Author: Joy Hurt

Yesterday, I made progress towards turning our garden shed into a picture of sanitary beauty. A work in progress for sure! Blending two overloaded garden sheds into one is like working a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. And we’ve only just begun.

An important chore I’ll tackle today is a chemical inventory. It seems that a real Master Gardener has many elixirs and potions designed to cure all kinds of problems. In my old life, I used two products. Rose food and Miracle Grow.

New to Winterpast in the spring of 2020, I possessed many things from my the past. Two gallon jugs holding farm grade Round-Up and Surflan were hold overs from my days of farming. Back in the day, all herbicides were FDA approved for use in vineyards and orchards. Having saved many things from the ranch, these two jugs came along for the ride. I had no intention of using either.

Along the road to my house, I noticed an interesting piece of property. There, the owner had planted an entire grove of cottonwood trees, native to our area. Along with the 80 trees in his front yard, he’d developed dirt roads and walkways covered with young tumbleweeds (also native to our area).

My plan was a simple one. I’d write a note complimenting his forest and then ask if he could use my farm grade chemicals for weed erradication. A win-win. He’d apply the chemicals according to the label and they wouldn’t live in my garage any longer. Sure enough, he took the bait and I delivered the two jugs of chemicals to him.

From time to time, I still use pre-mixed Round-Up in the drainage ditch running in front of my house. When you live in the country, weeds seeds blow in from all directions. Because of the huge tumbleweed problem, many home owners hire a company to chemically sterilize the soil. This winter, I joined their ranks.

When April comes, we’ll need to be sure that anything sprayed is bee-safe. That doesn’t include most insecticides now sitting in our garden shed. Out with the old and in with safe and natural solutions for fungus and insect pests.

We have more shovels and rakes that two people should own in a lifetime. Two lawn mowers, multiple weed eaters, an assortment of pruning shears and saws. As the growing season begins, the garden shed will need weeding, too. Just a list of never-ending fun!

This week, the garden is growing on our dining room table. Everything planted just a week ago is now stretching towards the window. HHH questioned the number of seedlings I’ve planted. I guess it goes with Spring Fever! There could never be too many cherry tomatoes in any summer garden. The spaghetti sauce we made from the garden tomatoes was the best I’ve ever eaten. I predict lots of canning this summer.

Whatever you do today, find some time to pamper yourself with a nice cup of cocoa, coffee, or tea. Take time to watch an old movie or get caught up with a favorite television program. Learn something new on the internet. Just have some fun with whatever you choose! As for me, I’ll be sitting here waiting for real Spring sunshine to arrive.

More tomorrow.

Fifty one years ago, I was an intelligent and pretty high school girl with “Marcia Brady” hair. I liked blue jeans, Biology, hoodies, and my boyfriend, Derrick. Six months older than me on that Wednesday evening, he occupied much more of my brain than he should’ve. The heart wants what the heart wants, especially at seventeen.

That evening was just like any other in my life. My parents were ten years older than those of most of my friends. They had long since forgotten the excitement of high school wrestling matches or basketball games. As farmers, they’d been up since dark:30, and would need to stay up that night to retrieve me from the high school, just six miles south of the ranch. The wrestling match would be over by 9.

My parents themselves had fallen in love at that very high school in 1937, so I never understood how they couldn’t accept that I’d fallen in love, too. Derrick was a year behind me in the grade that I should’ve been in had I not skipped 1st.

As with any young relationship, ours was dramatic and serious. We were making plans for our forever, and I was deep in thought about those plans while gulping down a quick dinner early that evening. Following strict rules, I’d completed my homework and ironed my outfit for the next day. Grabbing our jackets, we walked toward the door, interrupted by the ring of the telephone.

In the 1900’s, all phones were hard-wired. At our house, the phone hung right about the ranch desk with a designated chair for longer calls or book work. Of course, there were no long calls because you were wired to the wall in plain site of the dinner table. There, prying eyes and listening ears would take everything they heard and use it against the sister that was receiving a call. Especially if it was from a B-O-Y.

