Boardman Country

The roundup is on hold due to rain.  Seattle.  Go figure.

Meanwhile, I’ve had quite a few folks ask me about the picture I use in my profile. Many are apparently curious about the horse. That makes me feel good.  At least I know they’re paying attention.

Anyway, the story behind this particular horse is simple:  It’s not mine.

Tikes belongs to a friend of mine from my high school class.  Awhile ago she hosted a class reunion at her place on twenty acres during which I got a chance to do some riding.  Carrie happened to be at the ready with her camera and captured this stunning image.

I do miss having horses at the ready.  As a kid we lived for some years on what was left of an old dairy farm that had been sold off in parcels.  We had the last ten acres, the house, the barn and all the outbuildings.  Tremendous place to educate children on the value of a good day’s work.

Over the course of the time we were there, we accumulated seven horses and we all rode and rode and rode.

I’ll never forget the day that I got my first horse, a Morgan horse mare named Lindy.  The folks knew, of course, that we wanted horses to go along with all the other critters we had there.

We had heard that Lindy was available and had been out to Bob Benson’s place to see her.  What’s more she came with a bonus.  She had a yearling colt horse that came along with her named Showdown.

Mom and Dad informed us on the way home that we weren’t able to afford them and that we’d need to keep looking.

The next Saturday morning, I was out doing some work around the house which was situated about 100 yards north of the barn.  I happened to glance up just as an open-topped stock truck was backing in down there.  Even from a football field away there was an immediate recognition of that Morgan mare’s head sticking up over the top of the sideboards and along side her another smaller set of ears were visible.

My heart nearly stopped as the realization of what was happening hit me.  Thanks to my most generous parents, I was now a horse owner!  It really was an unbelievable day.

Decades later, I now live mostly like a city slicker, but I do love getting on a horse any chance I get.  However, there are two very unfortunate things related to that:  1)  I rarely get the chance; and 2) Slinging the additional 100 pounds of me onto a horse is much more of a challenge these days than it used to be!

You’re in Boardman Country!

Make yourself at home,

Brad

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Tomorrow I’ll be herding bees, I hope.  I won’t be herding them to any particular place, just out of the honey supers.

What’s a honey super?  Well, I’m sure you’ve all seen the typical bee hive – just a bunch of wooden boxes stacked one on top of the others.  Usually, painted white.  Mine are green, which should get my friend Linda’s pulse racing.

The two boxes (or “stories,” if you will) on the bottom are generally considered the “brood boxes.”  That’s where the queen does all her work producing lots and lots of bees.  The boxes above those two are each called a honey super and those are where the many, many bees create and store the honey – and that’s where I’ll be tomorrow.

There’s a little work involved herding bees off of the honey they’ve just spent the past seven or eight months concocting, but because they are Bees Boardman they are highly trained professionals and have never yet failed to leave the supers when I tell them to.

Now, in case you’re wondering, the bees must leave the supers so that I can do what beekeepers do:  Steal the honey!

Don’t worry, I always leave enough for them to survive the winter and get things cranked up again in the spring.  Plus, in their honor I  always write a little dittie to let folks know how hard they worked.  In fact, here comes one now!

Bees Boardman had no time this year
For Colony Collapse Disorder
Miss Queen, in fact, had read the news
And vacations she would not order!

“Let’s get to work!” they heard her say.
“I hereby make it clear,
This is no time for holiday
So do your best – With Cheer!”

Now you should know, the stats will show,
That from one bee to another
There seemed to be a contest
These girls trying to outdo each other!

They came in with yellow,
Then red, then white
The pollen!  The nectar!
Man!  What a sight!

They hauled in the groceries
Like you wouldn’t believe
While Mama raised more bees
Each shift to relieve.

And what do you know?
Came Summer, came Fall
The hives looked like skyscrapers
Standing so tall!

With honey to spare, this winter we share
From our hearts with each one of our friends
This sweetest of presents, and a Hope, and a Prayer.
And did I mention?
It all comes contained – in a little glass BEAR!

You’re in Boardman Country!

Make yourself at home and I’ll see you after the roundup.

Brad

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