Fourth of July, gardening pics, and a bee swarm

It keeps rolling along here, the weather has been good all-in-all. Last night we had 42 degrees for a low, a bit chilly for July, but that's life in da UP, I guess. The good rains we had earlier in the week really helped out. We can certainly irrigate if we need to, but it's so much nicer and easier when God waters the gardens. :)

On July 4th, we worked in the morning, then took the afternoon off, went picnicking with the family, and had a hoot. Between Dad and mom, my siblings and their spouses who were able to make it, plus all the kiddos, I think there were 41 of us present. Picnic by Prickett Dam, then some of us went up Silver Mountain. 'Twas a good walk up and down, nice views on top, but I'm sure I have a few more gray hairs from making sure none of the kids strayed off the hiking trail. The top of a mountain is not a good place to go running willy-nilly around the woods, to be sure. Here's some pics.

On the rocks toward the (I think) west side.

Tree growing on the rock face

I think this was in the area people rappel down-whew!!

Down below in the ravine W/SW of the main sheer drop-off

My lovely and gracious wife Janice, a native Oregonian, didn't quite understand why this native flatlander (who thinks Brockway Mountain is kinda big) was holding onto her with might and main as she peered over the drop-off. But the sight was almost enough to make a flatlander feel queasy. I talked to a guy who, in his training for the service, had done rock climbing there- it's over 200 feet down. Afterwards, we watched the fireworks in Baraga, and while waiting for them to start, I had a chance to tell the kids what the Fourth of July is about, and to share with them the American view of law and government- there is a Creator God, inalienable rights come from Him, and the purpose of government is to protect and defend those God-given rights. And that "whenever any Form of government becomes destructive of those ends, it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it", as the Declaration of Independence states. Then rolled on home and to bed.

Here are a few more pictures....

Happy potatos

Close-up of peas, with dead evergreen branches to clamber up on

 

Tunnel still pumping out lots of zucchini and cukes

I'm antsy to try "Nancy" lettuce in a salad

The round flower garden, more color

Today, we also had our honeybees swarm for the first time this year. That we know of, anyway. Swarming means a bunch of bees and the old queen bee leave the hive, looking for a new home. Usually means the quarters are getting too tight, and some have to leave. I'm not an expert on bees, and it's probably miss-management on my part that caused them to do so. We got a hold of the swarm in the nearby white birch, and tried putting them in another hive. Hopefully they will accept the new home.

The swarm

The swarm and I

The attempt at re-homing, below. Shooting it off my little carry around camera, and I'm not a great techy guy, so the quality is what it is.

(Edited on July 28, added two new videos.- the quality of the previous clip was crummy, as you who saw it can attest to. Turns out my cellphone videos posted here are better quality than my camera recorder, so the two clips below are actually of hiving a second swarm we were able to capture on my phone, a few days later than the first swarm. Pardon Janice's finger hanging over the lens part of the time. :) Same thing pretty much as hiving the first swarm, though. )

Well, gotta run, my self-imposed break is over, off to the gardens again. Y'all take care now.