Little guest!

Ladybug! Ladybug!
Fly away home.
Your house is on fire.
And your children all gone.

All except one,
And that's little Ann,
For she crept under
The frying pan.

We had a little visitor to our house this afternoon...our first Ladybug of the season.....its now enjoying the sunshine in the jungle that is our dining table :)

New blog!

bee-tales.blogspot.com/

So as not to fill up this blog with everything bee......(thinking bee....thinking bee) I have started a bee blog where I will post everything about keeping bees and starting my hive etc etc so if you want to follow along my new new apiculture hobby you can click on the link above :)

Behind in posting...

This morning Lloyd and I had to go over to the West End to pick out taps and sinks for the new kitchen. We've chosen a lovely chunky white apron sink (which is basically what they call a farmhouse sink). We also chose a white sink for the island. We've chosen taps for both those sinks and also a tap to go above the stove top - I think they call it a pan filler tap - it basically comes out of the wall and is just to fill saucepans :)

We also went to West Ed Mall for a while as I needed new underwear and some new jeans and clothes in SMALLERS SIZES!!!! Woohoo!!!!!!!! The girl in Reitmans said not to feel bad if the jeans don't fit in the smaller size because that rise is often cut smaller....but they DID fit :) and they are sooooo comfortable :) and they will even loosen up when they get worn :) she only had one pair left so I'm going to look in town to see if they have more.....Oh I love these tablets :)

This afternoon I have been reading up on bees again - my latest obsession! Lol! Lloyd printed off a free E-book on beekeeping for me from Penn State Uni. I've also been surfing Youtube and there are some amazing videos about beekping and bees in general....

On one of the videos it said that one beekeeper who keeps bees for a loving gets paid by a pumpkin farmer $27,000 to provide 12,000,000 bees to pollinate his crops for 6 weeks!!!! He requires each flower to be visited approximately 30 times!!!

So you need a lot of bees to make money with bees BUT as a farmer you need a lot of bees to visit your crops!!!

Hhhmmmmm

So thats my day :)

All in all it's been a good week. Date night was at OPM this week :) It was a fun evening - cheap night actually - we were in no hurry as we were just there to chat and be together - but they forgot to put my salmon on the grill and our server was too nervous to come and tell us so he got the manager to come and tell us - lol! He came and apologised and he said my dinner was on him!!! :) so that was nice :)

Really we wanted to go to Joeys Global but there was a 35 minute wait for a table and we couldn't be bothered to wait - whereas at OPM there was no wait. I'm never that impressed with the food there but then to me nothing ever compares to Joeys. We had a lovely evening though.

Wednesday we went swimming - that was fun....

We were out every day this week...can't think what else we were up to but it's been a busy week all round! Fun yet busy!

Thursday I was home for a while during the day - I signed Sam up for a preschool class that he starts next week and I signed both he and Abby up for some workshops in Edmonton at various facilities between now and the summer. I am so loving that Winter is over.

Oh and this week we ordered my hive - and my bees :) I'm 247th on the waiting list for bees but because I only want one package they say they are confident that I will get mine - I should find out for sure on Monday or so......I'm hopeful. I think Lloyd is excited now too - he's even talking about having two hives next year! He wants one at the front next year and one at the back!!!! Too funny!

Last night was online crop night at Scrappers Haven.....I scrapped one page of Abigail and added a little to my atc's - I've also signed up for another atc swap - this time I have to make atc's of my 'hottie'....I had to pick a hottie but I couldn't think of one...and then I had a revelation! I picked MATT GOSS!!!!!! My 'hottie' from when I was 16!!!!

Not sure what we are up to tomorrow - think we may take a drive out to Elk Island Park. Off to dish up dinner - lasagna with Rosemary and Olive Oil wedges :)

The Honey bees.....my thoughts

Charlynn asked me what I thought about the bees disappearing. It's somthing I've been reading a lot about this week. I'm not quite sure what to think. On the one hand a lot of bee keepers seem to say that these things happen every few decades and bees always seem to come through and survive. their numbers dwindle and then they come back fighting and all is well again and they wouldn't have survived sor so many millions of years otherwise.

