assumed it had, but even before my grandparents first laid eyes on each other! Things like that kind of give me a variety of jitters. I suppose Anne of Green Gables would define that as a "thrill". ;)

I took pictures of most of the newspaper, thinking that some of my friends might enjoy looking at the old ads in particular.

About this time, I decided to go take care of the chickens in my normal evening routine. I'll leave you there for the moment and finish the box story. It was determined after Daddy pulled the cardboard out of the bottom and uncovered--mold--that we should just pitch it. Well, bummer, but okay. I'm all for getting rid of mold infested "things".

Anyway, back to the chickens. Some of y'all already know where this is headed, but another telling hurts nothing. ;)

I had already fed the layers and collected the eggs and moved on out to feed the meat birds. I cleared out the first tractor and bent my knees and back into the heave-ho routine. I had perhaps another three feet to go when the strap's s-hook slipped off the PVC frame (I've never had this happen before). Naturally, as I was in mid-pull, I went sailing backwards into the clover. I landed primarily on my right leg/side and that didn't hurt much. BUT (you knew that was coming, didn't you?) somehow, with the left arm all rag-doll floppy, I whacked my left wrist into the ground. My palm was facing the ground, but also tilted up a bit...rather like a shallow 'v' if you were looking at my arm and hand from the side. Anyway, the wrist hit first and as I rolled into a sitting position, I knew. 

My wrist had gone immediately stiff. 

It didn't really hurt, but I knew before I got to my feet that I'd just broke a bone for the third time in five years. 

I'm actually still in the splint they put on me at Med-Express (faster and cheaper than the ER--probably nicer too :] ). I go to see an orthopedic doctor tomorrow morning before lunch. I admit that I am slightly disappointed that I couldn't view the x-rays on my computer--wrong file type. I like looking at the x-rays so that I can really see the break--but I was informed that it was just the radial bone--clear across. I guess I must have bashed it just right...

SO...anyway. I'm just grateful that I cracked the ol' left wrist rather than busting the right one again!!

Busyness has defined this week. I cannot remember what I did on Monday--other than dishes--and singing for 45 minutes at the top of my lungs. No one else was home, that's how come I got away with that. ;)

Yesterday saw a whole slew of things being done: Mom got the Tandoori chicken marinating, I peeled 12 pounds of carrots and stuffed them in ziploc bags and jammed them back into the fridge. I washed dishes once or twice (or more). I did laundry; a little abstract "straightening" in the living room. I ironed both mine and Katherine's bridesmaid dresses (THAT's what I did on Monday--I stitched up the sashes!) I cooked two meals. I cleaned the bathroom (I just realized I forgot to scrub the floor........) I baked some bacon and managed to burn some of it. 

I readied my beehives--I thought the buzzers should be arriving today, but it looks like probably Thursday.

I was in and out of the house several time and actually spent some time in the bright sunshine and wind--and farm chemicals.

Now, I know better than to dance around in herbicides and insecticides. I got a whiff of "something" at some point while in the middle of messing with my hive and just kept right on doing whatever it was I was doing. I was literally in and out of the house all day and Savannah says 'everyone was spraying' yesterday though I only saw one--the jerk who really should have only sprayed Helen's field (right next to ours). However, he did our field as well (couldn't he see the boundary??)...and he was real sloppy about it too. Davy is always very respectful around our property, but this guy wasn't. I was kinda hoppin' indignant, but none of us wanted to go out into the spray and give the dope a piece of their mind. (Daddy was up state under a dentist's fist at the time.) Well, Mom had had the windows open some and they didn't get closed immediately. Even closed up though, some of that stuff still seeps through the cracks.

I kind of feel bad about not going out and trying to get that guy to cut it out, spraying our land and all, for two reasons: 1) we already have corn planted and I suppose it's quite possible that whatever he was spraying, which would be for beans, may damage our crop--or kill it completely and 2) he wasted his employers money! But I didn't want to go out--but I guess I might have well as gone out, I got sick from it anyway!! 

That explains why I've spent the last couple of hours in my chair in the living room, vaguely paying attention to the cleaning Mum is doing in the next room. I have done a little laundry today as well as dishes--and I DID get the roasters washed this morning and I made lunch! So, I guess I haven't been one-hundred percent useless. Still, I don't feel good and I have the random aches and pains in addition to the meningitis. 

I hope I feel A LOT better in the morning because Abigail and Grace come in tomorrow as well as Aunt Terry. 

A  trail of gray-white dribbles decorated the slab of wood hithertofore known as the "Dread Sled". The girl, dressed in white and gray splotched jeans sporting both patched and unpatched holes of various sizes, stood above her labor of love. Matching gray-white smears marred the as-of-yet winter pale arms and made an unsightly fingernail job. 

Grinning, she surveyed her progress....

"I think two coats ought to do it. Did last time."

All for the love of bees.

All that fancy tale-tellin' to state the obvious:

The above photo was taken before the second coat of paint. 

Here's a bonus shot of all 36 frame (two different depths, so yes, you are seeing that)...my bees arrive TUESDAY!!!!!!!

Yee-aw!! We have chickens again!! I sure have missed the little boogers. Daddy and I drove off to another county and collected twenty-two old birds from a good friend (paid for them, by the way ;) ) and a cooler full of eggs. 

It started to rain about half way up  and rained while Daddy, John, and Dee rounded up birds in the barn. I stood in the back of the pick-up to seize the birds brought out and tuck them into the "over-sized lobster trap" in the bed. (The "lobster trap" is in reality a big square constructed out of dog and chicken wire.) I got a bit wet as I stepped between the shelter at the end of the truck to the cage and stuffed birds in. It quit raining about the time we left--only to start up again harder shortly after we pulled out of their driveway.

Upon reaching home, I transferred to the driver seat of the go-buggy (the old Ford is not a 4x4 and Daddy didn't want to risk getting it stuck) and collected a bucket of feed on my way up the 'hill'. Backing the buggy tail to tail with the truck, we shifted the cage from one vehicle to the other. (Daddy did most of that, really...I mainly just "held".) Then...we zipped over to the coop and drug the cage off the buggy. I popped in and dumped the feed and then stayed inside to help line up the opening gap with the door. Most of the chickens behaved with sense and just walked on out. There were a few stubborn ones that insisted on the end of a broom to herd them out. Goofy things. 

Due to the pouring rain, we didn't stick around to admire the girls but hurried back to the house. 

In other news...I pretty much have Katherine's bridesmaid dress done (just needs handwork) and I got mine roughly half done today. I should be able to finish it tomorrow, unless I'm crashed like I was yesterday.

Also, I got two packages of bees ordered--and they are supposed to arrive the same week that Savannah gets married! It's going to be a busy week... I am going to have to buy a queen before then because if I don't I'm going to loose my remaining hive. I think Daddy is planning on asking about a queen when he gets honey again. (Apparently they sell queens, too!)

Weelll--that's about life 'round here at the moment. Including the usual--"I'm hungry" which my family and friends are oh, so frequently aware of! ;)