Things are Buzzing Around Here

It has been almost 3 weeks now since we got our bees.  I am so in love with them and fascinated with them.  They are such a mystery to me and I can't stop reading any little bit of information I can on them.  I have checked the hives twice now, on my own.  Robby come with me for moral support, but for the most part, I am doing it myself.  Today we checked them and they appear to me to be doing well.  We were able to find the queen in one of the hives and were able to see evidence of her existence in the other hive.  I could clearly make out larvae in the cells, so I know she is there doing her business.  We also were able to witness the hatching of one brand new bee.  We found two dead bees outside of the hives, so I guess it may be the end of the life cycle for the first round.  Bees live for 6 weeks, or so I read, so it is expected that they would start to die off now and a constant flow of new ones be emerging.
I am getting more comfortable with the bees and not so nervous around them.  I think the next time I go out, I will skip the gloves.  As a nurse I hated wearing them and I hate wearing them for beekeeping too.  I like to feel things against my skin, it gives me a better idea of what I am doing.  The bees are very tame and docile the times i have been out with them, and I think as long as I am staying calm and I am checking on days when the weather is good, I should be okay.

Those yellowish cells are filled with pollen.  This frame is just starting to be worked on by the bees.

I literally could just watch them for hours, but they wouldn't like that too much.

This is a brood and , the football shaped area is where the queen has laid eggs and the cells have been capped over, waiting to hatch.  The open cells are filled with nectar or may have an egg or larvae in them.  The yellowish/white at the top left, is honey the bees have made.  From what I can tell, the colonies are healthy and have established themselves well, since they were moved to my hives.  I am a VERY NEW BEEKEEPER, as in 3 weeks new, so if anyone has any advice they want to give, I am all ears.

On another note, the vegetable garden has LOVED all of this rain we have been getting.  My plants, and weeds, are growing unbelievably well and my flowers are starting to bloom which should bring the bees on over to the vegetable garden.  Last weekend was busy and this weekend was half spent in Richmond with my Dad for Father's Day, so we have only had today to work on weeding, staking, tying up and harvesting.  It has bee a great year for my lettuce, kale and other greens.  It is still all going strong and hasn't started to bolt.  The arugula has bolted, but I keep picking the flowers and adding them to dishes, I really love the taste.  For the exception of our tomato plants, we started everything by seed so our plants are a little smaller at this point than in years past.  But I think they look much healthier and are going to do really well.  Just can't wait for our first tomato though to put on fresh bread with fresh basil and some homemade mozzarella cheese!

 The view from my bedroom window looking down onto our garden.

     Raised bed with lettuces, kale, sunflowers and herbs.                                                                                                       

 

Simpson Lettuce going strong.

Swiss chards, carrots, beets and garlic..

Green beans.....planting plenty this year to can and to make into Dilly Beans, last years newest recipe for me.

Cabbage....we planted late but I think we are going to be okay.

 Potatoes, lots and lots of potatoes.

 Banana Peppers


 Borage for the bees, the tomatoes and me.

 San Marzano tomatoes.....one of 5 varieties we have planted this year.

 Zinnias, my favorite cut flower for the house.  Can't wait for them all to start blooming.

 Dill

 Nasturtiums......my all time favorite edible flower.

 Blackberries......it won't be long now.

 First time growing Kohlrabi........hoping it is going to be a success.

 Second planting of green beans just starting, cucumbers, squash and green onions

 Sunflowers reaching for the Heavens towards my mom.

 No day in the garden is complete without a snake sighting, or in this case, a skin sighting.  Ugggghhhhh.

 Newest additions to help with bug population and fertilizing.......4, one week old peeps.  They were born last Saturday here at Poulet Chateau.  That is their loving mommy, Beanie.

My beautiful Oak Leaf Hydrangea, growing strong.

They are calling for more rains this week, so I suppose all the weeds I pulled will be replaced with new ones.  That's okay, my plants are happy and thriving and our corn and soybean crops are happy too.  There is always something that needs to be done around here, but we try and take the time to stop, sit and just enjoy what it is we are trying to achieve.
In two weeks my great-niece will be here for the first time, and I can't wait to show her around the gardens and introduce her to the chickens.  She will be 11 months old when she comes, but still old enough to make an impression on.
I am linking up with Amanda Soule, over at SouleMama to show my gardens progress and see other beautiful gardens.  Please check her out if you love this life as much as I do.
Have a wonderful week and happy gardening.

A long overdue Stay-Cation!!!!!

I love stay-cations!!!!  I actually love them more than vacations.  I love to travel, but I always end up missing home and my comfort zone.  Usually when I go away some place, it is pretty special and I end up getting inspired and want to rush home to do whatever it is that has inspired me.

Thanks to blogs and all of the amazing creative people I have discovered because of blogs, I now don't have to go anywhere to be inspired.  I am able to see into the homes, gardens, kitchens and creative spaces of so many people and it gives me so much inspiration.

So this stay-cation is going to be spent taking photos with my camera and not just my I-Pod, gardening and getting my feet and hands in the dirt and a touch of sun on my face, make some fun art for myself, do some creative cooking, hatch more peeps AND celebrate Robby's and my 3 year wedding anniversary:)

So without further adieu, here are a few of the photos I have taken.  I'm off to go make some pulled venison tacos for dinner and use lettuce from our garden and our last onion from last year's harvest for some of the toppings.

Have a fantastic night and a terrific Tuesday.  And please say some prayers for the poor people in Oklahoma who are going through such a devastating time.