My father took the call, speaking in a very low tune. Strange as it was, the only thing I could hear him say was “I’ll tell her.” Life was about to transform me from a silly school girl into a grieving young woman.

January 31, 1973. 5:00 pm. Derrick was dead.

When my father told me, my mother immediately insisted that I take two aspirin. Who knows the thinking behind that? To her, it just seemed another thing to insist upon. I declined and sat down to think about whether this could be true. I’d be meeting him at 7:00 pm for a secret kiss and then he’d be off to get ready for his match.

Derrick was 5’10”, 174 lbs., muscular and strong as an ox. He’d never been sick a day since I’d met him. Cleared by the sports doctor to participate in team events, none of this made any sense. He’d been the picture of health.

Earlier in the day, Derrick became unwell after sweltering in a sweat suit to shed water weight and make his weight class. The school nurse was busy filling in for the cafeteria ladies, so she’d called me out of class to sit with him while she tried to reach his mother. As we sat together, his skin tone turned from stark white to bright red. We watched the rhythmic change as the two of us, a couple of scared kids, waited for his mother to take him home.

“Mrs. Wilson, you need to pick up your son. Here in the nurse’s office, he’s become quite ill”, the nurse informed his mom.

“Sorry. I’m in the middle of a perm. Can’t leave. He can take the bus and walk home like usual “, replied the hairdressing mom. Click.

Sorry.

I’m.

In.

The.

Middle.

Of.

A.

Perm.

“Wow”. We both just said Wow.

Walking Derrick to the bus, I did manage to touch his cheek before he boarded the bus. He’d ride for thirty minutes and then walk the 1/4 mile to his front door. There, he’d rest until it was time to get ready for his match. He dropped dead in the hallway while fighting with his mom about attending the wrestling match. In the middle of an ugly argument, he was gone.

February 1, instead of taking my math test, I chose the clothes for his funeral. A “Funky Groovy Threads” shirt I’d given him on Christmas, just the month before, corduroy pants, and his favorite boots. My Senior ring on his finger, he was buried in front grieving friends and teachers he loved so much. Even now, I still remember the smell the flowers covering the front of Stephen’s and Bean’s Funeral home. Funeral flowers just smell different.

The rest of my Senior year couldn’t have been worse. People have a hard time dealing with a death of the young. It’s much easier to avoid the topic and carry on as if nothing ever happened, even when everyone knew it did. On a beautiful June evening, I graduated with honors, in spite of a broken heart.

From time to time, I think of the young grief-filled woman that was me. If only I’d known then what I know now, things would have gone better. The stages of grief hadn’t yet been identified, but I experienced them all anyway. I spent way too many afternoons sitting near his headstone at Mountain View Cemetery. It was as good a place as any to complete college homework.

Whatever the age, losing a loved one is one of the worst times in a human’s life. Even after 51 years, that young grief-filled woman remains close to my heart. I hug myself every January 31st and remind myself that the grief did pass and a beautiful life did follow.

Whatever you do today, remember someone that’s experiencing a loss. Take some time to listen as they tell you about their loved one. Tell someone about the person you lost. It’s a beautiful way to keep their memory alive.

More tomorrow.

Goodness gracious, this beautiful weather has me feeling the effects of Spring Fever. Sunday, the thermometer reached 69 degrees and yesterday, they climbed into the 60’s. With seeds germinating on my dining room table, it’s hard not to believe it’s already Spring 2024. The reality is that we have 49 more days to go.

In a few days, we’ll be suffering through high winds again, and true winter will return. Snow, rain, and a possible need for tire-chains over Donner Pass. Until then, I’ll enjoy every outdoor moment I can.

