Hives
The bees arrived today. We are the proud parents of approximately 100,000 honey bees, ready to pollinate our gardens and the gardens of our neighbors. Full disclosure, I do next to nothing for the bees. Eric is the one who orders them, transports them and sets them up in the hives. He is also the one who built the hives and harvests the honey. I enjoy the fruits of his labors; the honey and beeswax. Last year, we got just enough honey that I finished the last of it 2 weeks ago. I still have some lavender salve that I made with the beeswax.
We spent the majority of the day outside, cleaning up the yard and sun room. The bees are adjusting to their new surroundings, it is best to just leave them alone for a couple of days. I have tried to avoid getting too close. That being said, honey bees will not sting you unless they feel threatened. I was stung once last summer and that was entirely my fault. Instead of acting like a sane person when one flew into my hair, I reacted by swatting at it until it had no choice but to defend itself. I have had several people ask me if I am scared having so many bees in my yard. The answer is no. They are here to do a job, not attack those who are leaving them alone. We all just go about our business and nobody gets hurt. The result is an abundance of vegetables and honey at the end of the growing season that was worth the risk of a handful of stings.
We had a great surprise in the garden this week, asparagus! Five spears of asparagus were harvested today and added to a salad that I made for lunch. I also added hard-boiled duck eggs to the salad that were absolutely delicious. I went to farm near our house this morning to pick up eggs (our chicks are not even close to laying eggs) and they were selling duck eggs in addition to chicken eggs. Since I am not a picky eater and tend to be adventurous with food (as long as beets are not involved) I bought a half-dozen and added them to our lunch.
First garden harvest of 2018
I cannot emphasize how happy I am that the warm weather is finally here. The windows are wide open, the laundry is line drying and the grill will be fired up tonight for flank steak. I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy these spring and summer days, as they pass so quickly and are meant to be enjoyed. Happy Saturday.
Life In The Falls 