XXOO

Iris or Flags as my mother-in-law calls them

 Joseph's Coat Climbing Rose

 Peonies are a little behind this year.  But that's okay, I just get to enjoy them longer.

 My little succulent garden waking from a cold winter's sleep.

 Someone help me out here, because I cannot for the life of me remember what this is called!!!

 More Iris......

 and more.

 Columbine in the front, Japanese Maple in the back.

 Oh yeah, that would be......more Iris.....

 and another, similar but not the same.

 They have no scent, but they are still pretty in their own simple way.

Knock-Out Roses

 Did I mention I have some Iris?

 My Wisteria is so close to blooming.

 One of the 3 Robin's nest around the house, built in the corner of the arbor where the Wisteria grows.

 Robin's nest number 2, built in our Redbud Tree.

My favorite one, built under the umbrella on our deck.  Last year was her first year building a nest here and she came back again this year.

 

A little blurry, but these are the 4 eggs that are in the nest under the umbrella:)

 Papa Robin from the Redbud Tree nest, hanging with our bunnies who also have a nest in one of my flower beds!!!  Such a little haven here for the wildlife!!!

 I just love this little statue.

It makes me wonder what they are saying to each other!!

 A little bit of shady lushness. (is lushness a word?)

 

 

 

 













And That My Friends, Is What I Call, A Great Weekend

Oh my goodness!!!

Did this weekend really just happen?

This was one of the most perfectly relaxing weekends ever!!!!

 

It started out perfect when I went to work on Friday.

I was certain we were having a St. Patty's Day party

in our classroom, but I was wrong.

But I didn't care.

Another teacher made me a party hat, I went and bought some

kid friendly (that means stuff I wouldn't normally eat) snacks

and we had a St. Patty's Day party by crackie!!!!

 

My Party Hat clearly shows that I am always down for a party!!!!!

 

Nothing says 2 year old party like Cheese Puffs and Sugar Cookies!!!!

 

Kids were happy when they woke up from their naps

and I didn't feel like I had let them all down.

Next year I will remember we don't normally do

St. Patrick's Day parties;)

 

So once I was home, the weekend had begun.

The sun was still up, the temps were comfortable,

I poured a glass of wine and headed outside to

find my husband.

 

Cheers to the weekend and St. Patty's Day:)

 

Saturday started off with a fabulous visit from our lovely post lady.

When I saw her car coming up the drive, I knew I had goodies arriving.

I had been anxiously awaiting a necklace I had bought from the

amazing Danita's Etsy Shop.

It was a Frida necklace she had made and I wanted it badly.

 

Isn't it pretty in it's little pouch and the cute little post card with it too?

Love this lady!!!!!

 

I had to put the necklace on immediately and hoped that the spirit of Frida

and some inspiration from Danita would send me straight to my

studio ready to create, create, CREATE!!!!!!

 

Isn't she just the most precious little thing you have ever seen?

God I love Frida!!!!!!

 

I had also ordered two books to help with my creative process.

The first one is called Daring Adventures In Paint by the wonderfully talented

Mati Rose McDonough,

The other is by the equally amazing and talented

Flora Bowley

and it is called

Brave Intuitive Painting

let go. be bold. unfold.

 

These two books are filled with great ideas of how to get in touch

with your own style and learn to let what is inside of you come out

onto a canvas as art.

 

I was so excited, I didn't know what to do first,

read my books, work in my art journal, work on a piece i am making for a friend or

work on my LifeBook 2013 class.

I started reading but then all I wanted to do was start making art.

So that's what I did.

First I did a few pages in my art journal.

 

 

 

Then I decided to get serious.

I have a friend I have wanted to make an art piece for.

She said something to me a few weeks ago that stuck in my head.

After a while, I realized this was actually a little snip of inspiration to create a

new piece of mixed media.  So I went to my studio and set myself to work.

 

Several layers of papers, layers of color, some molding paste for texture,

a transfer or two, a sketch and then....

 

 

I topped it off with a layer of beeswax which I have never done before.

That was a lot of fun and I do need much more practice, but now the finished

piece has not only color, but it feels good and has a very earthy smell from the wax.

 

 I used some of my old patterns I inherited from my mom for some of the

under layers.

Used some of my stamps and a few of my transfers

and was so proud that I could draw my elephant free hand:)

 

Wish you could tell I had sealed this in the beeswax but you will just

have to take my word for it.  I need a lot more practice with this technique

but I really enjoyed it.

 

This is how happy i am after all is said and done and all that is left

is cleaning up.  What a great day in my favorite "space".

 

The only thing left to do was to make a wonderful dinner.

I had started dough for french bread earlier in the morning so all I had to

do was put that in the oven.

 

Two lovely loaves of french bread.

 

Next was to start up some homemade pasta sauce with garlic, olives, peppers we preserved from

our garden last summer and some Italian Sausage.

Oh my goodness, the kitchen smelled so wonderful!!!!!

 

 

My sweet hubby had been watching his beloved NASCAR Race while i was spending

amazing time in my studio and kitchen.  At last it was all ready and we came together

for a lovely Italian dinner on a wonderful Irish Holiday.

 

 

What more can one ask of a weekend?

(only that the snow falling outside right now is enough to keep me from having to go

to work in the morning ;) )

 

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and that the week ahead brings you so much

happiness and love you think you are going to burst at the seams.

Make it a great one!!!!

Hugs and kisses

Deb