A Special Surprise

Hi to all my blogger's.. and faithful readers..

Well Mother's Day was the some ole thing again this year. Not a word from my son or granddaughters.. But my hubby went out the day before and went Antiquing.. He brought me this special little gift for Mothers Day.. He called it a" The Fairy Magic Tea Pot".. The magic is when I serve myself tea from it ,the tea gives you a special sense of happiness.. It is sterling silver and jade with traditional cloisonne apple flower *~*floral painting.. There is a little frog on the handle and the sweetest monkey guarding the lid.. It is 4 1/2 inchs tall..

The other photo--> The BeeCharmer, I bought myself at the dollar store..

I thought she was so cute--> a new BeeCharmer for my desk..

Many Sparkles

Bee

Leanan Sidhe ; The Muse

*~* Leanan Sidhe the Myth and Lore*~*

The translation of her name hold the first clue to who and what she is. The words are Gaelic and refer to "faery muse". "Leanan" means the love of my soul or spirit...my inspiration. "Sidhe" is the word for a faery. In Irish poetic tradition, she was the muse who appeared to the bard as the "Aisling" or vision. In his vision he meets her on a hillside and she then inspires music or poetry that has an otherworldly sadness and regret for the glorious past of the Irish. For those who settled the Celtic Countries, this could be a later translation of contact with the women of the Sidhe. The Sidhe are an ancient race who once made their home on the Green Islands long before the coming of the Irish. A race that remains to this day, an unannounced yet vital influence upon the imagination.

Leanan Sidhe is a powerful muse who bestows a gift; the ability to create a work of art, music, or poetry with great depth of feeling. The price of her dark and delicate gift is often a sorrow or heartbreak that is born of obsession. An artist may be spent as furiously as he draws from his source, hence the mythos of the artist who when possessed of the Leanan Sidhe lives a brilliant but brief life. Her true purpose is revealed in the creative works she inspires in poets, painters, and musicians. She is an empath who is compelled to inspire love and despair, longing and desire. She teaches the beauty and power of such emotion and that all such feeling is vital to creation with many dark nights of the soul required to convey the sorrow of her history.
She is intelligence and creativity, art and magic. In this earthly realm, so embraced with fear of the erotic and the sensual, it is no wonder she who is the embodiment of these very qualities, has been considered dangerous and evil, as many woman have been considered evil who revel in their mystery, power and dark exotic beauty.

Leanan Sidhe is often quoted as meaning "the fairy mistress" or the "fairy sweetheart". She is a the famous Celtic muse with such a dark and unearthly beauty that her lover was often distraught with longing and suffering for her absence. In legend, the Leanan Sidhe often takes an artist for a lover, hence the title "the fairy sweetheart". It is said that her lover gives her the vital depth of emotion that she craves and she in turn inspires his genius.
He is the artist, who lost without his inspiration, unable to create his works of art and compositions of song, suffers in a deep depression and sometimes commits suicide or gives up his creative work in despair. Yet an artist who has lost the connection to his muse has failed to honor and nurture the gift he has been given. The role of the artist in the loss of his muse is not often considered or understood. The self destructive nature of many inspired artists probably lent itself to the misconception that she was evil and dangerous. Evil is not darkness, for darkness she is, and she can also be dangerous and destructive. When her gift is honored and nurtured, she shines as a luminous light in the darkness. For those who understand her true nature, who do not idolize or fear her, she is a sliver of moonlight in the blackest night.
The most common and widespread myth attached to Leanan Sidhe is that she is a vampirish spirit who attaches herself to one man. To this man, an artist or poet, she appears irresistibly beautiful, and if he is seduced by her, he is ruined body and soul. This misunderstanding is not in keeping with her original purpose and is only as recent as Medieval Scotland when she was associated with the Christian superstition of the succubi. It was popularized in print by the poet W.B. Yeats who claimed that she was a "blood sucking vampire" This was a dramatic touch, but is more likely a symptom of the Victorian obsession with succubi along with a bit of poetic license. Unfortunately, most research on the subject of Leanan Sidhe goes back no farther than the account Yeats held of her. There is a rich and enduring history and deeper meaning to the name Leanan Sidhe that is much more interesting than the popular vampire fantasies.

Feast of the Cold Sophie

Many of the old weather rules are forgotten. Nowadays, we rather rely on the weather forecast of radio and television. The "Ice Saints" Pankratius, Servatius and Bonifatius as well as the "Cold Sophie" are known for a cooling trend in the weather between 12th and 15th of May. For centuries this well-known rule had many gardeners align their plantings after it. Observations of weather patterns over many years have shown, however, that a drop in temperature occurs frequently only around May 20. Are the "Ice Saints" not in tune anymore? The mystery solution is found in the history of our calendar system: Pope Gregory VIII arranged a calendar reform in 1582, whereby the differences of the Julian calendar could be corrected to the sun year to a large extent. The day of the "Cold Sophie" (May 15) was the date in the old calendar and corresponds to today's May 22. Therefore the effects of the "Ice Saints" is felt in the time span of May 19-22. Sensitive transplants should only be put in the garden beds after this date.
"For some gardeners, the next three days are quite special. May 11, 12 and 13 are the feast days of saints Mamertius, Pancras (or Pancratius) and Gervais (or Gervatius). These three are known as the Three Chilly Saints, not because they were cold during their lifetimes, but because these days are traditionally the coldest of the month. According to folklore, these days were most likely to bring a late frost. In Germany, they were called the "Eismänner", or Icemen Days, and people believed it was never safe to plant until the Icemen were gone.

