And our bees are gone too (April 17, 2021)

We went out to Cornerstone on Saturday, April 17, to set up the hive for a split, as we were supposed to pick up a new queen bee on Saturday, April 24.  Our babies weren't there!  But Ms. Mouse had moved in.  We think the February freeze probably killed the queen and the bees we saw in March were the last of her brood.  The bees hadn't swarmed.  Their little bodies littered the bottom of the box.  We're very sad.

 Ms. Mouse looks fat and happy, but we couldn't let her stay.  She scampered off and hid under a cactus.  We're in the process of getting a new hive.

Einar (April 14, 2021)

In June 2007, Lucy came to us first, checking out the suitability of our back deck for her new family.  Satisfied, she brought four kittens to us, carrying them one by one in her mouth from wherever her first home was.  Shortly thereafter, Einar showed up.  We think they were siblings because both of them were dairy cats and they appeared to be about a year old.  Einar stayed with us until a coyote ended his life on April 14.  He never learned to trust us. We knew coyotes were a danger but getting him to come inside at night, like Zephyr does, was next to impossible.  Above, during the February freeze, I managed to trick him inside with a bowl of food after he'd disappeared and hadn't eaten for three days.  Had to slam the door fast once he was inside!

Einar stayed inside until the end of the freeze, but was ever wary.  He used the croton pot instead of the litter box.  Ja vel. As soon as I opened the door, he skedaddled and never came back inside.

 Goodbye dear Einar.  Here's to a lot of treats and a cozy, sunny place to sleep wherever you may be.  And no humans to trick you!

Building hive boxes for the upcoming hive split (April 12-16, 2021)

OK, Amazon seller promised a total of 10 minutes to assemble two hive boxes and 20 frames, involving wood glue and 120 nails. I glued the boxes and frames together over a period of several hours on Monday and let them dry overnight.  

Fresh and beautiful frames and boxes for our new queen.  We're supposed to pick her up on Saturday, April 24.  In the meantime, we'll set up a piggyback split with the existing hive so some of the bees stay with our 2020 queen and the rest of them go with the new queen.

 Six nails per frame times 20 frames equals 120 nails.  I'm so glad Papa can put tiny nails in a tiny spot without bending them!  I would have to practice a bit first to get every nail straight without splitting the frame.

Happy Easter! (Sunday, April 4, 2021)

Otis and Fox

Streaming Godzilla v. Kong.  Amon brought over personal pizzas for everyone.

Otis is on Team Godzilla.  

Egg hunt!

Counting the haul.

Not exactly Godzilla, but assembling dinosaurs from the dinosaur eggs.

They wanted candy but the Easter Bunny left them quarters and dinosaurs.
 

Tommy2's offspring (March 30, 2021)

Tommy3 is thriving.  I put a leaf in water until it rooted, then transplanted it to this pot in the kitchen.  

 

Not a Texas tornado, but....(March 30, 2021)

Wind gusts up to 40 mph lifted the greenhouse off its foundation.  At least it didn't fly into the neighbor's yard!

But basil, pepper, strawberries, plus were just fine.

First ripening strawberries.
 

Almost Easter (Monday, March 29, 2021)

 While Amon was at work, Fox and I dyed under the Sea Easter eggs.

Support Texas Adoptee RIghts (STAR) (March 26, 2021)

Fellow STAR Board members Marla Smith, Joellen Peters, and I lobbied for the passage of HB1386 at the Texas State Capitol on Friday, March 26.  The bill passed 141-1 on Friday, April 9!  Now, for passage of the companion Senate Bill, SB1877, before going to Gov. Abbott.  The bill gives adult Texas-born adoptees the civil and human right to obtain their original birth certificates in the same manner as non-adoptees.  Currently, adoptees must provide a court order or know the names of their birth parents exactly as they appear on the original birth certificate to obtain the record.

Ok, just had to take a photo of this photo of Texas's Lady Liberty who watches over the State of Texas from the top of the Capitol dome. She looks like she means business! 
 

Spring hail storm (March 25, 2021)

Papa and I woke up in the wee hours to loud pounding on the roof.  Marble-sized hail!

Melting hail stones.

Too much for some of Papa's tomato plants.

 

Happy 10, Fox! (March 23, 2021)

Fox demonstrates birthday pull ups.

Fox got her ears pierced on Saturday, March 20, as an early birthday present.  She's set with new jewelry for once her ears heal.

Rapunzel wig.

Birthday ice cream. No cake.

 

The elms' annual haircut (March 22, 2021)

Mario and his crew have taken care of the elms for more than 10 years now.  They removed dead limbs, including one over our neighbor's roof and another one over our roof.

Should he be standing on the limb like that?  Would the rope really catch him if Lady Hawk decided to take a closer look? Please tell me you never do this, Micah!
 

Dinner with the Horns: first time since August 24th! But no photo. (March 20, 2021)

While at a beekeeping class in Round Rock on Saturday, March 20, we got a surprise phone call from Joyce.  The Horns were in Austin!  Could we meet for dinner?  Absolutely.  After class (see the queen?  She has a blue dot on her back), and taking sugar water to our hive at Cornerstone, we met the Horns at Mandola's.  So good to spend time together again!

The first bluebonnets were blooming at Cornerstone.  Enough wildflowers that we don't need to continue giving the hive sugar water.
 

My first COVID hair cut (March 19, 2021)

Fox offered to trim two inches off my COVID hair.

Fox!  Next thing I knew, the scissors were at my neck!  Fox assured me that she gives her Barbies great haircuts and that she is an artiste.

Fox did a great job.  The cut is even.  Once it grows two-to-three inches, it will be perfect.  Thank you, Fox.

Ta-da!

 

Worms in Papa's tomato garden (March 15, 2021)

Papa's very pleased by the scoops full of healthy worms in the tomato garden.

Big, fat, juicy worms!  They were thriving in our compost heap before Papa added compost to the tomato garden. I think Papa needs new work gloves.
 

Happy 10, River! (March 15, 2021)

 Sweet River, you've been a delight for this 10 years.  You are kind, thoughtful, creative, and giving.  Love you!

Stormy skies at Cornerstone (March 12, 2021)

 Sometimes vultures roost in the dead tree.  Bwah-ha-ha!

Papa plants tomatoes (March 11, 2021)

 We'll have homegrown tomatoes by June.  Can't wait!

Papa does it right: tills the soil, adds compost.

COVID arm! (March 10, 2021)

About a week after my first Moderna vaccine on February 25, I developed "COVID arm", an itchy rash that feels a lot like a serious sunburn after too many hours on the beach.  The rash lasted about a week.  When I got my second shot on March 25, the nurse told me COVID arm is a good sign, proof that you're manufacturing antibodies.  My other arm didn't wait a week after the second shot, but developed COVID arm the very next day.  I guess the antibodies recognized the COVID intruder and were having none of it!
 

Finally warm enough to release the Painted Lady butterflies (Tuesday, March 9, 2021)

Painted Lady butterflies cannot survive in outside temperatures below about 54 degrees.  Because of the freeze, there was very little flora for them so I put orange slices in several flower pots and set them free.
 

Lazy Sunday afternoon (March 7, 2021)

Fox shows off her new wig.  And her eye crossing skill!

Playing the Emoji game.  Thanks, LaWanda!