Thread Drift

[Tuckervill]

I bought a new (used) RIDICULOUS pick-up truck:

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/img_po...r_id=279762692

It's RIDICULOUS for a grandma like me to own a truck that has silver stars on the wheels, but it was a good deal, and it's to go with my new business venture:

[Tuckervill]

That's a wood-fired brick oven on a trailer. Those bricks you see are 114 years old--gleaned from the old smokehouse on my property. I'm making pizza. Yesterday, my son made banana bread in it, too. I'm going to learn how to make roasted corn, too.

Karen

[Fredwina]

I suppose you could paint the wheels
what are you doing with business? catering?
another bicycling related q? two of my buddies are going to attempt a century(thier first), They've invited me along, but I'm not sure If I'll enough time this weekend to do it. thet'll be doing it solo(not part of an organized ride)

[OakLeaf]

What a great oven!

[Blueberry]

That's a wood-fired brick oven on a trailer. Those bricks you see are 114 years old--gleaned from the old smokehouse on my property. I'm making pizza. Yesterday, my son made banana bread in it, too. I'm going to learn how to make roasted corn, too.

Karen

When's the TE party at your place?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Cool pizza business idea!


Things are busy at my house....music gigs and lessons, garden is exploding with lettuce and radishes, honeybees are multiplying like mad, patent jobs with deadlines coming in fast, can't even get time to ride my bike...! But I sure can't complain.

[OakLeaf]

Send me some honeybees.

It's been almost two months since I've been back home and I have yet to see one honeybee. It's very upsetting. Even though I know beekeepers in the area have been getting hit by CCD for several years now, I never noticed a decline on my property, until now - and now, they're just gone.

[Zen]

I have a feeling this summer is going to go by way too fast now that I have my kayak.

[Tuckervill]

I'm taking my kayak to the Buffalo National River tomorrow. You may all now be jealous.

Karen

[lph]

I have a feeling this summer is going to go by way too fast now that I have my kayak.

The really great thing about kayaking, to me, is that "good weather" can be different things. Kayaking is great in hot, sunny weather, but it's lovely to be out on the water when it's cloudy and cool too, and light rain doesn't really matter much because you're getting a bit wet all the time anyway. I'm not very brave in wind and waves so far, but I'm getting there.

[Nanci]

Send me some honeybees.

It's been almost two months since I've been back home and I have yet to see one honeybee. It's very upsetting. Even though I know beekeepers in the area have been getting hit by CCD for several years now, I never noticed a decline on my property, until now - and now, they're just gone.

I just read an article somewhere, of course I can't remember where- maybe a gardening magazine, about how the decline of the honeybee population has led to an increase in native bees who had been suppressed by the imported honeybees. If you Google "less honeybees more native bees" there are a ton of articles about how much better native bees are at pollinating, and about habitat conservation. I have a lot of sages/salvias planted around my patio to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, but I'm also getting lots of bees. Big fat bumblebees and these small tan bees that are about half the size of a honeybee, and very "furry." They are also very even-tempered and allow macro photography without retaliation!

[Crankin]

Am I the only one who doesn't like bees? I think I freak out more from the thought of getting stung and possible allergic reaction (I have never had an allergic reaction to a sting, but since I react to all kinds of stuff, I worry) than I do from encounters with dogs on my bike or while running.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I just read an article somewhere, of course I can't remember where- maybe a gardening magazine, about how the decline of the honeybee population has led to an increase in native bees who had been suppressed by the imported honeybees. If you Google "less honeybees more native bees" there are a ton of articles about how much better native bees are at pollinating, and about habitat conservation. I have a lot of sages/salvias planted around my patio to attract butterflies and hummingbirds, but I'm also getting lots of bees. Big fat bumblebees and these small tan bees that are about half the size of a honeybee, and very "furry." They are also very even-tempered and allow macro photography without retaliation!

Hi Nanci!

In addition to my honeybee hives, I put up nesting sites for native/Solitary bees as well. There are several thousand species of native bees in the U.S. They are beautiful and fascinating, and amazing in their diversity. They don't make honey, live solitary lives (not in hive communities), and they don't normally sting (unless you pinch or hurt them). They pollinate like gangbusters.
My nesting sites have attracted at least two species, possibly 3. And I have a box built specifically for leafcutter bees, though they have not discovered it yet. I am very much into providing healthy habitat for all kinds of bees. Solitary native bee populations are suffering as well as honeybees, but because of the loss of habitat and the over-use of both residential and agricultural pesticides and herbicides. They are not doing better now that honeybees are suffering...all bee populations are declining due to toxic chemicals being applied to plants, and habitat loss. I describe my native bee efforts here on my personal blog: http://strumelia.blogspot.com/search...olitary%20bees

I now have about 60 tubes full of native bee cocoons which I will clean and store safely over the winter, to put out next Spring for them to emerge and go forth to pollinate and multiply again. This Spring I started with only 6 tubes full. Each 6" tube houses about 5-7 cocoons.