June Garden Update

As of last week, I had not watered the yard in 9 weeks. The rains have finally tapered off a bit, though I hope not for good. Everything has been really happy, except the tomatoes which need that summer heat. Here are a few updates on how things are going.

The potatoes have really seemed to flourish. There are two sets of tires under there somewhere, and probably eight potato plants.

The unharvested radishes have begun to flower, and so I have just let them, because the bees really seem to love them. I'm going to attempt to harvest the seeds.

The alyssum has gone crazy. The flower flies seem to love it early in the morning, and the bees don't seem to touch it until later afternoon. Must be getting something different from them.

My rainbow chard had a rough spring! It was getting eaten by something, but whatever it was must have gone on, and it seems to love the summer heat for now. I was worried that I would have none.

Zucchini are always early producers and everyone at our house loves it.

My Lacinato (or Dinosaur) Kale is just about ready for eating. This summer heat will have it bolting if we don't eat it soon.

Broccoli! Yay! First time I've ever grown it. Still haven't eaten any, we are collecting it until we have enough for one serving a piece so that we can all enjoy it together! Alecia planted it and has been looking forward to it.

Look at my beautiful red butterhead lettuce!! Oh, it IS just as good as it looks.

Corn is doing well. It seems to like the heat too. Still curious how it will all work out in the end.

My 'champagne bubbles' Icelandic Poppies had us all in suspense for a long time! We had no idea just what they would look like. The first one was cream like this, and since we have had peach, pink, and a light orange. The bees love them!

Summer Buggies

Dragonflies have been visiting our yard, and the cats, despite their efforts, haven't been able to catch one yet. I'm glad. They are beautiful.

Alecia holding a drone (male) bee. They do not sting. She has learned how to identify them.

A damsel fly. He loves zipping around the chamomile.

Another bright green dragonfly.

I don't know what this is! It looks more like a wasp or a bee than a flower fly, and it seemed to be predatory. Still very interesting, hiding under the leaves of my mammoth sunflowers.

A bumble bee with fat pollen sacks! I love the lazy rhythm of the bumble bee.

After some research, we found out this caterpillar will grow to become a White Sphinx Moth
The girls found them and have been keeping them in a special cage they made on the ground. We are watching them each day, and they are growing like crazy!

My borage has finally bloomed. The bees do love it, and it is really beautiful.

Thunderheads north of us, rolling out towards Greeley.

End of May

One of these things just doesn't belong! Are those mustard greens coming up where I planted all of my borage???? I didn't plant mustard greens. Hmm...Hard to tell just yet....

Our first zucchini!

The girls wanted a 'class' picture.

The makings of the chicken tractor.

Radical RED Radishes! Heirloom Cherry Belles.

Indoor Rock Climbing

David got his Belay certification, and he has been taking the girls (and friends) climbing. Here are a few pictures from a recent climbing excursion!

Goslings

The best part of spring in Colorado? Well, ONE of them is goslings! So cute, little rows of fluff following mama!

First Bee Extraction/ Bee Vac

This was in East Morrison. Bees had moved in over a window where a woodpecker had previously lived, while the house was vacant. David made a bee vac! Using a shop vac and a bucket, the bees can be sucked into the bucket without going into the vac (which would result in bee peanut butter). The design needs some work, but overall, it did work! He's presently working on a better design.

The bees went to our friend Maggie, where they are living out their happy little bee lives, without the risks of being met by Terminix!

3rd Ruby Check

Here are a few pictures from the third Ruby Hive check. This particular check, David had put the queen excluder on top of the base with too few frames beneath and they built a good bit of comb on the excluder. They were very mad at us for taking it, and Alecia and I both ended up getting stung. We had just gotten to lax with our precautions and were not wearing any protection. The bees were so upset after all this, we avoided the yard altogether for the rest of the day! They are such a healthy hive though. Really thriving! These are the bees we captured from a swarm in Lakewood.

Grizzly Jones

Recent trip to the DMNS.

Hard to tell which one is more scary sometimes!

Zana

A great picture that Vicki took at the Bee install. She'll be 7 next month! Lost her first tooth yesterday. Better late than never!