But I also think that they are up against a lot more these days. I don't think they are up against 'nature' this time. They are up against chemical warfare really instead.

The entomologists all seem to have various ideas of why bees are disappearing - apart from the diseases that is (I'm talking about colony collapse disorder rather than the diseases and parasites). Some say it is caused by the stress bees are under these days from being transported from State to State to pollinate crops. Some say its caused by pesticides like Neonicotinoids (same as nioctine - it breaks down the bees immune system, causes memory loss and damages their sense of navigatin. This has been banned in France after campaigning by French Beekeepers).

Many believe the bees lives follow our lives - that when our lives get stressed the bees lives get stressed :)

Many try to raise their bees in an organic way but when you think about it, you can only keep your hive in an organic manner - your bees don't stay on your own land - they fly off and take nectar from other peoples plants - so you can't say your bees are organic......they are taking their nectar and honey from the environemnt around us....you can't keep them safe from the environment around us......sadly you ahve to hope the farmers and land owners around you don't use too many pesticides....

My bees won't be moved around much......They can feast on my dandelions and clover and my garden as much as they like. I plan to grow a bee garden and vegetables and MANY sunflowers for a late Summer feast. My neighbours all grow hay......so not much there for my bees to feast on but the odd dandelion and clover.....

As for Colony Collapse Disorder.....I don't know.....I hope they find an answer. The amount of bees really is astounding - this is MILLIONs of bees disappearing each year.......the price of ICE CREAM is going up already because of bees disappearing!!!! That really puts things into perspective!!! It's really amazing! And so sad....to watch videos on youtube of beekeepers crying because of loss of livestock :( Very sad.

Oh YES!!!!!!!!!

www.vanishingbees.com/blog/?p=136


SEE!!!!! I am NOT the only person who feels this way about Bee Movie!!!! Oh THANK YOU!!!!!! Yay!!!!!! :)

And not just the UK...

Colony Collapse Disorder is destroying bee colonies across the North America - various reasons are given - from stress because of of beekeepers moving their colonies from State to State to pollinate crops, to various things within our environment. Who knows....

Tuesday

Lloyd went back to work on Tuesday :( boohoo.

Chris had the day off of school although we had to run in to school t pick up a recommendation from his drama teacher. He had his audition for Drama 10 at the high school he wants to attend downtown. He needs Drama 10 if he wants to get into the Directing program he wants to take.

We stopped off for lunch at McD's and the younger two had fun in the playground. Abby made friend with a bunch of girls in there and Chris and I hung out chatting.

Chris did well in his audition and won a place. He was also thrilled to find out an old girlfriend from his last school also has a place so he will know someone there when he starts in the Fall.

Laurie won a place on the school singles badminton team on Tuesday to - he has been trying out for three weeks so he is very proud :)

I'm sure other things happened Tuesday but I can't think what else happened :)

Playing catch up - Easter Monday.

The children played out on their quad bikes much of the day. I was extremely lazy and stayed in bed for AGES....it was LOVELY :) soaked in the bath :)

In the afternoon we all went bowling which was so much fun! I am totally useless at bowling and poor Susannah has inherited my usless bowling genes - to the point that her three year old brother beat her!!! It was a great time though! After bowling we all went out for pizza and pasta and had the restaurant to ourselves :) It was a lovely way to end Lloyds week off!

Home and the kids got ready for school (showers/ lunches etc) and Lloyd and I re-potted all the tomato plants and pumpkins. They are now so big and we have run out of space so they have taken over the dining table! Lloyd and I will have to eat off of our laps for a while which we don't like at all but the plants must come first!

