All painted

They are painted a waiting! Connie was over visiting while Danny was napping. So she had fun helping.

Bee hives

I got them around and set up to air out.

The tray is to put water in case I get ants. May not be what I want. I will see..

Just a Little Catching Up

I haven't been blogging like I wanted to. I really intended to! So...

It is a beautiful spring morning!

 I was sick the last few days. Yesterday morning was terrible. Surprising what a little fever can do in  your life!

After a nap with Danny, I felt good enough to take him and Alex to the school playground after Alex got home. I figured a little achyness was not going to stop me from getting Danny some fresh air! He is cooped up so much in the house. Connie came over to go with us. The boys had a blast of course! They would much prefer being outdoors! Even the Wii can't keep Alex from going to the park!

I took my cotton and gourds seedlings out to the little popup greenhouse. I had gotten it put up a week ago and Ben put the heater in it for me. SO THE SEASON HAS STARTED LOL.....

I still feel a little achy and headachy this morning but not like yesterday. I fully intend to take a nap with Danny again!

Picture for today

After moving..of course Pizza Hut!!

We all decided it was NOT gonna happen with the cooking thing after spending the day moving Heather's furniture! So PIZZA HUT! Everyone was in a good mood and we had a blast!

Danny had to be woke up so he was zoning!

He sure woke up for the pizza!

I

I am always getting goofy pics of Brian! AKA Lord Voldemort!

And a good time was had by all!!

I have such a good family! If Amy had been there it would have been the best of nights! Feels funny to have her munchkins but NOT her!

Hives ordered

Oh my! I ordered my main hive set up this week! Hives (x2) veil/jacket, smoker, tool, velcro leg straps, bee brush. Oh my! $380 bucks! Expensive hobby! But the honey will be sooo good!
I still have to get my gloves, and I am going to make covers to slip on over my jeans!
Now to figure out exactly where I am going to set them up! Every time I make up my mind; I change it! I think on the concrete pad by our old back door. It is on the south side of the house and isn't used anymore. The kids don't play over there very often. Plus they need to learn to leave them alone anyway!
Now to decide if we are going to make a stand or use concrete blocks or what!
I am leaning towards the blocks because the hives could weigh 3-4 hundred pounds when full setup!
I am going nutz lol..

Heather moved

We got Heather finished moving into the little house. Quite a job lol..Now to see if the girls can learn to live and get along!
Jenny and Heather did the finally cleaning! They were working hard!
Jenny cleaning fridge,

Heather mopped the walls!....

They did have their goof off times!

Get it clean good Hev!

Cleaning done..now to take the last little bit to the van!

Of course Tanner, Brian, and Connie worked just as hard! But I wasn't there with the camera lol. Brian helped the guys move the furniture. Connie and Tanner were having to work at the little house to make ROOM for the furniture! It is a pain melding two households! Especially when it is two single females that both want their stuff in use! gRRR lol..

Bee Keeping

Well, I did it. I started working towards becoming a beekeeper. I have always dreamed of having a bee hive. Cost was $35 for the course but that includes year membership in the state group. Apiary.. have to get used to that lol...
First, a diagram of hives I will have,

I started a beekeeping course at the county extension office in January. It is 7 weeks long.
Craig Green is the instructor.
This is a very involved hobby! And NOT cheap lol..
Monday I stopped in Knoxville at the Farm and Home where another beekeeper has supers for sale. I want the mediums, 6 5/8" deep. These will still weight about 40lbs when they have honey!

I am going to have three of them for my hive body. It was $13 dollars for painted super x 3 and $2.75/frame x 40. Total cost, $162. I will add more for honey supers as needed.
I need to get my basic hives next payday. They will only have one super with them.
Will be about $105 each. I have done some research into what I want.
I found a pattern for a veil today. I will try to make my own. And get a wide brim hat to wear it over. I am also going to get a white jacket.
Some blogs talk about using non latex gloves so you still can feel when working with the bees. Others don't wear gloves at all. I will get a pair of leather ones to have first lol...
I also need to get a smoker and a 5-1 painter tool. That is the start.
I have bought several books I am reading. I want to get "Beekeeping for Dummies" also. Can't have too many books!
Need to get benedryl and make sure my epipen is still good lol.
Bees come in about the 20th of April. Give or take a week. That will be 2# cages at $73  apiece, $146.
And I have to study how to introduce them. I want to practice that before they get here!

This is going to be fun and scary! Um and expensive to start!