05 June 2012

Beekeeping IV

A lot has been happening with our bees as of late. Indeed, I've resisted updating you about them precisely because every few days the story changes a little. 

I suppose it all began when Jacob relocated the hive from its perch down in the yard. The beehive was seriously cramping my clothesline, so I insisted that he find a different spot for them. 

And he did. About 30 feet from our front door. 

He sat down to dinner with me that night and stated blissfully, "Now they really feel like pets." 

Things continued merrily in this manner for a few weeks. The bees would get Jacob's last goodbye as he left for work and his first hello as he returned. (Bitterness? I don't know where you're getting that...)
  
A few weeks ago our hive split. This happens (apparently) when there are so many bees in the hive that when they hatch a new queen, instead of the pleasant fight to the death with the old queen, the regents make a truce and the new queen flies away with half the bees.

Read that last sentence again and muse for a moment on just how cool bees are.

Not cool? You say.

Try this: bees have sex while flying.

I know. Cool. I told you.

Anyhow, back to the saga. Our hive split one afternoon while Jake and I were playing on the porch...which we do...sometimes... 


The air filled with the familiar cloudy buzz of swarming bees, and Jake and I retreated to the house and then proceeded to take this picture for the blog:


And where did this new group of buzzers decide to relocate? 

A tree...next to the clothesline. Jacob put them in a plastic bin that evening when he got home from work and spent his lunch hour the next day driving to the other end of the world to buy a real deal bee box for them. Unfortunately when he got home that evening, they had ditched the plastic bin and were no where to be found.

So we were stuck with no new bees and an 80$ bee box tab. 

It wasn't all a tragedy because at least I got Jacob to hang dry the diapers since the new swarm of bees was so close to my clothesline. You cannot see them but they are nestled happily in that orange tree with the bougainvillea in it.


That WAS the end of my story. Until two days later...they came back. 

And this time we were ready.


So now...now we have two beehives. In the middle of Los Angeles.

And the end of the story is this:


My old Ikea curtains doing what they never knew they were always meant to do: straining Rhodes honey.

04 June 2012

It was a good day. And a good year.

Our little Cub turned one yesterday.


We celebrated with friends.





We remembered to put him in his hand me down birthday shirt and even managed to balance the birthday hat I made for him on his head for a picture.


What a year. What a year this has been.


01 June 2012

7 Quick Takes

- 1 -

Granddaddy Rhodes died on Wednesday. The illness came on suddenly, but it wasn't really a surprise. We thankfully had a bit of a goodbye with him over Christmas when we visited. He kept bees like Jacob; he had multiple hives going till the day he died and even had an observation hive in his house. The Mennonites don't do pictures, so I don't have one of him. But in tribute, I'll post this one of Jacob and his bros from when they lived in the community in 2002.


 Jacob and brother John were able to catch a redeye to Kentucky on Wednesday night. So papa is in good ole KY, and Jake and I are home alone.

- 2 -

Even though tragedy should make me chock full of grace and understanding, four days of single motherhood has me feeling pretty sorry for myself. Especially since we have teething pains to pepper sleepless nights and since Jake's mild anemia is calling for lots of iron rich foods on the north end and making the south end a sh** show...literally.

- 3 -

Last night while watching TV I managed to spill beer on the couch and found myself mopping it up with an obliging prefold that was lying on the coffee table. Just another reason to cloth diaper.

- 4 -

Drinking beer alone not classy? Well I opened a bottle of wine that was utterly undrinkable and instead of waking baby and packing us off to Trader Joe's for a new one I opted to have beer instead. But you're right. I probably should've had scotch.

- 5 -

Jake despite his weathered 11.97 months status is showing no interest in walking. But he is showing lots of interest in the feet of our patio chairs (which currently live upside down and serve as a baby barricade) and the laundry basket.


- 6 -

And he'll even play with real toys sometimes. Like this morning I found him looking at a book.


And in the bath he has a grand time with his rubber duckies which I have affectionately named

Mama Duck           &           Papa Duck

- 7 -

If you feel like reading something more meaningful then you should visit Lizzy for the sweetest little love story with all its adorable college awkwardness. Or go see Jen for more quick takes.