Happy Memorial Day!

On Saturday night, the McMinnville Stake Single Adults planned a dinner and program to honor the service of Lothery J. Laxton  to God, country, and family.  His wife, Marie, paid a very loving tribute to her husband of sixty-four years.  She shared some of their experiences in the military and ended by saying how grateful she is for their career military experience and for their involvement in the church.  They have served all over the world in both capacities.  Having done such, they have had many unique experiences and met several well-known people.  They carry a lot of history in their hearts and in their minds.

They retired to the Winchester area some time ago, and we have known them for many years.  A few years ago, due to their advancing years, they moved to the Smithville area to be close to one of their children, Lonnie, and his family.  We have visited in both their homes many times, and it is always a pleasure. 

Bro. Laxton has given several of our children their Patriarchal Blessings.

Kyndal's Dance Recital

 Baylor was so good to help with Will & Jack during the very loooooong recital.

Tales of Pixie Hollow

 This girl's face was made for a camera!

Baylor is definitely the big brother/cousin.

I love how he has his arms around Kyndal & Will :)

Do you think Jack was feeling left out?

Is that why he was being so uncooperative?

Or, is it because he's two? 

To celebrate my momhood . . .

Joe took me to Lynchburg to have lunch at Miss Bobo's on Monday.  It is a unique dining experience in a historical setting.  We enjoyed our meal very much and also loved meeting the other folks who were seated at our table.  It's amazing what can happen in small towns - we ate with folks from Kodiak, Alaska, Miami Florida, and San Antonio, Texas.  Tennessee was represented by us and some folks from Crossville.  Our hostess made the conversation easy and made all us strangers feel "at home" with each other.  

It was also fun to walk around the downtown district.  Lots of inviting shops to attract the thousands of tourists who visit every year.  At one point during our lunch, a lady came in asking where everyone is from.  She got very excited when she met the couple from Alaska.  She said that of all their visitors from the US, there are very few from AK (too far away), ND & SD (not many people there to start with), and UT (for obvious reasons).  We got a kick out of that last one - and it didn't come from the local whiskey!!!

After leaving Lynchburg, we made our way to Shelbyville so that Joe could do a little shopping.  Yes, you read that right.  Joe wanted to shop!  He had learned about a supplier there for all things beekeeping.  He had quite a list and we left with a lot of stuff.  Not only was it a good shopping experience, it was an interesting experience, too.  The motto of the three-year-old business is "Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers."  It all began when the then ten-year-old son told his dad that he would like a hive of bees.  The dad thought it would be a good hobby for the boy and a good lesson in responsibility.  Well, the responsibility for that one hive has turned into many hives (we lost count) and a garage that has been turned into a warehouse for the distribution of supplies.  I asked if they have an internet presence (the answer was "no"), but that they get calls from all over the country anyway.  The business has grown so fast that they are just barely keeping up with local sales. When the now thirteen-year-old got in from school, he took over from his older "brother" since he had outside duties.  The name of the thirteen-year-old's part of the business?  "That's My Boy".  Talk about a success story!

 Good thing Joe stocked up on supplies.  When we got home, guess what was on a grapevine?  

 A small swarm that decided to go back to the mother hive.  But when they do get enough numbers to leave, Joe is ready for them.

But, before we came home and after we left our beekeeper friends, we went to M'boro to see the Joneses for a little bit.  I had planned on doing a little shopping at Michael's, but when Lori told us about a strawberry farm that some people from her ward were talking about, we decided to go there instead. I bet Joe loved the change of plans.  They were only open until 7:00 PM and got there about twenty minutes before that time.  So glad we made it!

