Best Livestock Ever....BEES!!!

I've had bees for about 5 or 6 years and I've had my share of ups and downs.  I keep bees for pollination and not so much for honey...which is a good thing...I usually end up with at least one weak hive and transfer honey frames over from the strong hives to keep the weak hive alive over the winter.

This year's bees have been very strong and productive.  I decreased my garden size because of the continuing drought so every plant needs to be productive and has been...thank you ladies!!  The fruit orchard has been under stress because of lack of consistent water, but has managed to produce fairly well...again...thank you ladies.  I planted lots of hollyhock, mustard, lavender, sage...anything that took little to no water just to feed the bees.  Today I will have to feed sugar water for the first time...while I wait for the 200 acres of squash to bloom my husband has planted for seed production ...should just be another 2 weeks.  When I open the hives today, I'll get a chance to see how the ladies are doing...I check every 4 to 6 weeks...it's been 7 weeks: YIKES!  I had an ant invasion 2 weeks ago that I had to address and didn't want to further the stress by smoking and opening the hives...every time you open a hive you cause severe stress to the ladies and I just hate doing that.  Ants have been horrible this year...they are everywhere...and they are not little black sugar ants...they are protein loving Argentine ants...they are AWFUL and EVERYWHERE!! Bastards!!

They're Hitched!

Tessa's Son, Vincent of the Long Legs and Daughter, Lovely Leah
Bringing Up The Rear: Youngest Daughter's Son, Jump'n Jack Flash and Daughter
Awesome Isla!

Youngest Daughter Kelly: Matron of Honor and Best Man Charlie Lyss...Groom's Best Friend

Bridesmaids: Granddaughters Little Lynda
AND  Leah

Daughter Kelly, Her Husband Adam and Daughter Halle
The Two Blondes are Son Les's Daughter's Claira and Audrey (yes that's how they spelled
Claira)

Our Middle Daughter, Tessa and Her Husband Ruben

All five of our children are now married and hopefully happy!  We had another lovely Reynolds Family wedding.  This one was held at Our Lady of Sorrows..."The Little Shrine"...the first Mass in Colusa county was held here.  The land the Shrine was built on was donated by my husband's great-great-great grandmother.  My mother-in-law spent many years having it registered as a historical landmark while a member of The Native Daughter of the Golden West.  I believe it was at one time listed as the smallest church in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.  It was hotter than Hades (bless me, Father)...104 degrees! AND the couple had a full Mass...I swear I thought I was going to melt. Whew!

Our Lady of Sorrows

Right behind the Shrine is the historical Davis Ranches.  Eight years ago, when the youngest daughter was getting married and looking for a venue...she BEGGED the "owners"  (it's held in trust and has been for many, many, many years...no one lives there) if she could hold her wedding there...the answer was NO.  Fast forward...the younger generation has taken over and other than a Davis family wedding; we were lucky enough to be the first book it for Tessa's Wedding...

Oops!

My mad dash up to the Cabin before the BIG wedding ended in an "owie" for my poor car.  That is not a limb...it's a whole tree!  My old school chum and I had to MacGyver a way to get that damn tree off...but we did it...I limped home and after a week in the shop all should be well.

Well, Life on a Farm is Kinda Laid Back...Thank God I'm A Country Gal!

Vincent's 4th Year Selling A Hog!
$8.50 a Pound

Leah's Second Year Selling a Hog!
$13.50 a pound!

Another County Fair has come and gone.  Three grand kids raised and sold their hogs...and they did an awesome job! Our County Fair Livestock Auction earned the kids in the county in excess of $1.6 million dollars!  How amazing is that...we're a county of only 22,000 folks.

Granddaughter Lynda...First Year and She Was Beat! 
$18.50 a pound!

The Garden has been down-sized again due to our continuing drought.  I plant just enough for my pantry and a bit to give to the kids.  The kids all have their own gardens...small, but enough to keep salads and fresh veggies on the table daily.  I turned 2 of my raised beds into chicken brooders!  My egg sales really ramped up last year so I doubled production...and because of the avian flu I have folks from all over wanting eggs and meat chickens...and turkeys.  I'm raising a small flock of turkeys for the family to see if this is something I want to do on a bigger scale.  Never thought I'd be in the poultry business...but looks like I am!

