The stories are too numerous, the adventures are too complicated. I simply can’t begin to explain where I’ve been or what I’ve been doing since we last visited some months ago.
But, I am here to tell ya that MAY is on its WAY! Together, we celebrate US, ourselves, in May as we enjoy the You Challenge together. It’s a month of YOU, yes- precious YOU. You, the bee’s knees. It’s a time of sharing our daily journeys in a safe and special place. We recognize the beauty around us and share it through photogrpahs of our various spots on earth.
My new favorite mug. For obvious reasons.
If you are interested in learning more before you join our You Challenge, here is a link to some previous posts about this remarkable YOU time. Hope you’ll join us for the Merry, Merry month of May.
Now, on to the “bees knees” news part of the post!
Glad you’re back. I was about to send the posse out for you!
Three or four years ago my brother gave his wife a hive set-up for Christmas and it has been quite the learning curve. This past Christmas, my sister in law gave me a tiny jar of honey and called it her $200 jar. I told her I understand because I’ve grown a few $50 tomatoes.
Looking forward to May!
Hi Carol! Glad to hear from you! Yep, I’ve already figured that out! Same with my eggs. They should be golden eggs!
I’m so happy you’re back to having more adventures! I’ve missed reading your posts and now you’re a beekeeper! Congratulations!
Hi Ramona!
Like my Daddy says when I tell him I’ve been missing him, “It’s good to be missed.”
Thanks for hanging in with me! Can’t wait to learn more about these little bees. 🙂
Thanks for this “bee-utiful post…Hope
You give frequent updates on your new “kids”
So that those of us who can’t have bees (HOA)
Can live vicariously thru you…I do work hard to
Maintain a “bird, bee and butterfly” sanctuary in my back yard—and I get to enjoy the “buzz” of activities
That results…Could not help but think back
To my very first MJ Farms issue—all about bees—
Got me started thinking about helping the cause…
Take care and enjoy every bit of Spring
That’s a “bee-utiful” comment, Cheryl. It’s such a joy and inspiration to hear that MJF’s magazines helped fertilize your idea of a bird, bee, and butterfly garden. I know it’s fantastic.
And, you know I will give frequent updates. Y’all are in this with me!
Thanks for stopping by! Rebekah
Nice to hear from you! Some have been worried but I knew you were just “busy as a bee”! Real bummer that the frost took all the blossoms. Looking forward to the You Challenge this year. I will be in the Hudson Valley of NY visiting my daughter for part of the month of May so my You Challenge will be from two locals. Until then, bee good!
Diane, My Kindred Spirit! I’ve missed you.
I look forward to catching up in May. Can I count on you again this year to co-lead??
A visit with your daughter and Hudson Valley sound awesome.
BTW, I don’t now much about BEEing good, but I’ll try harder.
Love, Rebekah
So glad to hear from you!!! Been missing your posts!! I’m always so motivated by everything you are doing on your farm !!!
You’re so sweet, Linda. Thank you for your kind words. I miss you all when life gets too full to post too.
I motivate you? Music to my ears.
But truth is that you all motivate me more than I ever could YOU.
I appreciate you BEEing here and stopping by to say hi. 🙂
Rebekah
Hi!
I’m new to this so bear with me. We were beekeepers for 10 years and have given it up as it is so hard to keep them through the winter in our climate. We have many beekeepers in our neighborhood (they send their bees away in the winter) so I’m hoping that there will be plenty of pollinators around our place this summer. We plant lots of pollinator goodies so the ‘Welcome’ sign will be out!
You did great, Marge!
I hear a lot of bad BEE news during winters. I’m in GA, so if things don’t go well I will be problem–rather than the weather.
10 years?! That’s a LONG time.
Do you have any advice for a new beekeeper?
I need to work on planting some pollinator goodies on my farm this year. 🙂
Take care,
Rebekah
Hi Rebekah-I can’t give much advice I think it was Winnie the Pooh who said something like ‘you just never know about bees’. Some years they just thrived and other years I wondered what we were doing this for. I loved them and carried many back to the hive on my fingers when they came in the house with me. The only bees I wouldn’t recommend getting the Minnesota hygienic bees were very aggressive I had most of my stings the year I had them. By the way-I just love your closing words every time in Mary Janes Farm-your Here’s The Thing. I can almost always identify with it!
I’ve decided raising bees is a little like raising children. Every one has an opinion on how to do it, but none of them agree! LOL.
I appreciate your kind words. Thank you, Marge!
What a wonderful journey! So excited for more bee stories. They are amazing creatures and I applaud you for becoming a bee mom!! Thanks for the enjoyable post and fantastic photos! Bee well!❤
Thanks for your visit, Judy.
I have never studied bee behavior and culture before. Already I’m blown away with what I have learned already about them.
I’m in awe–
We’ll see how it goes…..but you know that I’ll share the BEE adventures.
BEE well,
Rebekah
I’ve missed you too! I love your posts & everything new you have tried over the years has been so much fun to read along with you! Enjoy your bees. I can’t wait to see your first jar of honey!
Hi Denise! It’s so good to hear from you. 🙂 I’ll BEE happy if I keep the hives alive at this point!
BEEKEEPING! What a great experience! You will only get more attached as time goes by.
MAY the force BEE with YOU!!