Today, most of us feel quite comfortable planting during the long weekend in May. But some gardeners, like Grandma, never put annuals in until after the full moon in May. This year the full moon was quite early in the month, next moon is not until the 30th.

By the way, the full moon in May is the Full Planting Moon or the Full Grass Moon.

I don't think I'll be able to hold off quite that long, but I will wait until the Icemen are gone."

:-)

Bee

The many stories of Rhiannon

Rhiannon, Celtic Goddess of the moon and inspiration. The enchanting fairy princess who rode so swiftly that no horseman could catch her, loved and chose to marry a mortal king of Wales. Accused of murdering their infant son, Rhiannon bore her humiliating punishment with a grace and dignity that melted the hearts of her adopted countrymen.
Eventually proven innocent, Rhiannon was reunited with her husband and son and restored to her throne. Later the Celtic Goddess Rhiannon became the famous Lady of the Lake who, in the legends of Camelot, gave Arthur the magical sword called Excalibur.



Rhiannon (her name is either "Maid of Annwn" or a variant of Rigatona, "Great Queen"), a version of the horse goddess Epona and of sovereignity. She was mistress of the Singing Birds. She appeared to Pwyll lord of Dyfed, as a beautiful woman in dazzling gold on a white horse. Pwyll sent his fastest horsemen after her, but could not catch her. On the third day, he spoke and she told him she wanted to marry him instead of her espoused husband Gwawl. Pywll was to meet her in a year and a day.
He won her at the court of her father, Hefeydd the Old, by her aid. She bore Pwyll a son, who vanished. Her women killed a puppy and smeared its blood on her, to avoid blame at the child's loss. As punishment, Rhiannon spent seven years telling her story to all comers and bearing them, like a horse, to the court.
The child, meanwhile, turned up at the court of Teyrnon, whose mares foaled on May eve and lost the foals mysteriously. When Teirnon kept watch, he saved a foal from a mysterious beast and also discovered, outside the stable, a child, whom he and his wife adopted. Then child grew to young manhood in seven years, and was given the foal rescued on the night he was found. Teirnon recognised the child as the son of Pwyll and returned him to his family, where he was named Pryderi ("worry") by his mother.
Later, after Pwyll's death, Rhiannon married Manawydan, brother of Bran and Branwen and son of Llyre a great magician. One day, all of Dyfed turned into a wasteland, and only Rhiannon, Manawydan, Pryderi, and his wife Cigfa, were spared. Manawydan and Pryderi were out hunting following an enormous white boar into a caer,( caer or kaer was a royal residence during the 1st millennium AD or earlier. Caer can be loosely translated castle or palace or fort)where Pryderi saw a golden bowl; when he touched it, he was en - spelled. Rhiannon went after him and fell under the same spell the caer then vanished, taking them with it. She was rescued when Manawydan captured the wife of their enemy, Llwyd, who was taking revenge for the ill treatment of Gwawl.

Mystical, Magical, Beltane Moon

Beltane Moon

Under the moon, its pure delight,
As it rises high, so full and shinning bright.
Reflecting a smile to all below,
and wrapping the world in a magical glow,
To wish all's well in the renewed days to come.
Filled by Mothers Natures grace, with the rising of the sun.

By BeeCharmer

Night-bloomiing Cereus

Hi To all on this May Day, I thought I would post a picture of some lovely surprises my dear fairy friend Casdo ( Carol ) sent me. The oh so cute ceramic bee candle and "buzz on in" plaque she sent me a bout a month ago.. The lovely plant in back are the starts I received from her yesterday off of her own plant.. It is called a;

"Night-Blooming Cereus " Queen of the Night Peniocereus greggii(Cereus greggii)

Very lovely night blooming flowers Quote: For one midsummer's night each year, its exquisitely scented flower opens as night falls, then closes forever with the first rays of the morning sun.
I am tending the starts with care as they are precious to me as the friendship..
Thank You Carol.. I will keep you updated on the plants progress. I mixed my own desert soil recipe. I have lived in desert regions.. I of course used my botanical no how<--LOL --->

Like " Mother Nature" listens to THAT!!