Baby Turkeys...Just Love These Guys..Too Cute!

I've invested in a nice little shed/barn this year...my stuff was just getting out of hand..I had gardening, poultry, bee, hog, kayak equipment strung all over the place...just looked junky.  You would think with FIVE barns on this property I would have plenty of space...well, thanks to my husband's HOARDING I was being pushed out.  We have 3/4's of a barn that is storing all the DEAD family members junk...really, like an Egyptian pyramid!  I keep threatening to have an estate sale...my husband used to violently reject the idea...but I recently noticed 2 brand new expensive tractors parked next to that same barn and not under the roof...he told me there was no room!  I told him it was time to start getting rid of stuff: he shook his head and said: "Yeah...maybe"...I take that as a YES!

My Wonderful Shed/Barn!!

I'm still working at the school...love the job.  Lots of changes and sometimes turmoil...but so goes life.  I have a great staff...finally.  Hard working gals that want to make a difference and really love and care about the kids. We're doing more and more scratch cooking...we've introduced some great lunches for the teachers and administration...and that's a BIG step.  If the teachers eat at the table with their students I give them a break on their lunch...such a difference in behavior and less food waste. It was just a fluke: I had a kindergarten teacher want lunch and I told her I'd "comp" the lunch if she ate with her kids (usually they lead the kids to the cafeteria and leave).  One of the best ideas I've had since I started the job.

Staff Acting Silly On Halloween!
We Don't Dress Like This AT ALL!

I've been able to spend more time up at the cabin.  Smaller garden, timed irrigation and automated poultry operation has freed up a lot of my time.  I only work 182 days a year and have lots of earned vacation and sick leave.  I was earning over time hours and cashing those hours out...not now, I use them to extend my 3 day weekends!  I take an extra day each 3 day weekend!  Fridays are PIZZA day at our school and a very easy "cook/serve" day...it's just perfect for me to take it off  on the weekends we have Monday as a holiday.  This tiny little change in my schedule has changed my attitude 100%!  I had reached a point where I just wanted to quit.  I was earning $$ but no time to enjoy my life.  I would get off of work at 2 p.m. get home feed the animals, water and weed the garden, start dinner and sleep...weekends I was watching grand kids.  Just adding that extra one day to an extended weekend a couple times (or once) a month has done wonders...I even encourage my staff to comp a Friday once a month.  Of course my Department Head doesn't like it...but our Union contract allows for it...and if it's a Friday (EZ-PZ day) who cares.

My youngest daughter and her husband bought a nice vacation property up at a nice Lake within a 1/2 hour drive of my cabin! So I have another option to getting away from it all!! They purchased an established dental practice in Paradise, CA...and are living in Chico...his hometown.  They have a cute place across from Bidwell Park...if you know anything about the area, Bidwell is a slice of Heaven...horse, bike and running trails right on the the creek...beautiful setting!

Daughter number two is getting married the 20th of June...a real outdoor Farm wedding.  Thank goodness she and the younger daughter are best friends...the two have everything under control...and Dad is in charge of the "funding"...I just have to sit back and enjoy: My kind of wedding!

A Practice Table Arrangement...We have to
Make 40 of These!  YIKES!
Flowers From Our Combined Yards and Gardens

My oldest daughter has opened her Baby Business on the Gulf Coast...her dream...with her oldest daughter as a partner!  She's a Mid-wife and teaches all sorts of classes...the storefront offers Natural baby needs, classes for moms and dads and the Midwifery services.  Hopefully I'll make it out this Fall to check it out myself, in person!  Luna Babies

Today we're to break the 100 degree mark and it's already in the 80's at 9:00 a.m.  I'm heading out the door to turn the misters on the birds...don't worry...I'm very drought friendly...recycled water from the catchment system (the same system my son and husband thought was silly a few years ago: "We have a deep well...we'll never run out of water!"...yeah, right).