Jen's Granddaughter, Wren

[Jen]

Wren is 5 years old, and now has her own beesuit. This weekend is drizzly so the bees aren't very busy. Her jobs when she comes to stay with us one weekend a month, is to feed the dog, feed my stray kitty down town, make sure the bird feeders are full, and now.. feed the bees. She's a very courageous young lady ~

Gramma Jen and Wren


Holding her first honeybee


Placing the feeder jar on the inner cover


Feeder jar in the boardman


Watching for the bubble


Partners in crime

[Woody Roberts]

Ain't it grand! My three oldest granddaughters are in their teen and 20s. Their not real interested in anything PA is doing. My youngest is 3-1/2. We have lots of adventures together. They recently moved to Florida and I sure miss em.

The two kids, punky and Jack, age 2 will be coming up at Easter and will stay awhile. The Punkster has a real name but I can't spell it.

Kaint hardly wait.

[LazyBkpr]

That is so awesome I cant put it into words. She will NEVER forget those days.

[Jen]

Thanks Scott, that means a lot coming from you and your stories 

Woody, I didn't get grandparents, I was a late in life baby and three of them had passed by the time I was born. Being a grandparent has been the greatest priviledge Ever! I did have my wonders if I would get any gkids, my daughter started having kids after she was thirty. Son, 31 now, is not so hot on the parenting idea. I'm lucky to have what I got. Her brother is a two year old red head boy full of affection and precocious as all get out 

[tbonekel]

That's really great! I remember helping my Uncle out with his bees a Loooooong time ago. I couldn't care less about bees at that time and didn't help much, but the few times I did help, I remember it was pretty fun. I'm too young for grandkids right now, but maybe one of these days.

[iddee]

Cute gal there.





Granddaughter is pretty, too.   

[Jen]

Thank You Iddee! 

[lazy shooter]

Now that Iddee is one smooth guy.  But, it seemed to work for both parties, and as they say, all's well that ends well.

[lazy shooter]

Jen:

That is one cute little gal.  I can only imagine how much pride and joy she brings to you.  Beekeeping with her is such a great educational experience for both of you.

One of my sons is a 34 year old bachelor, the older son has my only two grandchildren.  Both are boys, and they are 12 and 13 years old.  Their mom is a helicopter mom, one that hovers over her children.  I have about 800 acres of ranch, but the boys are so curtailed by their moms rules that they seldom come to the ranch.  Their mom wants them in adult company at all times.  They need to be able to roam about with fishing poles and a small gauge shotgun.  Oh well!

The boys are so afraid of being stung by insects, that I dare not let them around the bees.  Were I to get one of them stung by my bees, there would be hades to pay.  Oh well, we all work with what we have.

lazy

One of them got stung by a scorpion at their home last year, and I thought the daughter-in-law was going to die.

[Jen]

Hi there Lazy, my mom let me run free in our hills, climbed and slid down rocky banks, fell out of trees, banged my fingers with hammers, played in the dirt with the neighborhood kids building roads for tonka trucks, fell off of bikes, cut willows to play swords, got buried in snow and had to dig my way out. But on sunday's, I was donned in a dress with mary jane shoes and ruffly socks and white gloves with pearls on them, and on Easter sunday I got a pretty new white hat.

I wouldn't trade those days for anything. I'm a tough bird ~ not a tough ole bird 

Wren is forward, strong in nature, loud, and states what's on her mind. I have no idea where she get that! 

[Woody Roberts]

I was definitely a free range kid. I personally believe all kids should be.

However I'm the only one in my household that believes that though.

[Jen]

Mee Too Woody

[lazy shooter]

Me too Woody. 

[apisbees]

My 20 year old got married in November and became an instant step mom to an 6 and 9 year olds. And went camping for the first time in her life. Her mothers idea of camping was to stay at a hotel with at leas 4 star rating. Her family would camp when on summer holidays in a tent trailer and from these experiences she had enough to not want to subject our daughters to it, or relive it herself.

[LazyBkpr]

Man.. I just cant imagine....
   I used to bike to the crick to fish.. only thing there to catch were chubs and bullheads, but it was still fishing so I did it. Got my first .22 when I was about nine or ten...
   So... Imagine carrying your .22 to school, putting it in you locker with the box of shells on the shelf?
  OK, now imagine SHOOTING it in the gym at bullet traps for NRA safety courses?
   I recall taking my .22 to school so we could go straight from school to the woods. Sometimes three or four of us kids walking down the road with out .22's over our shoulders. Rabbits and squirrels for dinner.
   The thing is..  We were TERRIFIED of misusing them. Bloody blisters were guaranteed if you so much as accidentally set the gun off, much less pointed it at another person.  Theres a reason we used to have to go out and cut the switch that was going to be applied to our hides. Theres a REASON I used to stand beside my desk because the welts were too painful to sit..
   Did I like it?
   Not at all. But I certainly wouldnt go back and change it if I was given that option. I am quite thankful in fact.

   My wife had an entire litter of Kittens when we moved from Maine back here.. I put my 13 year old son on a 620 with a sycle bar behinbd it and told him to bring it over to the field.  I showed him what he needed to know then followed in the truck.   He drove by the house waving and yelling... and within three minutes I had an upset Lady trying to run me down...  that ended really fast and hard. He was rabbit hunting with friends that fall, pheasant hunting and fishing in the ponds, lakes and rivers...   I was overjoyed he finally had the freedom to do those things, but it took a lot of years off his Ma's life...
  He's a good respectful kid.. kid... hes 26 now and did a tour in Afganistan.. but is finishing his nursing degree and moving on to doctors assistant.. whatever that is... I just listen for my name when they talk college and medical stuff...
   Kids are like bees, everyone has to raise them their own way, but eventually they will be set free to try their wings.  Tie them down all their life and then trying those wings for the first time is going to be messy..  let them run loose with a little supervision and they already have some of the basics of freedom mastered.   jmho...

[Jen]

In my growing years I really wanted a horse and a bb gun. didn't get either. What I did get when I married young at 19, was a husband who taught me how to 4 wheel drive and shoot a 308 Remington model 600. So In a sense I got my horse and bb gun in a round about way 

[riverbee]

jen, awesome pictures, sure enjoyed them!  thank you!

[blueblood]

Thanks for posting the photos Jen! I enjoyed looking at them.

[lazy shooter]

Jen:

The Remington Model 600 was a revolutionary design for US rifles.  The locking lugs were on the rear of the bolt.  The rear locking mechanism cambered the bolt length into the chamber and forced a "true" fit.  All of those rifles shot very well.  The .308 caliber was an unknown quantity at the time, but it proved itself in the field and in rifle matches.  It is still used as a favorite for SWAT teams and snipers around the world.  Your husband was either a very knowledgeable shooter or made a great choice by random selection. 

I have a 19 year old friend that wants to help me with my bees.  She is a college student, and my wife and I provide her a partial scholarship to the local state university, Tarlton State University.  I would appreciate the help, but I have not consented as I worry about how she will react to getting stung.   

[brooksbeefarm]

When they take off running and sounding like a siren, there's a good chance there not coming back. Jack