Once again, the inexorable passage of time returns to spring...a time when activity of all sorts picks up and the lives of big and small take on a new dimension. I told someone the other day that I sometimes get bored during the winter. It is very often too cold to be outside, or I am snowed in, or many of the things I occupy myself with during the "season" are not operating. I do read a lot and watch a lot of Netflix! But spring...oh, my...everything takes on a new urgency and there is so much to consider.
But first, the winter. We had a cold and wet winter season, though some have been worse. We had our share of snow and even had some stuck vehicles as our drive is not always conducive to smooth locomotion up to the top. These pics show the drive and Jim's car stuck at the bottom of the steep hill that is about half way up our drive. Well, no more of that till next winter!
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| Heading Up the Driveway |
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| STUCK!! |
We did have a welcome respite from the weather when our friends Jim and Jarleth visited. It didn't snow and it was warm enough to get out and visit the sights that the mountains offer. We visited waterfalls (always a favorite), had lunch out, and just generally enjoyed the companionship of good friends. Joe and Karen came this past weekend and we played with our new bees (more on that later) and cooked. I tried two new guinea pig recipes on them, and I must say, they turned out well! I got a pic of Joe in the truck as we returned from the bee shop. Sorry, Karen!
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| Jim and Jarleth |
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| Joe Joe |
Adam and Shanna came from Austin during their spring break. They spent several days with us and several days with Shanna's mother. All of us girls went to Biltmore for a day, visited the Dressing Downton exhibit, and had a generally good time together. The farm had new baby goats which were a big hit with all of us.
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| Grandmas with Gracen and Avery |
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| Shanna and the Girls |
I took another trip to Biltmore this spring, this time with my sisters and a family friend. The weather wasn't quite as cooperative this time, but we toured the house and took the "Upstairs, Downstairs"
guided tour which gave wonderful insight into the workings of this palatial home. We ate, did a little shopping, but were unable to see the gardens because of the pouring rain! Oh, well, next time!
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| Mary, Judy, and Lynn |
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| Mary and Abby |
In the spring the wildlife around here comes alive. It is very common to see turkeys, deer, grouse, bear, etc. It is not, however, common to see fox. They are shy, mostly nocturnal, creatures, so siting them is a special privilege. One sunny morning (after a 10 day period of rain) I was looking out the back window and saw some movement down in the woods. The foliage has not filled out yet, so I watched a little while, not knowing quite what I was seeing. I first thought it might be a hedgehog, and then I though it might be some feral kittens. Turns out that it was four little foxes. There is a den down under a log which is easily visible from inside the house. Jim and I have been watching the little things grow up. Mama has a schedule with them so we watch them often. They have about doubled in size as we have watched, and are becoming braver and braver and are venturing farther and farther from the den. They are just amazing! We have seen a fox that we think is the father...a reasonably large red fox with a white tipped tail and black boots and ear tips. Mama is grey and red with the same ears and boots. Three of the kits are replicas of Dad; the other looks like Mom. I know that they will just disappear one day, but I am enjoying them while I can. I love living around wildlife. Not many people have the privilege of seeing nature up close. I was able to get a picture through a screen of Mom, but cannot get close enough to get pics of the kits.
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| Mama Fox Examing Breakfast Choices |
This winter Jim and I decided to take a beekeeping class. In addition to being curious people and always being ready to learn something new, Jim is thinking about his retirement and figured that beekeeping might be interesting as well as being a service to the environment. So we signed up for a class and drug ourselves to it in the snow for two weekends. The third weekend was a field trip when we actually got to play with the bees, and to observe what the hive should actually look like. We got our bees this past weekend and installed them in their little bee house. We decided to use a house instead of just putting them out in a field because of the risk of bears robbing the hives, and protecting the bees from the cold winds that blow here. Now we just hope we can keep them alive and healthy so they will be productive. We are somewhat like new parents...you know how new parents are always checking to see if the new baby is still breathing. We are constantly going to the bee house to see if they are still flying! Bee society is immensely interesting, complicated, and amazing! The bee nucs are what our bees came in from the "factory". They are actually a bee starter kit. Here we are in our bee suits in front of our bee house, and Jim acting as beekeeper!
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| Bee Nucs |
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| In Front of the Bee House |
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| The Beekeeper |
I am going to be busy for the next little bit. Next week I am joining Adam, Shanna, and the girls in Orlando, FL. We will visit Disney World and Universal. I can hardly wait. Judi, the girls' other grandmother, and I will fly down together. We will celebrate Gracen's birthday and Mother's Day there. In June, I will travel to Austin, TX to keep the girls while their parents go to Aruba to celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary. I think Adam and Shanna are worried that I'll be overworked while there, but I think I'm still up to the task!
I'll get back to you after the summer is over. We hope each of you has a fun, restful season with friends and family. Love you!!!