On the way to the Walmart to the East yesterday, HHH and I noticed that the weather is affecting locals in the same way. Ninja Neighbor was outside watering with her hose, while the neighbor across the street was pruning her bushes. The California neighbor was giving her plants a shot of Miracle Grow. It was then I asked the Master Gardener in the car an important question.

Does he prefer to water during dormancy or not. The answer was No. A dose of Miracle Grow at the wrong time of year coupled with some extra sunshine could cause early budding. With winter winds, rain, and snow, early sprouts and seeds wouldn’t survive.

On the western side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range , almond and fruit trees will bloom throughout the next month. In the early 2000’s, California fruit and nut farmers started hosting “The Blossom Trail”. Many small farms across the San Joaquin Valley banded together to welcome visitors during early spring. It’s a great time to visit different farms, some of them opening stands to sell a little of this or that. Springtime in California is a beautiful thing to behold, in spite of what you hear about the craziness of the big cities. Farmers are farmers wherever they may be located.

Are you experiencing a false spring in your area? Don’t believe it for a minute. Just enjoy the warm, sunny days you get. The high desert plains of northwestern Nevada receive 23 random days of sunny skies during the winter season, according to the internet. These aren’t to to be confused with many more days of serious winter.

If you must, water your bushes and trees, but don’t fertilize. It’s a great time to plant seeds inside your home or greenhouse. Just be sure they receive some sunlight and stay warm.

Your houseplants would always enjoy a little vacation outside should the weather turn nice. Just don’t place them in direct sunshine and remember to bring them back inside before the sun sets. While they’re outside, you can certainly wash them off and houseplants can always use a shot of fertilizer.

A nice warm day is a good time to organize your gardening supplies and tools. If your shovels and hoes need sharpening, a Dremel is a great little tool to use after watching a few U-Tube videos before beginning. As with anything, you can pick up tips and tricks for any garden projects you may want to tackle.

When winter days return, I’ll turn my attention to my solar lights which are in need of cleaning and new batteries. All solar gadgets for the yard need new batteries from time to time. You’ll need a screwdriver and some rechargeable batteries. Take your device apart and replace batteries with the same kind. Do NOT use alkaline batteries. They MUST be rechargeable which can be found at any hardware store or Amazon.

Whatever you decide to do today, enjoy being at peace with the weather you’re experiencing. There can be too much of a good thing. In the middle of summer, we’ll all be wishing for the cloudy skies of winter. It’s just the way things go.

More tomorrow.

Attitude is everything. It’s just that simple. Seeing things from a positive point of view seems almost impossible at certain times in life. No one knows more than a widow how a crushed spirit dries up the bones (the second part of that verse).

I know a man who has been battling an infection in his big toe for months and months. He started with a normal antibiotic at first but it didn’t work. After trying more potent drugs, he received a port for IV treatments using one of the strongest medications available. He still has his toe while fighting diabetes. One of his eyes doesn’t see well but his heart is better after having received open-heart surgery.

This man is one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. Along with all of life’s physical obstacles, he is up and at it every single day. His smile and great outlook on life are an inspiration. I’m so glad he ministers to HHH and me. You see, he’s our pastor.

Yesterday, he chose to speak about Proverbs and explain a little about how the book was written. In the Old Testament, the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) are books of the Law. Next come the books holding history. Proverbs is in the section of poetic books. The remaining books holds Prophecy.

Written in modern language, my study Bible also offers insight into the verses. Learning the Bible isn’t one story from beginning to end helped me to better understand. Prolific authors of the books amazing writers, Moses having written the first five chapters. King Solomon wrote most of Proverbs along with Agur and Lemuel. Apostle Paul was one heck of an writer, as well.

Proverbs contains valuable instructions and truths for life. Written in short verses, King Solomon’s words were truly wise. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

According to my Bible, “To be cheerful is to greet others with a welcome, a word of encouragement, an enthusiasm for the task at hand, and a positive outlook for the future. Cheerful people are as welcome as pain-reliving medication.”

