Tag Archives: homestead

To Bee or Not to Bee

I have a 2-story log cabin in the woods and wood bees are having a party drilling holes in the logs. This has happened for years now and I have filled so many holes and put up so many traps! The climate changes have altered the yard all around the cabin from grass to mainly clover. Also associated with climate issues is the dearth of honey bees, those precious pollinators. Until recently, I have only seen one or two each time I go out. Still, I do not use masses of insect poison on the wood bees because I don’t want to harm the little honeys.

A couple days ago there must have been a massive spawning of wood bees as small wood bees were everywhere I walked! Not to alarm anyone, but I started stomping all I could find. In one day, I got 111 before I had to go in and cook supper. Today when I went out, I saw HONEY BEES! Many of them! Looks like they were scared away by those big ol’ wood bees. I got 63 more of the wood bees all around the cabin and spotted at least fifty honey bees!

Good thing I did not use bug spray (except for direct spray into the drilled holes). I use bee repellent in the brown stain I put on the cabin every other year, but being here alone makes me very wary of climbing a ladder all the way up to the second story, thus the wood bee problem. If I can take out most of the offspring though, that might make a real difference!

A Jar of This, A Pack of That!

I adore making things as many of you already know. Today as the mighty Christmas holiday is so near, I thought I’d show some of what I have accumulated to cook with. Why not?

Aw, NUTS!

You think this is a bunch, you should see the big ol’ pantry! And the 20-pound capacity flour bins with white, whole wheat and cake flours!

Porch Chimes Ho!

I went nuts over porch chimes for a few years, so even though that ended a while back I yet have plenty. Some don’t really chatter, they glitter or twirl. Here they are!

I’m not a chime, but gee whiz, I didn’t want to be left out!
I didn’t want to be passed up either!
Tinkle, tinkle (or twirl), little stars!

Scroll and Burn?

My ever most favorite power tool of my beloved scroll saw, a really nice one from Germany that I got decades ago. The cabin was new and the place needed a place to hang your coat:

Hanger at the front door

The experiment worked out, so next I tried making a…

Toilet Paper Holder!

Then I wanted something more fantastic, something for fun. Imagine this fella in the sky! I have it hung high up on the wall in the art room.

The Mighty Dragon!

Then I got me a wood burner pen, oh boy!

Dear Ol’ Shaggy!
A “Switch” to flowers!

I did lots with that dear scroll saw and the pen with its neat attachments. What fun! I set it all aside when life interrupted. Now, so many years later, I have some interesting ideas for that set-up…. let’s dust it off and see if it still works, eh?

Yogi?

No, not Yogi Bear (though I do really like that ol’ dude!), it’s what I call yogurt. I’m down to my last cup of yogi today so…

It’s time to make more! I need to use a spoonful of the last cup to make the new batch, sort of like sourdough bread only made with milk!

Save a Spoonful from the Previous Batch
Heat Up Fresh Milk to 185 degrees F for 20-30 Minutes

While Heating, Wash the Cups and Set-Up the Fermenter

The fermenter is just a mild heater. Once the heated milk has simmered at 185 degrees until done, cool it to 115 degrees F and mix the spoonful in well. Fill the clean cups. Put the little lids on! Leave the covered fermenter on all night and in the morning, we have eight more cups of YOGI to enjoy! Yum!

I made some peachy preserves and put a glob of that into each cup of yogi I get out, but more on the peaches, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, cherries, raspberries and the multitude of apples later!

A Small Gift for Earth Day

There are a few natural things around my country cabin that I consider truly precious. This is a shot last night right behind the back porch. I’m not sure where the bluish cloudy places on the hillside came from, oddities do occur here.

This is why I went out and tried to take that picture: