Those of you who have been with me for a while know I keep a hive of bees in my back garden. Or, well, I used to. Last February, my entire hive of lovely ladies died dead. This was such a well-behaved team of bees that it was beyond disappointing to one day realize there … Continue reading Just Add Bees…and Beasties
A Monster Wander Through the Not-So Wintry Garden
After going on a lot recently about monsters - Doubt Monsters, Amazonian Monsters - I've been looking forward to a post featuring that far-friendlier monster, Finn McSpool! This year, the Pacific Northwest has thumbed its nose at the seasons and declared that winter is definitely NOT coming. While I was putting away all the dragon … Continue reading A Monster Wander Through the Not-So Wintry Garden
Finn McSpool Gives New Meaning to Bee Sting Lips
Last week we left our intrepid Beastie, Finn McSpool, in the midst of a messy kitchen with something that resembled a wheel of cheese. Of course my loyal readers won't be fooled into trying to slice that hunk of pseudo-cheddar to add to their platter of Christmas nibbles - well, maybe you would since I … Continue reading Finn McSpool Gives New Meaning to Bee Sting Lips
Bloomin’ and Buzzin’, My Garden Beckons
This is one of those rare weeks when I have no new artwork to show you (although I am working on remedying that) and no new art news to share with you (although hopefully next week I'll have something news-y to post). Since I'm completely art-less, I figured I'd get snap happy in the garden … Continue reading Bloomin’ and Buzzin’, My Garden Beckons
Bees Don’t Sweat
And to all those who remember a certain deodorant campaign, no, bees don't perspire either. Although those of us in Portlandia are now suffering from a resurgence of icky, cold, rainy weather, we did get a brief taste of summer recently with temperatures soaring over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (that's a sweltering 38 degrees to the metric folks … Continue reading Bees Don’t Sweat
Finn McSpool Enters The Land of Wine & Honey
As my loyal followers might remember, last year I delved into the wonderful world of winemaking, and that a few months ago I bravely bottled my boozey concoctions. Well, I recently hit the earliest aging time for fruit wine. Sure, sure, longer aging would lead to a smoother wine, but after having those bottles taunting … Continue reading Finn McSpool Enters The Land of Wine & Honey
Well, Hello Ladies! AKA “Saying Hi to My Bees”
When people ask me how many pets I have, my response is a quick "Four cats and two guinea pigs." After getting the Are-You-A-Crazy-Cat-Lady look, the conversation continues on to either cute things the cats do (if talking to a fellow cat lover) or on to other topics (if talking to a normal person). But in … Continue reading Well, Hello Ladies! AKA “Saying Hi to My Bees”
A Little Beekeeping Rant
This week, I just couldn't take it anymore. I left yet another Facebook beekeeping group because I could no longer take people's complete idiocy (my Idiocracy tolerance is quite low). I tried to tolerate it mainly because i enjoy seeing pictures of people's hives and bees, but the stupidity just got too high....especially the questions … Continue reading A Little Beekeeping Rant
I Have Bees….Again!
Hello Everyone! As you'll remember, a couple weeks ago I shared with you the sad tale of the disappearance of my colony of honeybees from my backyard top bar hive. Like some frightening tale of colony collapse disorder, one day the girls were there, the next they were gone. The colony was a strong one without … Continue reading I Have Bees….Again!
Tammie Painter 