Marriage with HHH has given both of us months with cheerful hearts and happy thoughts. This deep and settling contentment has made us both feel years younger. We choose happiness every day.

Yesterday before our service, one of the sweetest church ladies (aged 91 years young), brought two kinds of banana-nut bread. One normal loaf and one sugar-free loaf for our diabetic friends. Just a little something to enjoy before church. Each Sunday, she brings something freshly baked just for us. Even though she doesn’t have to do that, it’s with a cheerful heart that she ENJOYS baking for others! Even at 91!!!!!!

After the service, an annual meeting of the congregation met to go over positions and the budget for the next year. It was heart-warming to see how many people stayed on NFL Sunday. As we discussed available positions, I wasn’t moved to accept any of them.

Until, one was explained.

Stew·ard (/ˈsto͞oərd/) — noun

• 1. A person who looks after the members of a church.

What better job for my Harvest Sister’s and me, than to take care of the needs of our members when they call out for help. There’s something about a little bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup that lifts the spirits when a cold strikes. It’s tough to shovel snow from the drive when you are struggling to survive widowhood. Sometimes life is just plain hard and it helps to get a phone call from a friend. My Harvest Sisters and I can do this for our friends at church. No problem at all.

HHH signed up to help the pastor in another area. Just like that, we’re part of the membership and now considered church elders. We’ll wear that name proudly.

Throughout the meeting, I couldn’t help but watch the pastor infect others with his positive and cheerful heart. His positive attitude is a blessing to us all.

Whatever you do today, think about how you could help your community in one small way. If you’re already doing one small thing, do another. You’ll be surprised to find the more you do, the more you’ll smile. It’s the smiling that leads to a cheerful heart!!

I am absolutely sure our Kitchen Talisman wants to run away at this point. Most retired women use their kitchen counters to make up some great cookies or muffins. Well, our kitchen is just a little different.

After a busy week of shopping, yesterday turned into an extreme work day. I’d planned to stay in and shine up Winterpast for the Playoff weekend. The day started out just fine. One bathroom was scrubbed clean, a hall vacuumed, with plans to dust.

For those of you that don’t live on the high desert plains of Northwestern Nevada, dust may not be a problem. If you don’t have pets, (which would be lonely and sad), you’re not bothered by pet hair. For HHH and I, the hair and dust never stop accumulating, even with two shed-less pooches, which is a joke. All dogs shed something, even the doodle varieties.

While cleaning the kitchen in earnest, HHH came in from his errands. He suggested we go to Lowe’s to price fencing. With two inquisitively rambunctious dogs, fencing them out of our precious garden and bee spaces is absolutely necessary.

The cost of fencing has gone up like everything else in the world. A simple 4′ chain-link fence and gate was once affordable. For two 50′ sections with top rails and gates, we could have gone back to Yellowstone for a few days. Home expenses come before fun.

With e12 cinder blocks intended as a platform for our beloved bee hive, we stopped by Walmart to look for seed potatoes and garlic starts. Of course, it was still too early, however, we did discover the seed section. Like kids in a candy store, we were almost giddy with glee.

The kiss of the sun for pardon
The song of the birds for mirth,
You’re nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth. _{In A Garden Poet: Dorothy Frances Gurney}

I spent time grabbing packets of flowers, choosing varieties with bees in mind. HHH spent time selecting our food. One of his very favorite finds was “Hearts of Gold” cantaloupe seeds. He wanted to buy two packages, but I convinced him that one package would be more than enough.

Returning home with lots of daylight left, we went straight to work on the greenhouse. It was time to strengthen the panels with silicone. Once upon a time, I applied smooth beads of caulking with the best of them. Yesterday, it became apparent I hadn’t tried silicone. After a few attempts on the back side of the greenhouse, my beads improved. By then, my back reminded me it was time to rest a bit.