Sparkles All & Happy May Day

Bee

PS: To all My faithful blog readers & fellow blogger's, I have changed my comments settings to: Anyone can leave comments now---> you do not have to be a blog member to post now.. Sorry I meant to change that a long time ago .. But I forgot<---:-)

My New Girls

Hi All, Well my Mays Days Eve so far has turned out great. I received my Fairies from England this morning very unexpected.. I also received flower starts from my friend Casdo that are very special.To top it off I received my KF Fairy wishing ball necklace today it is so cool*~* it lights up so bright I can use it like a flash light.. It will be great tonight when go out to watch the moon on this Beltane Eve.. Let me introduce you to my new girls... Rhiannon,( sitting) Leanan, & Honey. They are all currently enjoying their place near the carnations on my dinning table..
Sparkles & Spring flowers
Bee

MERRY BELTANE *~* MAY DAY

Beltane


Also known as May Eve, May Day, happens at the beginning of May. It celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. The Goddess manifests as the May Queen . The God emerges as the May King.

Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight.

• Prepare a May basket by filling it with flowers and goodwill and then give it to someone in need of healing and caring, such as a shut-in or elderly friend.


• Form a wreath of freshly picked flowers, wear it in your hair, and feel yourself radiating joy and beauty.


• Dress in bright colors.


• On May Eve, bless your garden in the old way by making love with your lover in it.
• ( RISKY VENTURE THESE DAYS) :-)


• Welcome in the May at dawn with singing and dancing.

There are many ways to celebrate Beltane yourself:

· Weaving a garland of flowers to wear in your hair
· Wearing green all day (and nothing all night!)
· Hanging fruits and baked goodies from trees and bushes for later feasting
· Building a Beltane fire: leap over it to cleanse yourself, or state your desires and let the fire carry them upward
· Leaping over your garden rows (or house plants), sharing joyous energy
· Making a 'May gad': peel a willow-wand and twine cowslips or other flowers around it
· Erecting a Maypole; choose a bright ribbon of a color symbolizing your desire, and dance and weave...

R. Kipling

"Oh, do not tell the Priest our plight, Or he would call it a sin; But we have been out in the woods all night, A-conjuring Summer in! "

*~* Have a wonderful May Day *~*

Bee

Hi All, Well I had a request to get a picture of my Fairy Goblet.. Well these are very hard to photograph.. Or maybe Iam just getting to old and shaky?? But I did my best I got up VERY early this morning and tried to catch the Fairy's dancing on the rim.. But it looks like one of those naughty girls drank my honey wine and slipped in?? Not sure if that a fairy inside or not??? :-)
Sparkling
Bee

