The Big Slow Down

Summer may not be official on the calendar, but it is certainly showing itself around this old house.  The girl continues to heal well.  Netflix is helping her along.  The men of the house are working and I start my day with extra coffee and a long walk.  

The garden is growing and the sun is shining.  

What more could one ask for?  

Outside My Front Door

Taking a moment this morning to appreciate the barn right outside my front door.  

She is old, but not too old.  

She is just right.  

Maybe sometimes a bit creepy when I am trying to get a couple of straw bales and hoping that a stray animal doesn't surprise me.....

Today she is surrounded by clear, blue skies.  

Maybe it will stay that way for a mere few hours.  

Linking up with The Barn Collective today.  

Pay Tom a visit, won't you?!  

Friday Randoms

Tiny pears, right here at the farmette.  With all of the rain we have been getting, they are growing like crazy. 

Kentucky is full of caves and we have one on the farmette.  With flooding rains yesterday, these people were stuck inside one not too far away from me.  Scary stuff.  

Planning a party this holiday weekend?  Here are a few recipes for you.  

People share things they used to believe as a child.  Quite entertaining and if you scroll down to the comments, you get even more anecdotes.  

Sending you off into the weekend with some Post Modern Jukebox.  Have a great one!  

Linking up with Nancy and Tanya.  

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for things gone wrong that could have been worse.  Tuesday, of this week, the girl of the house broke her collarbone while playing shortstop in the district championship game.  The runner from second base plowed into her, thus causing the injury.  

While the collarbone is broke, she does not need surgery.  A clean break that will, hopefully, heal on its own.  We go back in four weeks to check the healing process.  Some Netflix and chill time at the farmette should be all that is required. 

Thankful we are......

"A broken bone can heal, but the wound a word opens can fester forever." 

Jessamyn West 

Finding Joy

Today I found joy in lettuce.  I can't even eat it yet, but still....it gives me joy.  

Despite our garden being flooded by recent storms, many things continue to flourish.  Take this lettuce, for example.  The smallest seeds overcame all of that water to take root and grow.  

Finding joy in small things is so important.  Many times our days are made up of tiny, joyful moments that we might overlook.  This lady found some joy in a Chewbacca mask.  If you haven't watched it, you must.  

"Focus on the journey, not the destination.  Joy is found not in finishing an activity, but in doing it."  

Greg Anderson 

Bringing Back the Buzz

I have previously had bee hives here at the farmette.  After having trouble with swarming, I gave it a rest.  I became a bit discouraged and didn't keep a hive last year.      

After a bit of mental regrouping, I decided to give it another try.  Yesterday I picked up a fresh box of bees.  This is how they arrived and the one on the outside stayed there for an hour, during the ride home.  Obviously she felt she had found her people.    

Taking off the small, brown top reveals the can of sugar water and the queen cage, to the left.  The queen cage holds the queen and her attendants, along with a solid piece of sugar type candy that provides food.  The cork you see, that hold her in, will be replaced with a bit of marshmallow.  Yes there are dead bees in this photo.  Unfortunately, this does happen.   

After removing the can, everyone is ready to come out and see their new real estate.  

Here is a close up of the queen cage.  She is the one with the white dot on her body.  I ordered a marked queen as it is easier for me to keep an eye on her in the hive.   The sugar candy is at the bottom and, at this point, I had replaced the cork with a marshmallow.  On the exterior, right in the middle, is a drone.  Noticeable by the thicker body and larger eyes.  

Here is everyone after I dumped them in the hive.  That sounds crude, but you essentially dump/shake them out of the box into their new home.  

The queen cage is placed between two frames.  As you can see, the workers are already covering her cage.  The marshmallow will be eaten away, thus releasing the queen into the hive.  In this way the other bees accept her.  

Here everyone is buzzing around their new home.  The bee box still holds a few bees and is placed by the hive entrance.  They will eventually fly into the hive.  

The plain wood tray, underneath the top cover, holds a feeder.  I will continue to provide sugar water for a time.  

This time I am hopeful for a prosperous hive that enjoys their new home.  

"There are certain pursuits which, if not wholly poetic and true, do at least suggest a nobler and finer relation to nature than we know.  The keeping of bees, for instance."  

Henry David Thoreau 

Friday Randoms

A lovely orchid that makes me think I need one around the house.  

This Victorian house has the best details.  Amazing that they have been preserved.  

As a fan of Antiques Roadshow I can say that this was bound to happen, sooner or later.  

If you need to let off some steam, this might be for you.  

Leavin' you with some Gregg Allman for the weekend.  Have a good one!  

Linking up with  Nancy, pay her a visit!  

Thankful Thursday

Thankful today for some sweet smells while I am out walking.  This Honeysuckle vine is covering our neighbor's fence and I like it, as do the bees.  

"And honeysuckle love to crawl up the low crag and ruin'd wall."  