But, not before we placed HHH’s brand new repurposed redwood garden boxes. As the TV anchors blabbed on, I got to work planting 11 packages of seeds! Two varieties of lavender (our first greenhouse experiment), Armenian cucumbers, hot pepperoncini’s, marigolds, zinnias, two varieties of large tomatoes, and two varieties of cherry tomatoes, poppies, and snapdragons.

So tiny and delicate, it’s hard to believe they will produce flowers and food. In a couple hours, our first hothouse babies were ready.

With beautiful days ahead, we’re looking forward to organizing the garden. Today, we’ll be moving volunteer shrubs into place along the back fence. Splitting plants is a wonderful way to save money. The Iris’s are finally going to get their new home along our dry “creek bed”. HHH has already ordered fancy garden soil, mixed right here in town. How lucky we are to enjoy the very same hobby just behind the fences here at Winterpast.

Whatever you choose to do this weekend, pace yourself. With a hint of spring, it’s easy to start too many projects at once. Start small, or your back might have something to say about it!

Have a wonderful weekend. More on Monday.

Shopping with dear friends is a wonderful time to remember funny stories and plan new adventures. Today was no different. Between the three of us, one is attending a beach wedding, one is planning a trip to Italy, and one going on a honeymoon cruise. After enjoying an amazing lunch, we all needed to use the ladies room. The problem was, there was only two single bathrooms. Sometimes, that’s just the way things roll.

As we stood in a line waiting for the ladies room, the owner of the restaurant came over with a brilliant selection. One of us could play “Guard”, while the other two took care of business. As we stood with her, she talked about the pros and cons of running a restaurant in this day and age.

Restaurant owners endure long days, even with a closing time of 2PM. These days, the cost of food is much higher. She receives early morning calls from employees too tired to work that day. Yet, she’s there every day, remembering how things used to be. Her restaurant is so successful, the customers keep rolling in, no matter the hidden complications.

The town mall is trying to recover as the meeting point of the town. With no empty store fronts, the three of us moved along looking for beach and cruise wear, and a little something for the wedding. Being together with friends is always the best part. Our time together was way to short.

After promising to get together again soon, it was time to speed down the interstate returning to the dusty, little, wide spot in the road I call home. For thirty miles, litter covers the sides of the road. In this day and age, how is this even possible. Isn’t there a huge fine for littering? I guess that in the desert littering doesn’t really count.

Remembering back to my childhood, there was one commercial that comes to mind.

What an effective advertisement this was. We all saw and remembered it. Everyone related to and respected the message. Tossed garbage resulted in hefty fines.

These days, people step over discarded trash. Heck, you might need rubber boots to walk through our big cities. A little more than trash on those streets. In the 1900’s, the incarcerated worked. With a bright vest, trash bag, and grabber, they cleaned the sides of the highways. Cleaning trash wasn’t exactly where someone would like to be seen. A little embarrassment can be a great crime deterrent. But, things are different now.

When you live in the desert, lots of things are not quite as we might like them. There are always those people that think it’s fine to dump their old couch or kitchen table by the side of the road. These things can lay there for weeks, while people look the other way. It’s the norm in some areas.

A few years ago, a conscientious local decided enough was enough. He formed a group called “The Desert Pigs”. This group has picked up thousands of tons of trash and discards over the last ten years. One Saturday a month, they band together, pick a trouble spot and clean up the site. These unsung heroes have grown in numbers, but still cannot keep up with the trash that’s everywhere.

Growing up in the country, I was taught it’s not okay to litter. My dad would have us help when city folk came out to our ranch to dump their discards. He made a game of picking up aluminum with my boys when they were young, letting them have the profits from the cans they collected. His ranch was always neat and tidy, without city folk realizing it takes mindfulness and hard work to keep it that way.

Look around the street where you live. Are the storm drains clogged with trash? Do YOU live in the countryside where people seem to think the entire area is one big dumping ground?

Here’s a suggestion. Take a small garbage bag with you when you go out for your daily walk. You WILL find at least one thing to put in it, yes you will. If not, keep walking until you do. If everyone would just clean up a little, things would certainly look a little better.

