Reports from the Department of the Exterior; anything and everything we post about work projects, horticulture, agriculture, and property management.
Where is the most beautiful place you have ever been? Did you snap a high-quality photo or two while you were there? Well, you may already have some prime material for this month’s assignment! Or perhaps there’s a picturesque spot nearby you’ve always wanted to photograph, but never had a good reason to visit at […]
I don’t think I have ever written a post on Sunday before. But there’s certainly a reason to do so today! Did you know today is Creation Sunday? I hadn’t heard about it until I read OneNewsNow’s article on Defending Genesis’ efforts to celebrate the biblical Creator of the universe and the scientific account of […]
Do you have an email account? Are you subscribed to various promotional email lists? Are those promotional emails all decked out in pink and red, love and hearts? If you’re like me, you glance over them before hitting the delete button (if you even open it), right? Well, one promotional email today stopped me. It […]
Today was the first day in probably years that I had put one of Michael’s bee veils on! He even had a sleek pair of new white gloves for me. I followed him up the hill to the hives and simply learned how to remove frames carefully, reinforce hives with bees, spot the queen, avoid […]
This is a big “THANK YOU” to the whole family for investing in my life in a great way a few months ago. Family members went together to give me a camera as a gift – and I have been putting it to use ever since. Of course I’m always taking pictures of bees, so […]
It might be winter now, but Sassafras (or Sassyfras to some) season is just around the corner! Some time in the first half of February, well before the trees start to bud and after the ground has thawed, you can dig out a few Sassafras roots (a little goes a long way) and enjoy Sassafras […]
We have harvested our first batch of pure, raw West Virginia honey this year and are now excited to be able to offer it for sale at the online family store! When we almost ran out this spring and had to ration our use of honey, the kitchen crew was forced to try and figure […]
After a thoroughly wet year in 2011, the ground finally dried out this spring. And kept drying out, and kept drying out. In May we went 15 days without rain and watering became a routine. In our situation, it is necessary to have our garden and orchard on a south-facing hillside that dries out relatively […]
The other day I was able to photograph a few of my buddies in the orchard. (All pictures taken May 7th) Do you see anything special here? Here’s a better look at our NEW RECRUITS! Adorable! A few minutes after taking the above pictures, I witnessed something else. Hurrah for Mrs Wasp! She just caught […]