Still Here!!!

I could hardly believe my eyes to see that my last post was in April. At least it was in 2013....

Things have been hopping around here since then. After a particularly grueling past few years teaching and coaching football (and baseball this past year), Randy retired from the education circus in May. No more insane commutes and school politics! 

Not one to skip a beat, he's kept himself occupied with our bees and mowing, tho with daily rain all summer, he didn't get everything mowed until a couple of months ago... and then the mower conked out.

At the end of summer, Matthew announced his engagement, so we put ourselves in overdrive in more ways than one. We considered ourselves food experts after our bakery days and catering Katie's wedding (actually, her wedding week) and figured this would be a lot easier.  

It may have been, had we done just the dinner food both nights and a 'cake.' However, Mr. Retiree insisted on becoming a master wedding cake decorator, and the cakes (yep, cakes) were gorgeous and delicious.

(The groom chose chocolate mint cheesecake. So Randy made TWO.)

We're now on a serious quest to shed some of the experimental pounds....

The wedding (on Thanksgiving weekend) was beautiful and fun, and we love our new daughter-in-law, Jill. Katie took hundreds of gorgeous photos, so we can relive the hoopla as often as we'd like and in our pjs if desired!

In cabin news, it was a busy summer and fall! We've been reminded numerous times what terrific cabineers we have :)

Meanwhile, it's time for Christmas?!? YIKES. That means it's time for the annual Winter Hibernation Special! From now thru March, 2014, nightly rates will drop to $75 for the first two nights and $50 for each additional night. And there's still chocolate!

Cheers to all!

                   

The Latest Bzzzzzz...

Greetings - it's already almost May! How'd that happen?

No matter - it's beginning to look like spring even if the flannel sheets are still in place. Hummingbirds are back and bossy, blooms are popping up all over, and the first of the new bee kids have arrived (unfortunately, our two hives from last year were among the 1.4 million others lost across the country).

You'd better sit down for this next bit of news. The cabin is now hooked up with fiber optic for the TV... and WiFi, for those who would like (or need) to stay connected a little even during an escape from the real world. 

You read that right - the cabin has ooched its way into the 21st century with internet, and it's wireless at that!

And don't forget the gift certificates to The Honey Hole.

So there's really no excuse now not to come :)

It's April... Fools and All!

It doesn't exactly feel like spring at Angel Mountain yet, but since the calendar says April, we can pretend.

Spring started off in bittersweet fashion for the humans around here. After a fun-filled day with her mama, our little Maggie decided she'd had a full earthly life and was ready to head to greener pastures. Things moved at breakneck speed and were peaceful and easy (for Maggie, anyway) - a pretty perfect ending to a pretty perfect life for our 15-year old chunk of spunk. To say we miss her and her antics doesn't come close to justice, but we sure have some fond memories :)

 After an impromptu first - and last - dip in the DEEP end of the BIG pond with the BIG catfish!

Rollin' with a party hat for Nana's 80th birthday!

Field of dreams, er, dandelions

Bee girl!

With Emmy (at attention for a cookie) and Mae (not paying a bit of attention).

(Emmy and Mae belong to Favorite Daughter Katie and Favorite Son-In-Law Paul)

Just sittin' on Angel Mountain

Maggie LOVED snow, so it's probably no coincidence that the first of three spring snows (so far!) appeared right after she was tucked away in her resting spot.

In other news, we're celebrating the return of spring (i.e., the survival of winter) with a bonus for our cabineers this year!

Because we're beekeepers now, we've become quite attached to The Honey Hole, a must-visit shop in West Jefferson catering to beekeepers and folks who enjoy quality products - honey, soaps, candles, body-pampering products, teas, and much, much more! It's no cliché to say that there's something for everyone there. 'In season,' you can see the fascinating in-store observation hive, and when it warms up, the hot dog stand will be back in business on Saturdays! 

The Honey Hole is within walking distance to the Ashe County Cheese Factory and a downtown full of other neat shops, so it's easy to park and stroll.

Anyway, back to the bonus for our cabineers:

For a 2-night stay, guests will receive a $10 gift certificate to The Honey Hole.

For a 3-night stay, guests will receive a $15 gift certificate to The Honey Hole. 

Longer stays will definitely garner a thank-you of appreciation as well!

So make plans to abandon the real world for a few days and head on to Angel Mountain! Hope to see you now that the brunt of winter has passed. 

Knock on wood.

Still Here, Part 3,351

What happened to January, February, and half of March?!?!?

No matter, we're still here. After a few weeks of official winter weather (snow, ice, frigid temps, WIND, snow, ice, frigid temps, WIND), we are happy to report that we are apparently in line for the arrival of spring after all. It hasn't been the hardest winter, although the working half of this fine duo has had to second-guess Mother Nature's intentions on a number of occasions, hoping he wasn't stuck down the mountain (where he teaches and coaches) when he could have been stuck here.

Alas, we may survive and be down to just the insanity of baseball. And the bees! They're enjoying the spring teasers, too, escaping their VERY cozy winter set-up, courtesy of Bee Daddy.

The winter hibernation special ends March 31... that's just 15 days!!! Seriously, how'd that happen? Stay tuned to some new developments for the cabin!

Meanwhile, happy almost-spring!