Another summer has flown by like a swarm of honeybees searching out a new place to hang their honeycomb shingles. Sorry for the corniness. I’m using bee similes a lot these days because I’m taking up a new hobby this fall. I’ve also actually seen bees swarm and it’s quite a sight to behold. If you’ve never seen a swarm in real life, you’re missing a miracle. It’s a Winnie the Pooh experience.
I’ve decided to become a beekeeper (an apiarist if you want to get technical). This hobby is growing in popularity as the population of honeybees has slowly declined over the years due to fewer small farmers who keep hives, the commercialization of farming, and mass use of pesticides.
We have a tiny brick building on our homestead that is about 70 years old and suffering about 60 years of neglect. It was originally built as the business office of the builder and first owner of our home before my grandparents bought the place. We have always called it “the Office”. It's a simple pine-paneled room with a brick fireplace. It has one door on the end and iron casement windows that I think are quite charming. We’ve been wanting to rehab this structure for years. My mother was the first to attempt fixing up the place, but had to give it up when my baby brother was born (I guess she got a little too busy). We found her curtain rods attached to the windows where she hung her homemade curtains when I was about 7. That was as far as she got into the project. Then, when I was about age 13, my girlfriend and I thought we’d turn the office into a “cool" teen hangout. We plugged in a radio and listened to the local rock station while we broom-swept the place, squealed at bees that kept flying in the windows and practiced our dance moves. Needless to say, that project didn’t make it very far either. (I guess school and boys took higher priority and not necessarily in that order!)
So, many years later, because I’m married to a Doer of All Things Well, the Office is finally getting a full rehab. I have to admit (to nature lovers out there) that we will be disturbing what has become a natural habitat for myriad snakes, mice, honeybees, and other critters as well as way overgrown overgrowth of ivy, poison and not poison, and weeds of all kinds.
The most interesting and challenging part of this project is that the Office has been housing a honeybee hive behind it’s walls for multiple years. I don’t even know how many because my brothers and I remember bees in it when we were kids!
After cleaning out the Office (we share the space with all the wildlife--they don’t seem to mind) of dirt bikes, wood boards, sheetrock and leftovers from other of the Doer’s projects, my hubby started to very carefully and gingerly take down the old pine paneling. He hasn’t gotten to the honeybees yet, but I assure you that I will have something to blog about when he does! I’ve befriended nearby 85 year old neighbor, Mr. Dodson, the Beekeeper who is going to help us move the bees into a hive box for me because I don’t want the bees destroyed. They do a marvelous job of working the gardens with me to make the flowers beautiful!
I was able to buy some gently used hive boxes from my daughter’s boss who is more than willing to mentor me. We'll next clear a space on our property for the hive boxes, and then I’ll be ready to begin another new chapter of life. I have a feeling there’s going to be a big honey harvest when we get all the paneling down!
Yes, this blog has gone down yet another path away from 10 Cuttin Sage, but that’s ok. We haven’t been there this summer so there’s not much to write about on Ocracoke Island. However, my hubby and I are going soon; in about 2 weeks, in fact. I can’t wait, and I have a feeling there will be lots more to blog about!!!
Stay tuned................
The back of the Office. Under the upper left eave is the entrance to the beehive.
The bees enter and exit under this piece of wooden overhang. The hive is between the brick and inside wood paneling on the back wall of the building.
The hive is on the right side of the fireplace behind this pine paneling. Notice the Doer has taken the paneling off the left side wall.
I’ve decided to become a beekeeper (an apiarist if you want to get technical). This hobby is growing in popularity as the population of honeybees has slowly declined over the years due to fewer small farmers who keep hives, the commercialization of farming, and mass use of pesticides.
We have a tiny brick building on our homestead that is about 70 years old and suffering about 60 years of neglect. It was originally built as the business office of the builder and first owner of our home before my grandparents bought the place. We have always called it “the Office”. It's a simple pine-paneled room with a brick fireplace. It has one door on the end and iron casement windows that I think are quite charming. We’ve been wanting to rehab this structure for years. My mother was the first to attempt fixing up the place, but had to give it up when my baby brother was born (I guess she got a little too busy). We found her curtain rods attached to the windows where she hung her homemade curtains when I was about 7. That was as far as she got into the project. Then, when I was about age 13, my girlfriend and I thought we’d turn the office into a “cool" teen hangout. We plugged in a radio and listened to the local rock station while we broom-swept the place, squealed at bees that kept flying in the windows and practiced our dance moves. Needless to say, that project didn’t make it very far either. (I guess school and boys took higher priority and not necessarily in that order!)
So, many years later, because I’m married to a Doer of All Things Well, the Office is finally getting a full rehab. I have to admit (to nature lovers out there) that we will be disturbing what has become a natural habitat for myriad snakes, mice, honeybees, and other critters as well as way overgrown overgrowth of ivy, poison and not poison, and weeds of all kinds.
The most interesting and challenging part of this project is that the Office has been housing a honeybee hive behind it’s walls for multiple years. I don’t even know how many because my brothers and I remember bees in it when we were kids!
After cleaning out the Office (we share the space with all the wildlife--they don’t seem to mind) of dirt bikes, wood boards, sheetrock and leftovers from other of the Doer’s projects, my hubby started to very carefully and gingerly take down the old pine paneling. He hasn’t gotten to the honeybees yet, but I assure you that I will have something to blog about when he does! I’ve befriended nearby 85 year old neighbor, Mr. Dodson, the Beekeeper who is going to help us move the bees into a hive box for me because I don’t want the bees destroyed. They do a marvelous job of working the gardens with me to make the flowers beautiful!
I was able to buy some gently used hive boxes from my daughter’s boss who is more than willing to mentor me. We'll next clear a space on our property for the hive boxes, and then I’ll be ready to begin another new chapter of life. I have a feeling there’s going to be a big honey harvest when we get all the paneling down!
Yes, this blog has gone down yet another path away from 10 Cuttin Sage, but that’s ok. We haven’t been there this summer so there’s not much to write about on Ocracoke Island. However, my hubby and I are going soon; in about 2 weeks, in fact. I can’t wait, and I have a feeling there will be lots more to blog about!!!
Stay tuned................
The front of the Office.
The little front door. Love the 3 vertical lights and the old ceramic knob.
The back of the Office. Under the upper left eave is the entrance to the beehive.
The bees enter and exit under this piece of wooden overhang. The hive is between the brick and inside wood paneling on the back wall of the building.
One of the front iron casement windows. So sorry my chartreuse running shirt is reflected in the glass.
A side casement window.
The hive is on the right side of the fireplace behind this pine paneling. Notice the Doer has taken the paneling off the left side wall.
This is a very old piece of comb my hubby found as he was pulling off paneling.
This is one of the old iron casement side windows.
One of my hubby’s “finds” as he was cleaning out the Office!
There will be lots more photos to come.......
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