Tips From the Fairy Garden

*~* Bee Garden*~*
So you want to plant a bee garden or modify your existing garden to attract many of the native ("wild") bees that occur in the United States. The first thing you should know is that by planting bee-attracting plants, you can attract a diverse array of other wildlife as well. Butterflies, wasps, flies, hummingbirds and other pollinators will give you a bountiful harvest of fruits, vegetables, seeds and provide you with many hours of outdoor entertainment. You will be providing pesticide-free safe havens for pollinators. Once such havens are duplicated across your county or state, they can provide significant wildlife habitat for native animals involved in the often threatened process of pollination.
Bees as "watchable" wildlife you ask? Don't worry, nearly all species of bees are gentle and will not sting you. They are simply searching for food-- pollen and nectar-- to feed themselves and their young. All bees need the same few basic requirements in order to make a living. It may surprise you to learn that of the nearly 5,000 species of bees in the U.S. most lead solitary lives and construct their nests underground or in twigs or abandoned beetle burrows in dead tree branches.
If you have already taken the first important step in providing what the bees ordered for dinner-- flowers. The bees won't chew up your prize specimens. Instead, they will take away pollen and nectar, leaving a "pollination path" of luscious fruits, vegetables and seeds in their wake. Remember, they aren't intentionally trying to be helpful to flowering plants by moving the pollen from flower to flower. In search of a quick sip of nectar, some tasty pollen and maybe some building materials to transport back to their nests the bees pollinate blossoms leading to fertilization and fruits to form. By selecting the best bee-rewarding plants, you can attract beneficial pollinating bees and other creatures to your flower, vegetable gardens, or backyard fruit orchard.
The most important consideration is how to use a maximum of native annual and perennial wildflowers which naturally grow in your region. These plants evolved there and are adapted to the growing season and local climate and soils. They often require less water, fertilizer and pesticides than showy exotics, fanciful hybrids splashed across colorful ads in the most recent seed or bulb catalogs. The native wilflowers will also provide your bee visitors with more nutritious pollen and nectar since plant breeders do not think about providing floral rewards for pollinators and their magnificient creations are often all show and no bee chow. You can also make selections from old "heirloom" varieties such as Cosmos, black-eyed Susans, lupines, mints and others which are now enjoying a Renaissance of popularity.
Once you have provided your garden landscape with attractive and rewarding bee plants, there are a few other things to keep your bees healthy and around to pollinate another day. Apart from bountiful flowers, all bees require places to hide from predators, to locate and court a mate or establish their nests. Thus, they need you to help provide safe havens from predators, parasites and chemical insecticides.
If you can't avoid not using some insecticides, try to use less persistent ones which have been proven safer for bees and other pollinators. Also, remember to follow the application instructions on the label and apply these materials after dark or when pollinators like bees are safe within their nests. If you poison your bees, you will have fewer prize-winning fruits on your table to brag about with your gardening neighbors. The biggest and tastiest fruits are the direct result of flowers pollinated by bees. Over a third of all the fruits and vegetables we eat are the result of bee visits to blossoms in our farms and gardens.
Bees also need sources of water which can be provided from a dripping faucet or pond or bird bath. Some, require mud as a building material for their nests. If you are lucky enough to have "Blue Orchard Bees" in your neighborhood, or other so-called Mason bees, encourage them by providing some mud. Create a one foot tall conical mound of soil near your garden. Allow some water to seep up from a pan at the base. The eager Mason bees will collect balls of mud from the wet soil at the proper height and reward you by sticking around and increasing in numbers.
In creating a bee garden, it is important to remember that you should leave a small patch of bare ground somewhere in or around your garden in which bees can establish their underground nests. Very few bees can nest in manicured grass lawns. Similarly, if you, or your neighbors, can tolerate a dead tree, or at least some dead branches, these will prove invaluable as nesting sites for many leafcutter and mason bees. Tie some dead branches up against your garden shed or other building to create some enticing holey bee real estate. The more beetle burrows the better for the bees.
Often, it is not floral abundance but rather nesting sites that is limiting for our native bees. If you have access to elderberry stems, cut and dry some into 1-2 foot lengths. With a drill, different sized starter holes can be drilled into one end and into the sides of the woody stems. Sharpen one end like a tent stake and push them into the ground around your yard. If your dog doesn't use them as toys, the bees will soon find them and reward you for your bee stewardship efforts.
"Bee houses" are easy and fun to make or can be purchased commercially from several vendors. Making your own can provide you and your children with hours of fun and even more entertainment once they are hung up in your yard to entice new bee pollinating tenants. With a drill bit of various sizes 5/16th of an inch works best for Mason bees including the Blue Orchard Bee simply take some scrap lumber and drill holes 3 to 5 inches deep but not all the way through the wood block. Nail these up securely in protected places under building eaves in the early spring. Using paper or plastic soda straws, you can bundle these materials and glue them into the bottom of paper milk cartons or coffee cans. Place them in protected shady and dry places in the early spring and the bees will come.
Nectar, pollen, water, nesting materials and open ground-- combine these ingredients and your collaboration with nature should result in some larger and tastier fruits and vegetables in just a season or two from now. By creating small patches of pesticide-free safe havens for all pollinators, you can play a small but vital role in reversing the dramatic pollinator declines which have occured during the past few years. It may not seem like much, but magnified across your state and across the country, these gardens (a patchwork quilt of "floral islands") can serve a vital role by feeding and protecting many threatened animals that pollinate wildflowers and our crop plants. This is especially true for migratory pollinators (animals like nectar-feeding bats or Monarch butterflies) which travel long distances across state and international boundaries. Along these "nectar corridors" the migratory pollinators can take a much needed nectar break within your newly-constructed pollinator garden.
Leave dead wood as branches and entire trees standing on your property if possible. That's because most bees in the leafcutter bee family (Megachilidae), especially the genera Megachile and Osmia do not make their own nests but use tunnels made by the larvae of wood-boring beetles (long-horned beetles and metallic wood-boring beetles among others). These holes and tunnels occur in solid but dead wood. The illustration that follows is from a palo verde tree (Cercidium microphyllum) in the Sonoran desert around Tucson. Note the englareed section showing the numerous beetle exit holes in the small branch. In the spring, female leafcutter and mason bees actively search over dead branches to find new homes. Let them become your new tenants. If you don't have beetle holes in that dead branch, you can help these bees by drilling holes for them.

A list of Bee flowers

Birds eye
Blue mist
Borage
Balifornia buckwheat
Calliopsis
Cape mallow
Chinese house
Coast buckwheat
Coreopsis
Cosmos
Cranes bill
Dusty miller elegant clarkia
Elegant madia
Gaillardia
German sage
Germander
Horehound
Mint
Lambs ear
*Lavender*
Mexican sun flower
Lindley blazing star
Russian sage
Scented geranium
Sunflowers--> in general

Garden plants

Creeping thyme,---honey bees - love it
Basil flowers,-- honey bees - love it
Broccoli flowers---honey bees - love it

Here are some links to some websites were you can purchase seeds for butterfly and bee flower gardens.

http://www.raingardens.com/seedpage/bee.htm

http://seedsofchange.com

http://www.territorial-seed.com

Hope this helps all who had ask questions.. :-)
Bee

May Pole History

With May 1st fast approaching I thought I would do a couple of blogs on May Day. I remember rolling up the paper cone and drawing on it with colored pencils and crayons.. Adding ribbons then picking fresh wild flowers and placing it on the unsuspecting door knob of one of my neighbors.. Oh how I miss the real neighborhood feeling..