Now, if you live in Neat-And-Tidy-Land, then, you need to get our your Gratitude Journal and make a few entries. If you are that lucky, be Grateful.

Here at Winterpast, HHH and I are in the process of beautifying our little piece of heaven. Winter is a great time to purge and carry away stuff that not need any longer. As things are getting organized around here, it’s lovely to enjoy our newly found space. As for us, our discards go right to the transfer station, formally known as the dump.

Whatever you do today, try to help clean something in your neighborhood. Watch for upcoming community work days in your town. If none are planned, call City Hall and ask why not. Our Mayor holds beautification days in our town and shows up to help, but then, he’s a pretty great guy. I know. I’m married to his brother.

More tomorrow.

Yesterday, I spent some time getting to know a new friend who keeps bees and donkeys. Hubba-Hubba-Husband and I met her last year when we enjoyed an outstanding day at a garden tour of the little town to the east. She happened to own the 6th house we visited on our tour. At the time, we had no idea that beekeeping would become our new hobby. We were scouting for ideas to dress up Winterpast in new shrubs, trees, and flowers.

The first thing I noticed about her gorgeous farm was that everything was neat and tidy. Having been queen bee at my very own farm, I know this isn’t an easy thing to do. Even her chickens were strutting around with fluffed feathers. The miniature donkeys were off to the side, cute as any I’ve ever seen in my life. Her beautiful farm was everything a little farm should be, enchanting in every way.

Each home we visited offered an assortment of treats and ice-cold lemonade or tea. Each home owner was there to answer questions about their yard. At the time, we had been dating about ten months. We took notes about ideas for Winterpast.

We learned that she had just split and transplanted hundreds of lavender bushes for the bees. The day couldn’t have been nicer, except another group arrived at the same time we did and so we didn’t choose to stay and visit.

Fast forward to last Saturday, there she was leading a meeting for new bee keepers. These professionals and hobbyists were patient and kind, taking time to answer ever single question our group could think to ask.

Before lunch, she came to our table, letting us know where we should buy our bees. BEEKS (short for beekeepers) from the area would transport the bees, saving us a trip to Cali. No question was left unanswered and we left buzzing with excitement.

Since then, I’ve contacted her several times. As it turns out, we have so much in common, it might take a lifetime to get through everything we must talk about. When two teachers meet, never is there a loss of topics for discussion. Even more so when the two teachers have farmed, garden, keep bees, and blog. God works in mysterious ways when helping humans make new friends. And so, our hive grows.

Thanks to sage advice from our new friend, our bees are ordered and will be arriving April 7th. With plenty of guidance, we chose the Saskatraz variety, originally developed in Saskatchewan, Canada. I don’t know if bees come with little parkas, but these will handle the cold of the high desert plains of Northwestern Nevada. They love being clean and HATE the dreaded mites.

One of the best things about any hobby is the friends you make. Beekeeping will be no different. Our common hobby is something fun for the young, old, and those of us in between. Even honeymooners like us.

With spring-like weather this week, you’ll find HHH and me outside with our pruning shears. Evenings will find us pouring over seed catalogs, selecting just the right fruits, vegetables, and flowers rich in nectar and pollen. Our dreams will overflow with all the fun plans we’ll make for this summer while enjoying something new.

Whatever you do, embrace change. There might be something different you can try in your yard. Add a new kind of flower, vegetable, or herb. Grow something colorful. Spring is only 55 days away. You’ve got plenty of time to plan!!!!

In 1974, I was a freshman in college, just trying to figure out life as a 19 year old. In another part of the country, a sage woman gave advice I missed. I could have used a mentor like Corey Ten Boom back then.

Corey Ten Boom (1892-1983).

If you don’t know the name, I hope you give this video a try and listen to her story. Corey’s dad, a watchmaker, hid Jewish people during the war. Finally arrested by the Nazi’s, Corey and her family lived and prayed in a concentration camp where her sister, Betsy, died.