My Mom has told us that the plants grew so big because they didn't get enough light!!! So they grew tall to reach the light! So we learned what NOT to do next year! We started too early this year and we didn't give them enough light! I like this experimenting :) We're writing it all down in Lloyds gardening journal ready for next year and keeping it with the gardening Bible Jennifer sent us :)

Gardening is fun! I'm glad you tempted us to get started Jennifer!!!

So that was our Easter Monday and the last day of Lloyds week off :(

No more Honeybees in the UK.....

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7240456.stm

No more bees in the UK within 10 years? Could it happen? And could Colony Collapse Disorder happen there too? What would this mean to the environment in the UK?

If the UK lost its honey bees the countryside would face devastation, and that is exactly what beekeepers fear could happen.

Imagine a country lane. Hawthorn hedgerow on either side, clouds scudding overhead, apple blossom drifting gently by, the only noise the gentle hum of honey bees and the chirping of birds. What could be a more idyllic vision of British country life?

Then fast-forward 10 years.

The hedgerow is deteriorating, the birds are silent, the orchard is disappearing and the countryside is changed. Why? The hives are empty. Their once-buzzing occupants mysteriously vanished.

Thinking of you!

A friend (and blog reader) is in hospital today having day surgery and I just want to say I am thinking of her.....as I have been all week as I know how anxious she has been leading up to today!

Anyway - I know everything is going to go really well and before you know it you'll be all recovered and back to running after those beautiful girls of yours again :)

Thinking of you!

For my Mum and Dad.

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

On Wednesday my Mom and Dad said goodbye to their little cat Sammy. She had a severe heart attack. They have buried her at the top of their lovely garden over looking the fields...where they buried our dog Kelly. I'm sure they must be very upset as I know how attached they were to her - I haven't been able to speak to them yet although I've tried to phone a few times.

Sammy was kind of a stray kitten - a kitten from a local farm cat I think.....she was often walking around in their garden and they would feed her(my Dads a kind of sap where animals are concerned - kind of like us - he feeds all the wild animals too like the hedgehogs and foxes and badgers etc etc).......so they asked around if she belonged to anyone and when no none claimed her they kind of claimed her as theirs. Got all her vaccinations done etc etc. Sammys Mom would often come and visit her and sit with her in their garden for a while before heading back to the farm or wherever she came from......

I remember waking up a couple of mornings when we were staying there, to Sammy sitting on the floor beside my bed with her face an inch from mine - scared the hell out of me!!!!! lol! I guess she was probably trying to tell me to 'leave and take those noisy kids with you'!!!

Anyway, I know how upset I was when my cat Bailey died - I sat on the sofa and cried for three days...so I just wanted to say I am thinking of my Mom and Dad this week.....hope you are ok - I have tried to call and I left a message.

Lots of love
Jane

Egg painting fun.....

Everyone got to paint eggs today.....mine broke :( Laurie made egg stuffed olives, hitlers, shreks and spongebobs....the girls got creative with wax and dipping the eggs in the dyes....Lloyd and Sam painted with normal paints...Chris....he spent ages getting all artistic....

Lloyds egg painting

Lloyd really got into the egg painting....he painted peep on his egg!

Growing like weeds!

Our pumpkins, tomatoes of all kinds (including the seeds taken from my favourite fresh tomatoes that I buy in Costco) melons, asparagus, broccoli, are all doing so well we are a little worried that we started too early.....what should we do???? we need to repot again. We are running out of space!!!!! We now have stools to put them on until we buy a table.....my house is too small!!!! Next year we will have more space thankfully! Lloyd is thinking of investing in a greenhouse lol! He is LOVING this! He is so excited! he thinks he's going to win the Smoky Lake Pumpkin contest :) Hahahahahahaha

And the asparagus that is growing is like teeny tiny baby asparagus - its like teeny tiny asparagus spears - like miniature penises......or whatever the plural of penis is!!!

Gardening frenzy :)

Our plants are doing really well and A helps to check on them and water them regularly!