The May Pole, A lovely memory for me.. The May Pole has been captured in every medium.. through the years.. Photos, drawing, painting, stitchery.. To have a lasting effect on society it must have a very special and positive meaning.. Here is some information I have collected on the story of the May Pole..


May Day celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. In the pagan tradition the Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May King and Jack in the Green. The danced Maypole represents Their unity, with the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess. Colors are the Rainbow spectrum.

May day observance was discouraged during the Puritans. Though, it was relived when the Puritans lost power in England, it didn't have the same robust force. Gradually, it came to be regarded more as a day of joy and merriment for the kids, rather than a day of observing the ancient fertility rights.
The tradition of Maypole and greenery's: By the Middle Ages every English village had its Maypole. The bringing in of the Maypole from the woods was a great occasion and was accompanied by much rejoicing and merrymaking. The Maypoles were of all sizes. And one village would vie with another to show who could produce the tallest Maypole. Maypoles were usually set up for the day in small towns, but in London and the larger towns they were erected permanently.
The Maypole tradition suffered a setback for about a couple of decades since the Puritan Long Parliament stopped it in 1644. However, with the return of the Stuarts, the Maypole reappeared and the festivities of May Day were again enjoyed. One of the great Maypoles, was The changes brought about by the Reformation included attempts to do away with practices that were obviously of pagan origin. But the Maypole, or, May tree, was not issued in practice at the behest of the second Stuart.
Although they succeeded in doing this, Maypole with most of the other traditions, many still survived. And Maypole is one of them. In France it merely changed its name. In Perigord and elsewhere, the May Tree became the "Tree of Liberty" and was the symbol of the French Revolution. Despite the new nomenclature, the peasants treated the tree in the same traditional spirit. And they would dance around it the same way as their forefathers had always done.
Maypoles and trees - Trees have been linked to a part of celebration, perhaps, to the days ancient New Year rites. The association of trees to this celebration has come riding on the back of the spring festival in ancient Europe. Trees have always been the symbol of the great vitality and fertility of nature and were often used at the spring festivals of antiquity. The anthropologist E. O. James finds a strong relationship between the ancient tree related traditions of the British and the Romans. According to James' description, as a part of the May Day celebration, the youths in old Europe cut down a tree, lopped off the branches leaving a few at the top. They then wrapped it round with violets like the figure of the Attis, the ancient Roman god. At sunrise, they used to take it back to their villages by blowing horns and flutes. In a similar manner, the sacred pine tree representing the god Attis was carried in procession to the temple of Cybele on Rome's Palatine Hill during the Spring Festival of March 22.
Maypole dance: On the first day of May, English villagers woke up at daybreak to roam the countryside gathering blossoming flowers and branches. A towering maypole was set up on the village green. This pole, usually made of the trunk of a tall birch tree, was decorated with bright field flowers. The villagers then danced and sang around the maypole, accompanied by a piper.
May Queen: Also part of the celebration was the crowning of a May Queen. When the sun rose, the maypole was decked with leaves, flowers and ribbons while dancing and singing went on around it. The Queen was chosen from the pretty girls of the village to reign over the May Day festivities. Crowned on a flower-covered throne, she was drawn in a decorated cart by young men or her maids of honor to the village green. She would be crowned there right on the green spot. She was set in an arbor of flowers and often the dancing was performed around her, rather than around the Maypole.



In Hawaii the May Day is celebrated with the tradition of Lei. A festival of the natives of Hawaii, nurtured since time immemorial, Lei was officially celebrated first in 1929. Lei Day is celebrated in Hawaii instead of May Day. Schools throughout the islands crown their own kings and queens and create courts in celebration, and to honor the people and customs of Hawaii.
Though Lei is also thought to be in praise of the season of summer, it is celebrated in a very different way compared to the traditions associated with the European spring celebration.
The native islanders have some wonderful customs. They regard this day as a auspicious day. They greet the day with lei. A lei is a garland or necklace of flowers given in Hawaii as a token of welcome or farewell. Lei Day began in 1928.Leis are most commonly made of carnations, kika blossoms, ginger blossoms, jasmine blossoms, or orchids and are usually about 18 inches long.
Everyone gives the gift of a lei to another, putting it around the receiver's neck and accompanying it with the traditional kiss. Some Hawaiian celebrations are complete with pageants, a Lei Queen and her court.
While leaving the island a traveler customarily tosses the farewell lei onto the harbor waters. The drift of the lei back to the shore indicates that the person will someday return to the islands. The custom of wearing leis originated with the indigenous Hawaiians, who wove necklaces of leaves or ferns or sometimes strung dried shells, fruits, beads, or bright feathers for personal adornment. Hawaiians celebrate Lei Day on May 1, symbolizing their tradition of friendliness.

Earth Day 2007

Please Join Me

The Buzzing Bee

Pledge to Live a One Planet Life!

