ONE RENAGADE BEE

Be no woodcarving anytime soon!!!

Since  my venture into bee keeping this year, I have experienced just how powerful those little girls can sting. The above photo is of my puffy hand, the latest of the nine stings these little gals have awarded me with. Of these stings only five of them actually swelled up and itched like this one. This was a lot puffier yesterday when it happened.

They sting to protect their home. I have to open their hives to check up on them and make sure all is going well and to feed them. Feeding is something that is done only when the bees do not have enough resources to draw upon. This is one of those years here in the desert. First of all, these bees started with practically an empty hive which meant they had to do a lot of foraging to provide food, building materials, pollen, and water. All of which there has been very little of out here. Bees will travel over seven miles in any direction from their hive to find nectar and pollen and these girls have been all over the place according to my neighbors.

Since we have two ponds, water hasn't been an issue. But there has been little in food, even though we have some really nice gardens, as this has been the driest year I have experienced in my 20 years in New Mexico. Anyway this means that I have been providing them with what I call Cane Nectar which is one part water to one part sugar. Which they have been going through at about twelve cups a day between the two hives. About two weeks ago when I started weening them off the Cane Nectar, they in turn took over my three hummingbird feeders and held my birds at bay.

Happy Bees, but unhappy Hummingbirds!!

To make peace with my hummingbirds, I resumed the feeding. So far the birds and the bees now seem to have an arrangement. However, the bees didn't fully give up on the hummingbird feeders. they kind of view it as another source of nectar. For the most part they each have their own time of the day when they use the feeders. The bees seem to favor the one feeder that have these fake yellow flowers around the feeding hole and pretty much leave the other two feeders alone.


Besides being attacked a few times, I have learned that these little creatures are quite interesting to watch and now I guess I will have the time to do that as I can't close my fat hand around any of my carving tools.

From now on I may be suiting up when I visit the hive. Although I have to admit, two of these stings and one of them being the very baddest have been received when I was fully suited. I will only admit that those two bits were below the belt and that I was wearing green scrubs. Since then I have switched to tan canvas work pants for more protection in some very sensitive areas.

So there you have it, my story about the Birds And The Bees!!!

Terry R. Wolff

HAPPY NEW YEARS, EVERYONE!!!

Well here we are entering 2011 and I have a feeling that this will be a good year in spite of all the dooms day predictions I heard on the radio stations yesterday morning. I believe that life is always good when you can wake up and find yourself breathing! What becomes of that day is up to you.

Speaking of determining what the day is going to be like, I woke up this morning all ready to go skiing!!! I checked the temperature and saw that it was 17 below zero so I decided I had better get the fire going in my studio since I was in Taos yesterday. I fear that with this being the third day of being below zero that my paints may suffer and I have way too much paint to let freeze. Besides I do have some carvings that I need to get done, plus there are those new solar panels that need to be wired to the system in the solar room. Yes, it is a good day to be in the studio. Now with that said, my four wheel drive vehicle is in Taos and I would like to go to Ojo Calente sometime today. So if any of you northern New Mexicans happen to be heading that way today and going past Carson, I could use a ride (my number is 571-0620).


Okay moving on. Earlier this morning after exercising I was meditating on this past year. As I was, I could not help seeing the faces of friends I lost during the last 12 months. Friends that some of you know, not to mention there may be others who were close to some of you who may have passed on also. I would like each of us to take sometime today to reflect and remember those who are now longer with us, as well as those who passed on in prior years. For me it was Robert Anderson (Artist, Friend, NJ), Dwain Freeman (Sculptor, Friend, Taos), Charlie Gafford (Patron of the arts, Friend, Santa Fe), Alfred Hobbs (Veteran of WW2 & Korea, Beloved Hippie, Acquaintance, Taos), and Dennis Hopper (Actor, Acquaintance, Taos). For you it may have been some these and perhaps others. I wish each of them a safe and happy hereafter. I know that they are all missed by the loved ones and friends that they left behind.

Well I am off to my studio so each of you have a great day and a great, great New Years!!!

Terry R. Wolff