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Nov. 10, 2009
A Walk in the Woods This Time
Trent and Myles got a call from the apiary asking them to come help load the barrels onto the rig - the last step in getting their harvest to market. I decided to go too to take the littles for a walk, as they have such a lovely piece of property with lots of trees.
I bundled Elias up on my back, and we headed out of the yard.
We stopped at the chicken coop to say hello to the hens.
We walked along the back fence and through the gate next to their big pile of fire wood for the winter. As we walked, we saw all kinds of old buildings and pens that had been used in the last 50-60-100 years for animals and equipment. Collette was born and raised here, as was her dad. We came to a beehive that was all wrapped up for winter.
Janney noticed some dead bees on a board outside the hive. We didn't see any coming and going. Later I asked Collette about how the bees survive, given that they have a short life span. She said that the queen bee would have stopped laying eggs about a month or so ago, and the last of the eggs would have hatched recently.. so all the bees that are in the hive right now, will survive the winter in a semi-hibernation... but they'll live longer too, because they're not spending such energy going out and harvesting and tending to baby bees inside the hive.. less work means a longer life for these winter bees.
We headed into the woods, not following the path cut by the truck, or farm equipment, nor the path of freshly cultivated soil which I suspect is there as a fire break, it seem to be in a semi circle around the whole home yard. Rather, we followed what was either a deer trail or a horse trail. We found scat suggesting both used these paths, but there were areas where I knew for sure the horses couldn't pass, as there was fallen trees I had to move or climb under.
Asher had a melt down at this point.. just as we were heading into the exciting woodsy part of our walk. He wanted to go home. For me, I was only just starting, and the boys had about another 50 minutes of work, I didn't want to just sit in the van and wait. He sat in the middle of the path with his back to me. I couldn't leave him there, but I had to make him want to follow me. I kept walking, and eventually he came and held my hand, and kept up his whining for at least half the walk.. sigh.
Deciding which trail to take was sometimes difficult.. not that we would get lost, but there were intersections everywhere, and no street signs..lol Sometimes we'd choose a path, and two steps later there was another choice to make, another intersection. Sometimes the kids would make a choice that was easy for them, but would mean lots of bending over for me, and risking Elias getting twigs in the face, we had to make different choices.
Can you see the path? - see it there, right beside my shadow, where all the leaves are sort of in a line..
Eventually Janney and Asher began to notice their surroundings.. less consumed with themselves, and more open to where they were. We saw a Blue Jay, and Deer scat and dog poop and horse poop, and these white berries, and wasp galls on golden rod, and then this mushroom on a rotting stump.
 
Unfortunately, it took 45 minutes of walking before they started to open their eyes to nature, but I think if we go more often, the whining will deminish and the opening of the eyes will increase.
Susan, you said, if you lived out here, you'd just go walking out your yard and enjoy.. but you know, just as you get bored with your city surroundings, we get bored with our country surroundings. We've been through the pasture many times.. there's not much there. Walking through a crop field is not so exciting, there's no diversity, - wheat stubble is wheat stubble. You can't walk through the fields in spring, the mud sucks you in -you end up with "KISS" elevator boots .. gumbo sticks to the boots and you end up with 6 inches of mud stuck to the bottom of your boots, which is heavy. In summer the crop is growing, not "neighbourly" to walk through a growing crop... and the fall has the stubble. I do go out for a walk or a run, which I've sent you pictures.. so still, going somewhere else is fun, exciting.. and not so familiar. But I thank you for inspiring me, and encouraging me to go.
Oh, I forgot, When Myles went back this morning, I went with him and took some books for reading and study while he was loading the second half of the honey into the rig. Rick loaded the barrels into the rig, and Myles move them to where they were placed for best balance in the rig, and Collette kept track of the barrel numbers.
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Posted by 
Nov. 10, 2009 - Untitled Comment
I love learning about the apiary that your boys work at, too.
Love,
Susan