For Earth Day, I pledge to start practicing One Planet living by:
Educating myself about how to reduce my impact on the Earth
Telling my friends how they can reduce their impact on the Earth
Reducing the amount of clothing and luxury items I buy
Reducing energy consumption in my home
Buying healthy, local, organic food
Cutting down on transportation
Buying environmentally-friendly home and personal care products
Cutting down on water use and waste in my home
Offsetting my impact by supporting organizations that work to preserve natural resources

After signing the pledge below, You will receive information from Care2 about how you can start!


http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/666393111?ltl=1177189058

More informative information can be found at:

http://www.earthday.net/

MAGIC GARDEN

*~*Garden Magic*~*

The hoe is a simple garden tool, almost unchanged in appear­ance since ancient times. Our early ancestors' hoe was a long stick with the shoulder blade of an animal attached to it. Ask any gardener what a hoe is used for, and they'll tell you it's for turning the soil and preparing a seed bed—but they fail to mention the "magic" found in a hoe. When you use a hoe in the spring, you are connecting with Mother Earth after winter's rest. You can feel it: the sun on your face, the feel of the hoe in your hand, and the scent of the moist, fresh earth. But the most magical part of all is when you lean on your hoe after a session in the garden. That is when you learn the secret only a fellow gardener would know: the Earth belongs to us, and we belong to the Earth.

There is a old saying I think pertains to this as well; "Good things come to those who wait"

If anyone out there has grown gardens or grows them now.. You really get the drift of that old saying!!

Sparkles

Bee

Colony Collapse Disorder

Albert Einstein has been credited with stating :

"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left." Honey Beekeepers are desperately needed and are rewarded ten fold for the care they provide.

Hi All
With all the misunderstandings of the current Honey Bee situation here in the USA... Let me make it clear that a “for sure” cause has not come to the fore-front as to the current CCD in the honey bee populations on the East Coast... But that said; I think the information I have posted below this government research is painting the picture fairly clear. Although I was disappointed that there was no mention of the genetically altered cash crops that are now being used in the current vegetable market (which I am sure my buzzing bees are sent to pollinate...) As in “corn” particularly. Seed production scientists did genetic alteration to corn seed by adding pig genes??? Not to smart if you ask me...

The second was with no mention either... The tracking down of the water sources... In ranching and in the raising of live stock it is well known that if any abnormalities in the health of your herds is seen the “Water Source” is the first place you go inspect... Hopefully these apiaries are not city water fed or worse yet bottle watered... Most large cities east coast especially their water sources are refined sewer... The bottle water industry as well as only about two out of all the brands is not bottled from refined water...--> I am so glad I have a natural well!!
As many of you know my first area of University Study was Biology Science... I had a back ground in my life of cattle ranching and race horse breeding as well as agriculture... Not for a desk job or anything like that but that was my everyday life... So university study was a given for me... When I first heard of this CCD some months back it was a rumor... Which I tend to disregard rumors about the honey industry. As it is a multi million dollar industry... So there is always someone that trying to influence the price. Rumors are one way of doing that... Then a friend of mine TFF... Emailed me an informative article... (I had had a similar episode about 3 years prior.) Then with further research I found the government had stepped in with research team with the aide of Penn State U and other experts...

Here are they real facts;


Symptoms of CCD

1) In collapsed colonies
a. The complete absence of adult bees in colonies, with no or little build up
Of dead bees in the colonies or in front of those colonies.
b. The presence of capped brood in colonies.
c. The presence of food stores, both honey and bee bread
I. which is not immediately robbed by other bees
ii. When attacked by hive pests such as wax moth and small hive
Beetle, the attack is noticeably delayed.
2) In cases where the colony appear to be actively collapsing
a. An insufficient workforce to maintain the brood that is present
b. The workforce seems to be made up of young adult bees
c. The queen is present
d. The cluster is reluctant to consume provided feed, such as sugar syrup and
Protein supplement

1. All were migratory beekeepers. All had moved their colonies at least 2 times in
The 2006 season, with some colonies being moved as many as five times over the
2006 season.

• Implications:

I. Moving colonies is stressful on bees;

1. Possible reasons: confinement, temperature fluctuations,
And possible reduction (or cessation) of egg laying

ii. Moving colonies is thought to amplify adult bee disease agent
Loads,

1. Possible reasons: increase rate of defecation in the colony,
Forced mingling of young and older (possibly infected and
Would otherwise be foraging) adult bees increase chance of
Disease transmission

iii. A remote possibility is the bee colonies are more apt to be exposed
To new diseases or pathogens.

2. All experienced a cumulative dead-out rate of at least 30% over the course of the season. It is common that 10% of colonies die after transportation; some
Beekeepers claim losses of 30% are not uncommon after pollination of crops such
As blueberries.

• Implications

I. Beekeepers are constantly “splitting” colonies to make up for
losses (see below)

ii. The equipment from the dead-out colonies is continually being
recycled back into the operation in creation of new splits. Existing
Food reserves in the dead-outs and comb is provided to the new
Colonies; potentially any disease agent or chemical contaminant
Would be carried over to the new colony.