Sir Walter Scott  

American Icon

I pass by many a barn each day.  Most of them don't look like much.  Weathered boards, rusty roofs, and sagging doors seem to be the norm.

Yet, they are like pieces of art dotting my countryside.   They tell their tales of hard times and serious work.

I am linking up today with Tom's Barn Collective.  If you are a lover of barns, like me, I hope you will pay him a visit.

Wild Weather

Our state had some wild weather, this past week.  Strong storms, hail, high winds, and tornadoes were frequent problems.  Though we had all of the above, we escaped any severe damage.  

A meeting of the minds.  

Our garden was planted over the Mother's Day weekend and ended up under several inches of water on Thursday.  A few tomato plants will need to be replaced, but lettuce, cucumbers, and a few other items are sprouting.  How the seeds did not just float away, I will never know.  

Heavy rains caused a small roof leak and some inconvenience, but it could have been so much worse.  

"Keep your eyes open to your mercies.  The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life."  

Robert Louis Stevenson 

Friday Randoms

Some sweet feet that belong to an upcoming graduate.  

This will be on the menu next week....when school is out and I have time to think/cook.  

Here you will find a list of historic Kentucky homes.  I will admit I haven't been to Loretta Lynn's childhood home.  Maybe a Jeep trip for the summer.  

This Real Estate Sampler should have something for everyone.  I am especially partial to the historic Virginia farmhouse.  

One of my favorite songs.  When it comes on the radio I turn it up and my daughter turns it down.  *sigh*  

Linking up today with Nancy and Tanya.  

Thankful Thursday

A photo from the archives today to say that I am thankful for just being on time today!  Hey, at the present moment I am up, dressed and ready to leave for work.  

The laundry isn't complete, the house isn't in perfect shape, but life is still good.  Healthy kids, a good life, and a rainy/soggy farm, at the moment!  What more can one ask for?  

"The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge."  

Bertrand Russell 

Just a Door

I found this door while on a photo escapade with an actual person!  I know, right?!  Working my way onward from cows to people, the progression will continue.  Let's get back to this door.....who knew there was a biker's haven right here in Smalltownland?  

Just goes to show that you think you know a place......

"I feel very adventurous.  There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them."  

Elizabeth Taylor 

The Birds are Back

On Friday several of you mentioned that you didn't even realize it was time for the Kentucky Derby.  If you are living in the state, you seriously can't miss it.  Even our primary school holds a stick horse race for the children.  It's a tradition. 

 Nyquist, (Nyquil), did end up winning, so that goes to show what I know about picking a horse.  

In other hot news, it seems the finches are back.  

Some even like to cop a squat in an empty flower pot.  

They are beautiful to watch, but hard to photograph through the kitchen window.  

Then, the Tufted Titmouse showed up to show everyone who was in charge.  

"I don't feed the birds because they need me;  I feed the birds because I need them." 

Kathi Hutton 

Friday Randoms

I believe these two will be my pick for tomorrow's Kentucky Derby.  Think they will be fast enough?  

Actually, I have scoped out a couple of horses, right here.  I am thinking Exaggerator or Gun Runner.  Word on the track is Nyquist lacks some, "buzz".  Makes me think of Nyquil......

How about we all whip up some of this tonight?  

This police officer is getting some marriage proposals and I can see why, awwwww......

Leaving you today with The Infamous Stringdusters.  

They are a favorite.  

Linking up today with Nancy and Tanya.......

Thankful Thursday

Thankful this Thursday for barns.  They seem to be keeping me afloat, during this softball season, and providing me with landscape photo, after landscape photo.  

Not only am I nearing the end of the school season, but softball season will be drawing to a close pretty soon.  This means I will be back among the living in blogland, and life, really.

Exciting Times

Lately it's been all barns and ballplayers around the farmette.  I threw some flowers in the mix yesterday and I am sure the excitement of that was overwhelming for some of you.  Let's see what else has been happening in my world.........

*the tiller coughed and sputtered this weekend, instead of purring like a kitten

*all of the girl's softball socks have holes in them 

*always interesting to find some wild turkey in the fridge and I am not talking about the bourbon

*tattling is a sinful activity, especially at the end of the school year 

*secret agent farmer man doesn't find the prospect of owning a llama entertaining  

*the PTO is hosting a lunch for us weary teachers tomorrow, can't wait 

Enough about me.....what's happening in your neck of the woods?

Thriller, Filler, Spiller

Today I went in search of some flowers, because it is that time.  I got sidetracked and ended up buying some Lavender.  I have never had any luck growing this plant from seed.  

Some Dianthus was also in order.  

I also picked up some Coreopsis for some thriller.  I decided to use the thriller, filler, spiller,  method for some container gardening.  

I also picked up some crazy, corkscrew plant and I don't even know the name.  

Currently I am lacking in the, "filler", part, but everything should fill out in the next couple of weeks.  

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food, and medicine for the soul."  

Luther Burbank