'Tis the Season!

Well, here we are again... at the end of the year already! Time apparently flies whether you're having fun or not.

Before I forget, it's time for the annual Winter Hibernation Special, when rates drop with the temperature. Some winter days will be quite nice, though (surely), but we're in 'special' mode thru March no matter what. Check out the cabin's web site for details!

We've been almost as busy as the bees since the last report, but I don't know that they can top our big news. We're about to become grandparents for the first time! 'Our' little bundle is due on the 27th, and we're all excited to meet her! Perhaps we're not quite as excited as our daughter-in-law (Jill), but still.... We're trying hard to be patient, though, especially since our son (Matthew) is trying even harder to wrap up two graduate classes online. One final down, one big paper almost down, some more class assignments almost down... to the wire, for sure.

To make matters more exciting, Jill's sister is also due (with baby #2) on the 27th. And... my brother and sister-in-law will become first-time grandfolks three weeks later! Baby boomers, yep we are.

My 'new' hip isn't so new any more and has been put to work in anticipation of baby duties! 

Honey turned two yesterday and is still fun, sweet, and rambunctious. Sami owns her, and Honey knows it. And doesn't care.

Our latest new venture is Honey B's Bees & Honey! Randy, chief beekeeper (aka Bee Daddy), sets up his honey stand on Saturdays when the weather is relatively cooperative, but we sell it all year. We're also able to offer honey from beekeeper friends, whose bees zip to parts unfamiliar to our own. We're also dabbling in other bee-related items: candles, lip balm, healing salve, body lotion bars, and an insect repellent salve I've just discovered. I'm actually excited to see how it works when I'm attacked by another mosquito mob.

Because of the upcoming baby biz, our family celebrated 'Thanksmas' so we could keep things open when Baby B is ready to break free. It was a great idea from Favorite Daughter Katie, but because WE are pretty much finished with Christmas, we can't get a grip on what the calendar says (i.e., it's still the 16th!). We do like to stay in the spirit, tho, and it's easy to do with these comedians, captured by Katie in a rather insane photo shoot. Or two.

(Granddog Maple, Honey, Granddog Mae)

Happy Christmas and a new year filled with joy and good health! Chocolate would be nice, too....

And We Are STILL Here... 2015 Edition

Goodness - here we are almost a YEAR since the last post. I promise we are not sitting idly by and watching the wind blow. Well, most of the time, anyway.

Before I forget, the cabin site became sorta haunted and will have to be rebuilt. Since no one HERE has a clue, my (Helen's) poor brother will be stuck with the job by default; however, he has zero time to battle web site woes right now, so we have a temporary one up! You can find it at http://jrm2149.wix.com/angel-mountain-cabin. 

I won't begin to try to catch up on the past 10 months, other than to say WHEW. Randy's 'retirement' is anything but; if it doesn't kill us, I suppose it'll keep us young. Or something.

The bees are buzzing, which is a really good thing after some frigid temps this winter. We aren't complaining! At least we don't live in Boston. Yikes. Bee Daddy is working on the hive stands, and soon I'll be able to join him... with my new hip! Yep, I'm almost bionic now, sure to set off an alarm or two. I don't care! One more week, and I should be free to get back to work in the flower beds and bee jungle. And unload some lard in the process!

A few of the hives that made it thru the winter!

The crawdads/crayfish/whatever have messed with the pond levels and Randy's sanity, but the recently discovered hole seems to have miraculously sealed itself up. The fish kids have stopped working on Plan B....

Honey has been with us almost 10 months and continues to be fun, sweet, and a bit rambunctious in the puppy sense (she turned one in mid December). She loves to run, run, run, and took full advantage of the snow!

She may be a little spoiled.

She loves snuggle time with her SC cousins, Emmy and Mae :) 

And speaking of spoiled, Honey's VA cousin, Maple, qualifies, too....

Meanwhile, Sami has somehow managed to flip over another year on the calendar and is 17.

She's becoming brave in her old age, daring Honey to come after her and threatening to claw her puppy eyeballs out if she tries. Poor Honey just wants to P-L-A-Y, although she's learning to be a little more patient around her big sis.

Maybe Sami just needs a nap...

We hope all is well with all of you, and we hope to see you sometime this year!