Former beekeeper and forever bee fan,
laura
Glad you’re back! The bee pictures are incredible. Your bee hive experience sounds a little like mine. All sorts of mishaps to begin with. But it’s totally worth it! I love having bees and they”re so relaxing to watch.
That makes me feel better with all my missteps so far, Rebecca. It’s quite a learning curve. I’m going to another bee class this weekend! Thanks for the visit. Rebekah
How wonderful!! I love the BEE news!
Hi Kathy!
Oh yeah, more BEE news will be coming soon. I’m very excited.
Thanks for you visit! Take care, Rebekah
Happy to see the post! Was thinking about you and wondering. Lots of work to get started, but the payoff is yummy. They really need to develop a taste for all this tree pollen we are having. Look forward to your bee adventure.
Hi Elaine! I’m learning that it is a lot of work at first and a lot of expense. 🙂
My black cat is yellow right now from the pollen. lol
Rebekah
So glad to hear from you and what an adventure with the bees. So cool.
Looking forward to the YOU Challenge and connecting with the group.
Enjoy the bees. My favorite is the good ol wax full of honey. Memories from childhood.
Hi Brenda! How are you? It’s been an adventure so far. That was always my favorite honey–the jars with the comb in it! Been quite awhile since I’ve been able to get my hands on some of that! See you soon at the You Challenge! Love, Rebekah
Hello, Rebekah,
So happy to see your story and glad you are so happy with your Bees. We surely missed you but see you have been busy and staying up late to get
It all done. Looking forward to the challenge.
Happy May!!!!
HI Bonnie! I missed being here with all of you. This MJF corner of the world is one of the few plesant, nice, lovely spots left online. I am def a night owl. I have always been; but lately, oh lawsie…
I’m glad you’ll be a part of the Challenge. See you then!
Rebekah
welcome to the wonderful world of bees. We have 2 hives that are about 4 years old. My son is the actual bee-keeper. I had the garden for bees so it is a joint affair. I just love ‘the girls”. Even if you don’t get honey right away it is still delightful to care for these little creatures. My neighbors love having them as many of them are vegetable gardeners. They share their produce with me as a thank you for housing ‘The Pollinators”.
Enjoy!
xxoo Lauri
Lauri, I’m excited to read your comment. Thank you for taking time to share. It’s easy to get intimidated by the whole BEE thing.
I love hearing that your two hives are alive and well at 4 years old. With all the reading I’ve done about all the possible issues with bees, that’s quite a success! Yay, your son; he’s doing great!
I couldn’t BE happier that you’re back. You’ve been missed. Knowing how creative you are and what a gutsy lady you are as well, I have no doubt that you will BE very successful with your BEautiful Bees! Good Luck.
Barbara, I’m so happy to hear from you! I hope you are doing well. You put the biggest smile on my face–“gutsy”–can I tell you how much I love that! I wanna be that. Take care, Rebekah
You sound almost serene when telling about sitting nearby and watching and listening to them just like a “Mama Bee” would do if these were her newborn babies. You GO girl, and love us some bees!…
From Mary Rauch in Ohio
Hello, My Friend, Mary, Mary, Never Contrary. I’m going to need to learn how to not get so attached to the bees…but currently, I am. They swirl all around me when I’m out there. They land on me and it tickles. Once they discover I’m not food, they fly on. Never a dull moment on the farm! Love, Rebekah
Congrats on the new bees!
Thanks, Becca! I’m pretty psyched!
Oh, so glad you’re back – have missed you! OK, in addition to bee keeping, are you working in law again? And how is your sweet daughter? Inquiring minds….
Hi Bernadine, I missed being here with all my precious friends. Life is full! My sweet daughter turned 20 the other day. Don’t ask me how that happened. She’s off at university. (Thanks for asking!) I’m as busy as ever with work/work – it’s my M.O. (Thanks for asking!) It’s after midnight, so have to hit the hay soon. I hope you and yours are well! Rebekah
This makes me smile. We live in Ohio and my husband has been a beekeeper most of his life(his dad, uncle and grandpa were also beekeepers) we keep between 60 and 80 hives these days but it’s still his favorite thing to do, working bees. If you have a local bee club they can be a great source of support and information hope it goes well for you, they’re worth it!
Oh my, so glad to see you! Been looking for you on Facebook, ect. Just asked if anyone had messaged you on the You Challenge group and then decided to look here again and here you are! Bees! You just keep changing it up. Hope all goes well, don’t forget you can ask Cindy Rush the Bee lady questions, she is a Bee Keeper. I think She is planning on walking this next month and so do I. I have started slow, back issues, but it feels good to move after all the snow has left. Happy spring! It could not have come quick enough.
Oh I was very impressed by your article. I truly enjoyed reading about the bee’s.
My son Tom would like to try and get some bee’s and try to have them in our yard to watch. We live in the country and I absolutely love it . It is really peaceful and you get to see such beautiful sun sets and different things of beauty. In fact we can watch the farmers till there ground and then plant and also harvest in the fall. It’s really beautiful. Thank you for your story
There is nothing that compares to life in the country–OXO
It’s normal for me to Read a Magazine from the Back .. but I always read your Article “ here’s the Thing” at least a couple times.
Thank you soo much for sharing your heart and life Walks
Thank you, Sweet Teresa! Rebekah