3. Upon finding a dead-out colony, all interviewed beekeepers placed the dead-out
equipment on strong neighboring colonies to facilitate comb care and splitting.
When the queen from the strong colony began to lay in the dead out equipment,
the dead-out equipment and brood were removed (split) from the surviving
colony. Some beekeepers then introduced a mated queen or queen cell into the
queen less unit while others allowed the unit to rear a new queen naturally.

• Implications

I. Continual reuse of dead out brood comb

1. Reuse is a known way to transfer disease agents and
possibly other chemical contaminants (e.g. Miticide
buildup in colonies)
2. Reuse can potentially amplify the presence of disease
agents on comb
ii. Large-scale spitting of colonies is stressful on bees and can
amplify disease agent populations
1. The age profile of the worker population is altered by
splitting
a. Older bees are forced to act as nurse bees; these
bees are not as efficient in brood provisioning and
may be more likely to be infested with diseases
affecting adult bees

4. All producers experienced some form of extraordinary “Stress” at least 2 months
prior to the first incidence of “die off” associated with “Fall dwindle disease”.
The nature of this stress was variable but included nutritional stress (apiary overcrowding,
pollination of crops with little nutritional value), dramatic pollen and
nectar dearth, or varroa mite pressure. Due to drought in some areas, the bees
may have had limited water resources or contaminated water supplies.

• Implications

I. Stress compromises the immune system of bees, making them
more susceptible to infection by opportunistic microbes.
Practices and conditions not common to interviewed beekeepers.

1. Feeding: The practice of feeding was common to most of the interviewed
Beekeepers. The reason for feeding varied. Some fed to help encourage build up,
while others fed to hold off starvation in the summer during particularly severe
drought.
a. Carbohydrates: some did not feed, some feed HFC, others sucrose. They
used frame feeders, top hive feeders, and barrel feeders. Some added
mineral salts to the feed, some added antibiotics, none used Fumaigillan.
b. Protein: most did not feed, some used pre-made protein supplement.

2. Chemical use:
a. Antibiotic use: While all used antibiotics, the type, frequency of
application, and method of application varied.
b. Miticide use: all but one beekeeper had applied a miticide treatment over
the course of 2006. The products used method of application, varied.
3. Major income:
a. Some reported that their major purpose was the production of honey,
while others received most of their income from pollination contracts.
Some used both.
4. Source of Queens:
a. All purchased at least some queens throughout the year. One beekeeper
reared a majority of his own cells, but most bought either mated queens or
queen cells. Queens were bought from at least 5 different states (Florida,
California, Texas, Georgia, Hawaii) and 2 foreign countries (Canada and
Australia)

The Buzzing Bee's footnote to the current research:

My first reaction to this was .. Its cause was mis- handling of hives and colonies.. The record so far reveals.The good most of the beekeepers that have reported so far are in it for the money. "Honey production" So their heart is not in it. The health of the hive particularly which means no thinking involved. They medicate when they should not-- not thinking they could be over medicating, they cut corners to save a buck.. reusing old hive equipment. The bee is something they USE not respect. Not ever thinking of damage their practices could cause to honey bee populations in the long term.

If I have to guess the origins of CCD I will go on record today and say the reason will not be found within nature.. It will be found in the carelessness of mankind..

Spring is coming so fast..

I thought beings it is the mid- way point between the Spring Equinox and May Day ( Ostara & Beltane) I would post a couple of recipes.. The first one is for a bread. Great recipe for May Day .. The second is for us fun loving Fairies that celebrate with the ;

"Midnight Margarita!!"

Anyway Enjoy
*~*Bee *~*


Creativity bread.. To help enhance your creative side..

1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup applesauce
3 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup raisins
1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in a 350° oven
for forty five to fifty minutes or until a toothpick
inserted in the middle of the loaf comes clean.

Margarita Magic
Margaritas have all the ingredients you need to add a little magic to any gathering.
Salt on the rim of a glass is protective lime juice, both for purifying and protective
Other flavors bring in the energies you desire. For luck and fortune, add orange juice.
Strawberry will intensify your love-and-luck. A dash of mint will add healing and prosperity.
Start with a pitcher, filled halfway with ice cubes. Pour enough lime juice over the ice to fill the pitcher 1/2 full. Add your favorite magical flavors until the pitcher is three-quarters full. Then top it off with equal parts tequila and brandy or sparkling water. If your guests are magically inclined, have everyone take a moment to imagine all the blessings they want filling the glass before drinking. Be sure to toast to your to your blessings and enjoy!

SO do as you will--> but just remember *~* Margaritas at midnight.
They never tasted better!!

:-)

FAIRY GARDEN

"I know a bank where upon the wild thyme blows, Where ox lips and the nodding violet grows; Quite over-canopied with lush woodbine, With sweet musk roses, and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania, sometime of the night, Lulled in these flowers with dances and delight, And there the snake throws her enamell'd skin, Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in."