Corey smuggled a small Bible and held Bible study. Throughout her time there, she found many things for which to be thankful. She was even grateful for lice and fleas which kept the Nazi guards away. During the most horrific days, she became closer to God.

In the past week, I’ve watched this video twice, learning different things both times. The movie, The Hiding Place tells Corey’s story. Her strong faith and abundant energy allowed her to continue working long after the taping of this video. I’ve no doubt Corey was “promoted ahead of us”. In the sweet bye and bye, we’ll meet on that beautiful shore.

I was a little suspicious of the video because it was a product of the 700 Club. However, when Corey speaks her truths, she commands your complete attention. Her message is timeless and I hope it brings you comfort at whatever stage in life you find yourself. This woman found miracles throughout horrendous experiences in a concentration camp. Her faith became stronger because of and in spite of her struggles.

Enjoy.

The honey bee! Apis Mellifera! A most delightful little animal! In the company of like-minded friends, we immersed ourselves into the interesting world of bees. From 8 until 4, we learned basic things two new bee-keepers should know. Just like that, we have a new set of friends with skill sets that will help us through our first year as we tend to our apiary.

In 1983, I was a young mom with little ones aged 2 and 3. For some crazy reason, bee-keeping became a hobby of mine for a time. Each week, I’d visit our 40 hives and collect the pollen we’d robbed from the bees. At that time, three local health food stores were eager to buy the local pollen.

Pollen is an amazing food that holds many health benefits. I remember cleaning the pollen while my babies took their afternoon naps. I’d carefully sift, weigh, and package my product and then take the babies on outings. For a time, it was a wonderful hobby. But, as babies do, mine turned into little boys. In 1983, my marriage ended, along with my bee-keeping hobby.

Gardening has always been a favorite hobby. When I purchased Winterpast in 2020, one of the main enticements was her gardens. At the time, I couldn’t visualize possibilities. Then, HHH, came along and now, future projects are endless.

For Christmas, HHH received one un-assembled bee-hive. Since then, bees have become our focus. Just a simple hive of 30,000 bees with a queen to run the place. Of course, they all have jobs, which even include undertaker bees that drag the unfortunates out of the hive. There are nursemaids and guards. Drones. The Queen. It’s all so exciting, we can’t wait to begin.

As we listened to seasoned bee-keepers, we learned about all the things we still need to purchase. More importantly, we learned about the time line for a year of bee-keeping. I have a feeling HHH and I are going to enjoy many mornings sitting to the side of the hive while watching their activities.

Bees keep the internal hive temp at 94 degrees to care for the developing embryos. They do this by fanning their wings to either cool or heat their hive. They like things the way they like them. If conditions get too crowded, they split the hive and half of them swarm. They know how to feed the Queen her life-long diet of Royal Jelly, and they also know when to get rid of her.

One thing one must never do is stand directly in front of the entrance to the hive. Nope. It seems the bees are not very happy about people who do. Otherwise with a little smoke and slow and deliberate movements, they can be handled quiet easily. I still remember how much I enjoyed this hobby, even after so many years have passed.

Yesterday, we attended the family baby shower. While lost in a sea of littles aged one month old and up, we learned about a close family friend that’s also a bee-keeper. How great to have an emergency phone number if our hive starts to struggle. Again, small-town nice comes to the rescue!

Our bees will be delivered to us from California in April. As a functioning group known as a NUC, we’ll be purchasing a queen and all her helper-bees. They’ll arrive in a cardboard box, already a complete community living on five frames. And so it will begin.

This year, if everything goes as planned, we hope to harvest 60 pounds of honey off our hive. We’re ready to put up the good fight against mites, which can weaken a hive. We know when to look for the dreaded moths, and when to install mouse guards. Even with everything we learned, there are a thousand more things we’ll learn by trial and error.

