Along with it came a secret desire to raise honeybees. My husband, who has a deep, abiding love for honey, is interested as well. For the past year and a half I've been doing research on it, and even met a local man who led us through the how-to of getting started. But as often happens in life, other things have thwarted us, so it will be a project we have to put aside for another year.
Bees are beautiful and necessary creatures, and it is of great concern to some that they are disappearing.
this is liquid gold at our houseSo until my dreams of an apiary are realized, I will content myself with counting bees instead. Would you like to join me? I found The Great Sunflower Project at Sugar City Journal. It's fun and only takes 15 minutes.
This picture is from my garden from last year. Count me in!
17 comments:
Beautiful sunflowers!
Thank you, Jenny. And I can't take credit for planting them. They were a happy accident from what fell out of the bird feeder hanging overhead.
Jodi,
Really great post, I love the idea and I'm on it!
My daughter has been keeping bees for 3 years now and it is a fascinating business. We have all learned a great deal about bees and love the honey and beeswax. I hope your secret desire will be fulfilled soon.
As I recall, you weren't too sun-drowsy not to instruct me to "let it go and run" which I also obediently did.
My grandpa used to keep bees...I like spun honey the most. It's so creamy and delicious!
Friends and relatives have kept bees, and two years I've bought hives for our local CSA farm...If you want to help the bees, have lots of white flowering plants in the early spring, like clover in your lawn, for food for them. They like white and blue flowers best of all, and lots of white flowers have blue "landing lines" on the petals that bees can see and we cannot.
Kristi, thank you. I will definitely remember that. I have an herb garden and I notice that bees seem to love the mountain mint when it flowers. That's fascinating about the blue "landing lines".
Monix,
That's wonderful! Have you or your daughter ever blogged about it or taken pictures? I'd love to see them.
Alexis, that's great! Maybe we can keep each other informed of our progress.
JoAnn, I like spun honey too!
Zach, I remember telling you to let go and run. But I also remember being amazed that you weren't stung, and that you used the word "hovering".
Your son sounds like such a Dickon Sowerby - charming the wildlife...and also sounds like such a good catch! His wife must be very happy to have snagged him. I bet he charmed the ladies like he charmed the bees! Perhaps his wife will have bees herself one day and he can charm them for her.
The best handcream I have ever used was made by a local (In Shropshire) beekeeper and the recipe was a secret...which is very frustrating as now I think she may be retired or on a cloud?
I found this fun site whilst searching for her info though and as the girls have always been fascinated by bees (they have a glass sided hive at the zoo) I think they might like it too :0)
http://www.beeginners.info/
My two little garden hives are some of the loves of my life. ;) We originally considered the endeavor to be our own small part in 'helping the honeybee', but just like everything else we have undertaken involving creatures of God's making, we know that we are the ones that have been blessed. Humbled. Overwhelmed with His beauty and wisdom in the works of His hands. We have really and truly grown to love and revere the honeybee, ups and downs of beekeeping notwithstanding! :)
Oh, and by the way, Jodi--your comment (on my site) about the candied violets made me smile. My mother had them on her wedding cake. And I do so love a good fairy cake. I wish that I could join you the day that they make their appearance on your tea table. :)
Oh, and one more thing.
I. Loved. Bright Star.
Loved it. Wept all the way through it. Promptly passed it off to my mother and dad (who loved it, too) and recommended it to close and kindred friends. It was beautiful. In so many ways...Thank you for the recommendation (via your blog and later backed up by Bronwyn :)).
Niamh, I think the bee charmer saved his charms for one special girl only. We are very glad she's joined the family hive. <3
Val, I checked out the site you recommended. Looks good. Now if only we could snag the recipe for that hand-cream :)
Dear Lanier, you are welcome at our tea table anytime. And Bron and I are so pleased you love Bright Star. I cried all the way through it as well. Blessings to your family farm and all its creatures great and small.
Post a Comment