Barn sale and some gardening.

 I sure am glad this weekend is over! It's been a long busy one for sure.

I spent a few weeks getting ready for this barn sale up at Mt. Cove Farm, 5 miles from me. Made extra soap too. I was so nervous I wouldn't have enough things to sell. But when I finally got down there Thursday afternoon and set up, I had so much. I had a great spot right at the front door on the left. Friday was freezing cold and rainy, all day. Still had a lot of people coming in. I did pretty good. Sold a lot of soap! Then Saturday, it was a beautiful day! Lots of people coming in shopping. I kept having to fill my soap boxes up! I even sold that orange knitted hat! And 2 skeins of Adele's hand spun yarn! And some pottery too. It was a fun time, but glad it's over. I am pooed. I went to bed early, I was so tired. It was all day for 2 days.

I didn't leave the yarn up on the table like that.  I was just getting things ready.

Then today, we were supposed to go watch our youngest daughter, Abby, go for her hang gliding birthday present. It had been put off twice due to high winds and rescheduled for this morning at 10:30. There was a bike race out our way this morning, so we had to go all the way back up the mountain, then across the mountain and back down the other side because of the race. And when we finally go there, she had already gone up and they were ready to leave. I was so upset. But then very relieved that she was alive! She's already jumped out of an airplane, so this was a piece of cake. But sad we missed it. Darn bike races.

So on the way home, we stopped at the Lookout Mt. Trading Post up on the mountain on 136. Some new people have bought it and it's beautiful. It's a gift shop and they also have a good lunch menu. They also have a pottery studio there!!! I got to go in and look around. It's amazing! These 2 guys are really good. They do mostly hand built pieces. But anyway, the reason we stopped is I had heard they wanted to start a little farmer market there on Saturdays. SO I wanted to find out more about it. It's free! So I think I'll go. And it's only about 15 miles from me. I bought a whole flat of herbs from them too. I had already gotten a flat plus 5 more herbs from the feed store a few days before. So 2 1/2 flats to plant!

SO when we got home I went out to the garden. I wasn't going to have a whole day to work again til Thursday, so had to do it today. I mowed the whole garden. Then tilled some rows for green beans. Got 4 rows planted. Then mulched all the squash, zucchini and peppers. Then got to weeding the flower garden I made in front of the bee hives. Some of the little beds I planted seeds in didn't come up, or only a few did. I planted 1 peppermint, 3 sage, 5 thyme, 8 chives, about 12 each of lavender and rosemary. I think that was all. I don't know if I'll be able to move tomorrow, all that bending over. Then I watered everything really good. And that's all in the garden today. I am feeling good about gardening this year. I am taking my time and not stressing about it. Just kind of having fun out there.

I am so thankful for this cool weather we've had too. It's funny though, Friday it was so cold when my husband came to get me from the sale, I wanted the heater on in the truck. Then when we got home, I turned the heat on in the house. I wore thermal to bed too. The next morning, I had the ac on in the car. Crazy!

Also thankful because the 2 poor alpacas haven't been sheared yet. They will in June though.

The squash and zucchini all mulched now. There are 2 more beds of these too.

This is the herb-flower beds for the bees. It's really going to be so pretty with all the blues and purples and reds. Lots of zinnias to the left.

The green beans finally planted! I'll plant more in a few weeks to the left when I can get it tilled better.

The tomatoes are down here this year. I have Cherokee Purple and Orange Valencia in the 1st 2 rows, then Rutgers. I need to get some okra seeds to plant in the next 2 rows down here. The rows are ready for them.

Now we need some rain! I think Wednesday we should get some.

I hope you all have a great week!

Milk Apocalypse...

is happening right now at Outback Farm! SO much milk! And so much more to come. What was I thinking when I sold all the kids? I need to go on a milk fast I think.

Hive check today.

 I checked my bee hives today. 1st time for both swarm hives.  Both doing great! Lots of honey and pollen. I couldn't find the queens but I know they are in there.


This is the big hive. The 2nd swarm came from this hive. These frames are FULL of honey! Not 100% capped yet, but will be ready to harvest in a few weeks! It is SO good too.

                                                   Look at that! Just a beautiful sight to see.

This is the 1st swarm hive. I had to scrape off all the burr comb, loaded with honey. I had to run get a bowl first. They weren't all too happy about this at all. But had to be done. I had to put another box on for them. And I had to inner cover put on wrong, so they were building comb too high. All looked good in this hive too. But they were a pissy lot of bees in here!

This is a frame from that hive. They are hard workers, these girls! Lots of pollen and honey and I think I saw brood.

They other swarm hive looked really good too. It's been 2 weeks today that I caught them. They were building lots of comb and generally happy laid back bees in this hive.

I love this picture.  That's the bowl with the honeycomb, a smoker and a hive tool.

So my bee yard is looking good so far. I'll wait awhile to add another box on the other hive. They still had 4 frames not drawn yet.

I LOVE having bees! I never would have thought I'd be a bee keeper. But I really do enjoy having bees here. I love walking by them, telling them good morning as I'm looking for dandelions. I talk to them during the day when I'm out in the garden. They are just fun to have around. Everyone should have a hive of honey bees.