Valley Home Farm is a wonderful place to visit.  It is situated near Wartrace in the beautiful, rolling hills of Tennessee.  There's a beautifully restored home on the property with acres and acres of blueberries and strawberries.  And goats and Rhode Island Reds and HONEYBEES!!!!!!!  There is also a bakery behind the house featuring delicious strawberry treats (the blueberry ones are right around the corner).  The owner was there and we enjoyed a nice visit with her.  She and Joe mostly talked about beekeeping.   Before we left, we bought a basket of strawberries, and I had a strawberry/honey popsicle, and Joe had strawberry ice cream.  So delicious!

We had the best day :)

Mother's Day with Our Mothers

It's been a bzzzzzzz-y day!

Joe has been a beekeeper before, but I have no honey experience whatsoever.  Except for eating honey.  Cool honey on hot, buttered, homemade biscuits.  Honey butter on toasted  homemade whole wheat bread.  But eating honey is not what this post is about.  

Joe bought his first package of bees about this time last year from a fellow in Maryville.  The bees are supposed to be Italian bees.  There's nothing to believe except what the "experts" tell us.  We have found - just like with anything else - the experts don't always agree.  But that's not what this post is about.

Anyway, he bought a hive to house them in from a young man on Walden's Ridge.  Not too long after that, he bought two working hives from a beekeeper in Spencer.  Supposedly those bees are Russian (but Joe says they look just like the Italians ???).  He has babied them and checked on them and gone to beekeeper meetings and read and read and read.  And he kept them all alive during the winter, thanks to clearance-priced candy canes.  That's how honeybees like to celebrate the holidays :)

This spring, there have been 6 swarms.  The first one left before Joe even knew there had been so many babies born that the hive had become overcrowded.  (You know what they say about too many bees in a hive).  He was inconsolable.  But only until he got really good at this beekeeper thing and captured the next three!  Because he was feeling so proud of himself and thinking that he had this beekeeping thing down pat, he was surprised when an additional swarm he thought he had captured last weekend went in search of better accommodations in spite of all that he had done for them.  (He's been building hives like mad just trying to keep up with the burgeoning bee population around here).  Once again, he was inconsolable.  

Until today.  I went with him to serve as his  photographer as he began this spring's harvesting of honey - decked out in the latest in beekeeping attire.  He smoked the bees.  He blew them away with a leaf blower. He disrupted their routine.

 

He rode in the back of the pickup and I took the long way back to the house hoping those smoked and blown and robbed and aggravated bees would not follow us and discover where we live.  (Most of them did not).  When we were almost back, he yelled for me to stop.  (He had to yell because I had the windows up for added protection).  He really had thought that the hives had produced all the swarms they were going to this spring, so we were both really surprised to discover he had spotted another one out in the field. 

He hurriedly gathered up what he needed to show the bees how hospitable he is and while doing so, Carl dropped by.  Carl is also a beekeeper and we got to know him when he was here helping with the installation of our solar arrays last summer.  Notice that he is not wearing any protective clothing.  You're probably thinking that makes Joe look like a sissy.  But I do not.  Honeybee stings hurt.  And swell. And itch.  Can you tell that I recently was stung by one?  Right above my eye.  (That's why I use the zoom function on my camera for shots like these).  Just as I snapped this photo, Carl gave that little tree quite a shake and the bees scattered.  He didn't get stung once!  And all the bees made their way into their new home.  Success! 

Finally, it was time to start the honey extraction.  These pictures pretty much tell that story:

So -- to sum up, we now have seven working hives.  From six frames, we extracted almost fifteen pints of honey today!  We've learned from a few mistakes along the way, have made plans to acquire a few more pieces of equipment that will make the job go smoother next time (which will be in a couple of weeks), and are pretty excited about this new hobby.  I must say, though - for the record - the bees aren't the only ones that do all the work!!!  But to see those jars filled with that beautiful honey makes it all worth it.  Oh, and by the way, when Joe took the frames from the second hive, he only smoked them a little bit - didn't use the leaf blower on them at all - didn't have me with him to take pictures - and only wore the protective gloves.  Didn't get stung once.  Shangri La bees are the best :)

The ones that got away :(

Yes.  We are getting greedy.