bunnies birds beer cans & bees

I finished clipping down the rabbits today. We are having some warm days ahead and it is a good time to trim them and get them comfortable. It takes a long time. Their skin is so thin and delicate. You really have to be careful. I pretty much send a protective energy to the rabbit and then cut with a confidence that I will not harm the animal. The wool is unbelievable. It was windy in the afternoon and some of the cuts I was making were so short, that the wool blew into the mountainside like snow. I imagined all of the wild birds placing it in their nests. A perfect fiber to keep their hatching babies warm and safe. What a luxury for them. Soft angora bedding that looks like angel fluff.

As promised, I started cleaning my yard. It took longer than planned as I was on my own. I will probably hit it again tomorrow. Sophia wrote an invitation letter to her Uncle to join us for an Earth Day yard clean up. Too funny. I hope he does accept the invitation. I would like to plant some flowers up at that house. It used to be the barn, but was remodeled perhaps in the 50's into a home. The house has a gambrel roof and it is a sweet little house. I want to paint it barn red. It has better views than the main farmhouse but is the closest house to the road. Flowers are much prettier than beer cans. The neighbors might appreciate the change. Also the head of the intermittent stream that runs along the side of the property is up there. It collects road trash when the rain comes and the mountain weeps. Clean it up and let her breathe!

While outside, Sophia noticed the honey bees in our old Victorian next door. They were swarming. It is a huge hive. I can't see the hive, but there are hundreds and hundreds of worker bees. I swear it looks like honey is seeping through the clapboard. They have been here since we bought the place and we have let them be. At some point we will have to work on that house and the bees will have to be carefully moved by an expert. Once we get the boxes and equipment, I am sure I can handle it from there. I have wanted to be a bee-keeper.since I read The Secret Lives of Bees. I am going to go to bee-school.

click the photo to enlarge, then click the back button to return to crow

the old Victorian next to the main farmhouse

do you see them yet?

closer

closest

look right above the dark board patch

a two story 1800's home to restore

I swear that looks like honey soaked through

This is a video I tried to take with my el-cheap-o camera. One- I am holding the camera wrong. Two- you can't see the bees. I posted it because you can hear Sophia ask "What if they aren't honey bees?" She was scared. Then you here me whisper, "because Daddy said they are". A concrete confirmation of fact, since daddy is a biologist and knows everything. Before the video I told her she was safe. Honey bees are nice. They are nice. The last three still photos were taken later in the day. We went to check to see if the bees were splitting off. You could still see some bees busy. But not the number we had seen in the afternoon heat. Don't you love my spooky house?

Wild and Wonderful,

~crow