Away Message

Life

Is like a butterfly

Whatever it is.


Nishiyama Sōin

Voilà!

Despite some serious back issues, Dan, with G's help, has the floor 95% finished. There are a few small areas that have to have tiles cut to fit. G and I were in consultation with Aunt Joan for next-step ideas. Yay!

Southern view

Visitor

As G helpfully pointed out, "It's the moth from the Lunesta commercials!"

Actias luna aka the luna moth

Elbow Room

D added another super (level) to Hive 2. It looks like a real hive now. Let's hope those bees stay put now that they have additional space. Apiarist said we could get 50 pounds of honey this year!

Progress

Wow.

It's 80°F Here ...

... but it must be a cold day in Hell, because look what's getting done!!!! ☺

Another View

Here's a photo of the swarm that I couldn't get to upload yesterday.




The weight of the swarm bows the branch down

Swarm!

So I'm outside puttering with the petunias, when I notice a buzzing sound that seems to be getting louder. I'm thinking maybe there's a bee in the vicinity and I look around to find it. The buzzing is getting louder, and I both slowly and suddenly become aware that the noise is emanating from the large roiling and pulsing black cloud that is heading straight for me! Neither fight nor flight kicks in, and I'm standing there mutely as I watch it get closer. Finally, after checking to see whether I've soiled myself, I find my voice and start calling for Dan!

Fortunately, between me and the bees is a tree, a great big tree, oh glory be! As Dan arrives on the scene, they are clustering on a branch in the tree. He's as gobsmacked as I am by the sight.


Swarming bees clustering on the branch of an ash (click any picture to enlarge it)




By the time Grandpa and G arrive, they've settled down quite a bit. Most of them are clustered on the branch, with a few stray ones flying around. Dan calls a professional apiarist who lives near by. He shows up and tells us that it's likely that one of our hives has swarmed. He, Dan and G go out to the hives to investigate. Both have thriving colonies and lots of honey. He says that Hive 1 is so successful that the queen has taken some of the colony to start a new one, leaving a "virgin queen" behind to continue the established colony.


Swarm protecting their queen. The apiarist estimated that there were 6 to 8 pounds of bees in the cluster.



Only a few scouts are sent out to find a new home. Left to their own devices, they'd probably have been gone within 24 hours.

The apiarist brought along an empty hive. Without Hazmat suit or gloves, he climbed a step ladder, positioned the hive under the cluster, knocked the branch against the side twice, and came down with the box full of about 95% of the bees. He said the rest would return to the hive they'd swarmed from. He put the lid on the hive and off he went. And that was our excitement for the day!





Dislodging the cluster into the hive

Hard Scrabble ... Not

G must be feeling better, because she was up for playing Scrabble. We've got our own "Rainbow Hill Rules" for Scrabble, such as: If you get three of the same letter you can throw one back in and pick again; trading letters is OK; and pooling letters to make really great words is totally kosher. Oh yeah ... and we don't keep score.




All the letters used!













We are particularly proud of this board!

Bad Master!

Photographic evidence of what happens when you don't brush your German shepherd for a week during the summer shedding season:*



20 minutes of work in a strong breeze







*Lame excuse: Because you're distracted by your kid who is recovering from a tonsillectomy

On the Mend

Today is the first day in more than a week that G has felt *almost* human. Yesterday we saw the ENT and she said the hardest part is behind her, but G still has to be patient and that it could be another week or so before she really feels like herself. We are still taking it easy, but decided to get some fresh air because it's such a beautiful day. (We've had a lot of those lately.) Tomorrow should be even better!





Relaxing in the shade ...

... taking in the view

Temporarily Offline

We probably won't be posting for a while. G had her tonsils out today. The ENT said that they were ginormous (OK, she actually said HUUUGE), that her airway was really obstructed and that it was more than time for them to come out. We had a very positive experience considering it was a somewhat traumatic day for us all. The Day Surgery nurse and the Recovery nurse were beyond fantastic and everyone we dealt with was very helpful.

G is home now and resting and doing OK. We've already broken just about every rule we were given: She's had red food, milk products and soft foods her first few hours back. But as They Say: Any port in a storm.

Thanks to everyone who has called, emailed or sent a carrier pigeon. Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.






G with Zoe the Tiger during a midwinter break

Guard Dog

Maike, being a Schutzhund, is always keeping an eye on something. A lot of the time she's watching my kid, because G is her kid too. When G is in the pool, she sits at one of two vantage points so that she can see what G is doing. She gets very nervous if G goes under water and she can't see her. She's a good dog.



Guarding D's tools until he comes back











Watching for G in the pool

It's Going Swimmingly

It was a gorgeous day here. With just two days to go until her surgery, G decided to spend the day in the pool.

Making a "bronco mobile"

Water cannon with Maike

Water dancing with D

School's Out!

G's last day of school was Wednesday. She came down with tonsilitis on Thursday. She made a couple of "nests" around the house, and cozied into them. She was much better today.






G & Luna nesting

Just Another Sunday

Here are some of the other things happening today ...

We had lots of leftover oranges from the swim meet, so G juiced them.

Dan enjoying some (4 oranges = 1 glass)

G and I sat in the "roof garden" to watch hummingbirds. Being so close was amazing!

About two weeks ago, Cocoa moved her kittens from the Kitty Kondo on the front porch to a crate in an old shed so they couldn't wander. Soon they'll be big enough to be able to leap out.

Bees

Dan and G added another box to each of the beehives today. So now the bees have more room to make honey. From the looks of things, they've been doing a good job so far.

Hive 1 with the lid off

Dan holding one of frames with bees ... and honey!

Maike's no dummy ... she knows to lie low around the hive.

D and G with an expanded hive (If you click on the picture, it will enlarge and you will be able to see the bees swarming around them!)

Canoeing

We went canoeing early this morning on the Rock River with some friends. We put in at a launch site in a small park near our house, intending to get out at a bridge downstream that Dan estimated to be a "short hour" away. We set off and were doing fine; we had a heron guide and saw a beaver dragging a stick to the bank. We'd just gotten to the point where everyone was waiting to see the bridge [cue music] "just around the riverbend," when we hit a log/debris jam. Dan and Beth jumped out and with Herculean effort cleared a path for us, which was pretty doggone impressive at the time and is even moreso in hindsight. (I for one was not up for playing voyageur ... unfortunately there are no pictures of their feat, because I was too busy white-knuckling it to whip the camera out.) Finally we arrived at our destination, which was a little more *primitive* than Dan remembered it. But we all survived, and were able to enjoy a little float downstream that would have been a short hour if we hadn't had a little added adventure!

Our canoe, which was purchased used by Dan's dad in 1953. (No joke!)

Dan's dad, who manned the "chase car," supervises at the launch site.

It was a beautiful day at the spot where we pulled out.

Un Sabor Valenciano

When I lived in Valencia, I had paella frequently. I contemplated buying a paella pan, but dreaded the idea of hauling it around with me during the last three weeks of my stay, when I'd be traveling. Since then I've only had it a few times at Spanish restaurants. I had it in my head that you need a paella pan in order to make paella. Then Lindsay, G's maestra fabulosa de español, set me straight ... no special equipment necessary! Since she was able to make one in an hour with three 11-year-olds while speaking nothing but Spanish, I figured G and I could do it too. Even Grandpa ate it!

The finished product ... paella de Lindsay!

Me with the Über-paella! Fellow Hoyas Steve Raffa (left) and Doug Hunt (behind the camera) and their roommate celebrated Doug's birthday at the beach (8/6/80).