Thanksgiving and Autumn

The children play in the leaves, the frost is on the pumpkin and at the end of a perfect Thanksgiving Day there is a touch of cold as sunset is upon us.

Maaike & Tom - Wedding

Random Satchell Photos

 

Cherry Picking!!

Finally Daddy has let her start driving the lawn mower!

The last day of school was a bit damp but that didn't stop

Aunt Monique and Uncle Shawn from escorting the kids

to school by horse!

 

Marianne's birthday

Bert's helper

 Our soya beans were being harvested and Max accompanied Bert when he took the loads to Timmermans Elevators. Max also looks forward to the candy that the girls at Timmermans gives the kids.

Even though it was a short ride to the Elevators, Max fell asleep in the tractor leaning on Bert's knee. He was wide awake though to watch the beans being unloaded!

Maren's 4th birthday

 Miles and Danika.

 

Maaike and Tom's wedding

This little girl had the best time dancing while wearing her unique cape!

The Plowing Match

It rained during our first night of camping and things got a little muddy!

The second day we were there we had heard the weather forecast and my sister and her husband had their big motorhome there as well and we decided to move our campers to our farm about an hour before the big rainstorm hit. Good thing we did since they closed the RV Park and the Plowing Match Tented City for 24 hours the next morning.

Bee deaths

 We have a hive in town on top of our porch roof. Since it swarmed twice this summer it has been a weak hive as a result with not many bees in the hive. We noticed this past week that the bees have been cleaning dead larvae out of their hive and we think that there weren't enough bees in the hive to keep the larvae warm during the recent cold weather. Perhaps that was what caused the larvae to die and subsequently the bees have been getting rid of the dead larvae.

It was interesting to see how far developed the larvae already were. Hopefully the queen will lay some more eggs and that there will be enough bees this time to keep the hive warm and that the weather cooperates.

Taking off our honey

 Sonja and Marianne getting ready to take off a honey box. As you can see the hive beside it has already had the honey supers taken off and the bees will eventually find room in the two remaining boxes.

 Carrying heavy honey box into our house with Bert's new invention!

Sonja uncapping honey.

Bert holding down our extractor with an unbalanced load!

Nine years later he figured out how to tie the extractor down.

Carly In Perugia

A week ago I was in Perugia, great food and nice and warm (compared to Switzerland!) Here I am in front of the Cathedral of Florence (on the way).