*~William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night's Dream ~*

The Flowers
All the names I know from nurse: Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse, Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock, And the Lady Hollyhock.
Fairy places, fairy things, Fairy woods where the wild bee wings, Tiny trees for tiny dames-- These must all be fairy names!
Tiny woods below whose boughs Shady fairies weave a house; Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme, Where the braver fairies climb!
Fair are grown-up people's trees, But the fairest woods are these; Where, if I were not so tall, I should live for good and all.

* ~Robert Louis Stevenson~*

Honey Bee Worries Plague France

Hi All, Lately there has been some concern about a mystery ailment effecting honey bees here in the USA coin named "Colony Collapse Disorder". I ran across this new article on the AP with some honey bee concerns in France as well.. Funny that our lovely buzzing friends are under assault all of the sudden?? This worries me greatly!!

Bee

French Beekeepers Brace for Asian Sting
By PAUL LAUENER and MARIE-LAURE COMBES (Associated Press Writers)
From Associated PressApril 13, 2007 1:42 PM EDT



PARIS - Ambushing locals as they return home from work, foreign invaders are dismembering French natives and feeding them to their young.
This horror scenario is playing out in France's beehives, where an ultra-aggressive species of Asian hornets - who likely migrated in pottery shipped from China - may be threatening French honey production.
The hornets are thought to have reached France in 2004 after stowing away on a cargo boat, said Claire Villemant, a lecturer at Paris' Natural History Museum.
She said a France-based bonsai merchant traveled to the Yunnan province of southern China to buy ceramic pots for his trees.
"He saw the hornets in that region," she said. When he saw them again, they were buzzing around his property in the southwestern French village of Tonneins.
Since then, the hornets have been establishing themselves in their adopted country, concentrating mostly on building imposing nests.
It took until last summer for their numbers to start threatening honey production, said Henri Clement, president of the National Union for French Beekeeping. He said it was too early to give figures on the hornets' economic impact, but he is bracing for a tough summer.
The situation is "very worrying," he said. "If the hornets keep attacking the bees then their number will be reduced and honey production will be severely handicapped."
France's 1.1 million hives produce up to 30,000 tons of honey a year, about 2,500 tons of which are exported, according to the French national agency for fruits, vegetables and horticulture.
Experts fear the hornets - which also sting humans - may spread to the warmer reaches of southern Europe. They could begin colonizing Spain as early as this summer, Villemant said. Even Britain could be vulnerable if they hornets cross the English Channel through freight, she said.
Mike Hood, entomology professor at Clemson University in South Carolina, warned, "If it could spread to France, it could spread to other regions of the world, so that would be a concern for the U.S."
North America is already suffering its own bee troubles.
An invasion of highly aggressive Africanized bees has spread across the southern United States. These "killer bees" are easily provoked and attack in huge numbers. Since the hybrid Africanized bees are considered less efficient than European bees, beekeepers worry they could lower honey production and pollination.
A mysterious illness has killed tens of thousands of honeybee colonies in at least 22 U.S. states, threatening honey production. The cause of the ailment, called Colony Collapse Disorder, is unclear.
In France, the Asian hornets have spread quickly and turned once-tranquil hives into battlefields, since there are no natural predators in the region.
Bigger and bulkier than their European cousins, the hornets have no trouble overcoming honeybees. They ambush beehives and dismember the bees, ripping off their heads, antennae, and wings and reducing them to a paste to feed the hornet queen and her larvae.
The honeybees are beginning to mount a counteroffensive, Villemant says: They gather around an invading hornet, flap their wings to increase the temperature and effectively roast it.
Beekeepers also are fighting back - they can change the size of the entrances to the hives so the smaller bees can get in but not the hornets.
Some have suggested destroying all hornet nests in the region, including those of French and European hornets. But Villemant says that would be ecologically disastrous.
Hood said French beekeepers "could go back to where (the hornets) came from to find natural predators." But he added, "You have to be careful with this kind of solution as what you bring back might be worse than the pest problem you already have."

A Cool Card I bought

Hi To All, This is a photo of a card I bought a while back.. It is entitled
" The Beekeepers"..
I thought it had a kind of Goth look to it.. I really liked it!!
So different!!
I survived the Bee boxing last week end.. All hives are good to go.. All but my back!! I have been suffering from a sore back and wrists .. I just have to over do it every time the sun comes out.. I really know better. Now what I have to do is--> not do the same thing next year.. So off i go to my heating pad!!
A little less Sparkly
Bee

New Bees

The packaged bee box holds 15,000. bees in each box. So that's about 60 thousand new baby bees..
Hi To You All on this beautiful Easter Day.. Sunny and breezy but nice and warm.. These are photos from yesterday.. I picked up my 4 new box's of bees yesterday from a my bee supplier.. New bee hives !!

Now I have 7.. I lost two hives over winter this year.. But here is the stages of loading bee box's.. I wish I could of had picture of how we dump them in and release the queen but I had to help Scotch on the Rocks.. It is easier if two people do it.. But you get the idea :-)

Sparkling Easter eggs

Bee