Signs of Fall

Fall is in the air at Ruff Ranch. The evenings are getting cooler and I like it. Fall is my favorite time of year. I may have left the colors of Vermont behind 16 years ago, but we've got a few things turning colors and doing their autumnal things.

Even weeds are prettier in the Fall.

The corn is not prettier, but it's ready to be cut down and made into sheaves for Halloween decorating.

Don't talk to me about the weeds in there. I know all about them.

Some leaves are turning.

One of two Japanese maple trees that we transplanted last year. The second one is not doing as well, but I think it'll come back.

This is the healthy one. It is beautiful.

The spiders in the stairwell to the basement have been very busy with their Fall activities. I didn't really pay any attention to them before because of their evil cousins who I have mentioned before. The house spiders spent the summer eating bugs, which was helpful, and if I didn't look up, then I didn't see them. I took this picture right before I finally vacuumed them all up. There were egg sacs, dead bugs and dead daddy spiders all over.

Poor daddy spiders.

Well, they're all in the vacuum now.

The Last Voyage of Meriwether Lewis

Thank the heavens and whoever is responsible for them.

It's a long story which goes back to 1996, and contains all the elements of a good story, of which there are two. However, I didn't enjoy the story so much.

But now it's the end.

Lewis will be dead shortly; by his own hand or another's. And good riddance.

I was going to say "to bad rubbish", but I thought that sounded bitter.

Let's just say, I'm glad that THIS IS THE END!!!!!

This is the flatboat which is taking Meriwether to Memphis.

From there he will ride a horse to Grinder's Stand. And we all know what happened at Grinder's Stand.

Well, okay. We don't. But something happened and then Mr. Lewis was dead.

Then maybe I can have my husband back until the 150 anniversary of the Civil War and something tells me I'll lose him again.

I have made the big time!

Holy cow! Someone is reading this blog!!!

I am SOOOO excited!!

You can tell by all the exclamation points.

I came home for just a moment this afternoon. The children were asleep in the car and I just had to grab my camera and let the dogs pee. Guess what I found sitting on one of our patio chairs?????!!!

Brains??

Sadly, no.

Your next choice is hedge apples.

You betcha!

Good for what ails you, which in my case is some blinkety-blank spiders!

Thank you Jim, you have saved the family from flesh-eating spider bites!

As busy as a...

Bee.

Or a thousand bees.

Or perhaps more.

Did you know you can smoke bees with incense? They like it, and then they get all drowsy and then they don't sting so much.

We had a honey bee hive in our house. We knew approximately where is was (in the ceiling of the back closet), but had no idea what to do with it. Scott called "the man", and the man said he didn't want the bees now. There are plenty of honey bees in this area. Plus, they wouldn't survive transfer this time of year.

BeeMan said, "Do you have a shop-vac? Yes? Well then. Bundle up".

First sighting

After letting the bees inhale for half an hour, Scott and I bundled up to MOPP level 4 and started taking down the last ceiling in our upstairs.

We found the bee hive.

Holy cheesits.

Vacuuming bees out of the hive

I really never expected anything remotely like this. The bees...and the honey...

No wonder they're called honey bees.

The newest honeycombs

Scott was the one up by the ceiling with the vacuum and the knife with which he cut down the honeycombs. I was in charge of handing him stuff, taking pictures and staring aghast with flabber at the six feet of honeycomb between the rafters. It's amazing, really. Look at the perfection of those honeycombs. To think of all the hard work those bees put in.

But then, I'm afraid that I have to lump the bees in with the spiders and the snake...

Uninvited guests.

I didn't do such a good job of taking pictures, actually, but I did a great job of staring. I can't really even describe the number of dead bee bodies there were that had to be vacuumed, or the revolting mess of carcasses, honey and other detritus that had to be scraped out. Ugh.

Blech.

And then, the honey started dripping from the rafters and left pools of honey on the floor and then the dead bee bodies got all mixed in with it. And I stared. And I was aghast. With flabber.

A kitty litter bucket full of honey, combs and bees

And then Scott decided we must save the honey, because you all know that he is like that. So I washed out the kitty litter buckets (just fresh litter, not used, fer pete's sake) and he tossed rows of honey-dripping, bee-covered honeycomb into them. Scott wants to make beeswax candles out of it, and eat raw honey.

I hear raw honey is good for your allergies.

Cliff, you should expect some Real Ruff Ranch beeswax candles for Christmas.