And so, our garden plans grow. This week, we’ll going to start seeds in the greenhouse as we choose plants that produce a wide variety of nectar and pollen.

With two very rambunctious dogs that insist on barking at and digging at the fence next to our neighbor, we’ve found the perfect place for our hive. Our friends, the bees, will take care of that problem. The hive will sit right in that very corner. Win. Win.

This week will be a busy one with two trips to the biggest little city to the west. The roses are pruned and we’ll move on to the trees. A fence is planned for the garden area. Some work on the greenhouse. Spring will be here before we know it and it will be glorious!

Whatever you do today, remember one of your hobbies of the past. Maybe, just maybe, it’s still something that holds interest for you. As for me, it’s off to learn more about the bees.

More tomorrow.

One of the very first things HHH and I bonded over was our undying love of watching over our roses. In particular, we both adore Hybrid Tea Roses, which produce one beautiful rose atop a long stem. We like others, as well, but these big ones are favorites of ours. How grand it would be if they came in blue, but sadly, they don’t.

When I moved to Winterpast, beautiful roses were already growing here. Although the home had been vacant for awhile, the roses thrived, surrounding a lush, green lawn. Winterpast doesn’t just have a nice yard, it has gardens so beautiful they are inspire one to plant more of the same.

Over the course of a few months, HHH and I added eight rose bushes. I picked them out and he dug the holes in the hard desert soil. The butter-yellow, “Happy Go Lucky” began as my favorite because of her name of the bush. Our two bushes never stopped blooming the entire growing season. Yellow roses with thick, lush blooms.

Last year, we discovered a wonderful brand of roses. Although there one producer that has better name recognition, the roses best suited to our area are grown by Weeks Roses. They are healthy, hearty, and beautiful. No longer will I wait for bare roots to arrive from the other company. I’ll simply go the nursery that sells bushes by Weeks.

Now that the rose bushes are dormant, the time for pruning is near. Dormant plants in the yard need pruning to increase production and health for the next season. If you have fruit trees, roses, grapevines, summer flowering shrubs (like hydrangea), deciduous shrubs, or ornamental grasses, they need pruning while they are dormant.

One great thing about the times in which we live is the availability of information. With the help of internet, you can learn to write with masters or paint like a pro. You can take drawing lessons. You can also learn everything you need to know about pruning. With a visit to You Tube, you can find out exactly when and how to care for your trees.

We watched tutorials before pruning the trees at the rental. We’ll watch them again before we start on the fruit trees of Winterpast. Interestingly enough, even the angle of the cuts are important to protect the health of the plant.

When focusing on roses, you’ll need good leather gloves. This type of glove will save you from thorns and a wide variety are available. When cared for, they will serve you for many seasons. Long sleeves and jeans will also help to protect you from nasty scratches. Some refuse planting roses because of the thorns. For us, the beauty outweighs a few scratches.

It’s important to choose the right type of shears. For roses, you want to use very sharp bypass shears that will make clean cuts. The alternative is a shear that only mashes the stem and isn’t not for this purpose.

As you trim off dead stems and leaves, try to achieve an open plant. This will allow for plenty of sunlight and air to reach all the stems and buds. Cut 1/4 ” above outward facing buds, or swellings. The lower you prune your hybrid tea rose, the longer the stems and bigger the flowers. When you are finished, be sure to clean up all the debris under the plant, leaving no hiding spots for disease and pests.

Properly pruned roses produce beautiful blossoms and will bring you pleasure for years to come.

This weekend, we’ll take time to clean up the leaves and spray the grasses that have started to sprout. HHH and I will be deciding on which heirloom seeds to buy. We need to order potato, garlic, and onion starts.

Tomorrow, we’ll be enjoying our very first class on bee-keeping. Gardening heals the soul and feeds the mind. We can’t wait to import and care for 50,000 little friends.

Whatever you do this weekend, spend just a little time getting outside. Half of January is gone! Don’t let the winter beauty go to waste.

More on Monday.