Good morning!!!!

[wngsprd]

My wife and I witnessed a real treat of nature today...I guess I spoke too soon this morning on having more honeybees around than ever.

I was roasting coffee outside under the porch (a noisy process), and my wife starting yelling at me to look at the tree nearby...thousands of bees were swarming this paulownia tree, whose branches extend to within only a few yards from the corner of our screen porch. I took a step away from the roaster and I could hear the loud hum like a plane was buzzing our rooftop.

A real cloud of them developed and then they started settling down on a dead branch...around a hole the size of a baseball. If you are familiar with this type tree, you know that as the branches die, they often have hollows, but the wood is extremely rot resistant so they hang onto the trunk for many years. We've had many birds nest in them.

We know a couple that used to raise bees and they said that this colony probably lost their hive tree and sent scouts out...they picked our tree, and then the queen came, with all of them following.

You can go out there now, and would never know this swarm was a few feet above your head...just a few seen coming and going.

But our friends are checking with beekeepers they know to see if they need a colony, and whether they can get a queen safely out of a limb 12 feet in the air.

Was difficult getting to a phone in time to click pix, and it just can't show the enormous size of this swarm, which engulfed the entire tree.

 

[sodamo]

How many mugs per keg?

5.19g = 664oz / 10-12 oz per mug = 55+ (hmmm, must be a senior drink)

 

[toppop52]

Beautiful weather today, supposed to rain tomorrow.
Did a Lowe’s run for fifty edging scalloped bricks to finish this stage of landscaping, got the flag surround done, much better than the black plastic junk I had around it. We have to finish the last of the stone beds on one corner of two buildings, then on to the next project. That includes the pole building and concrete ramps for two buildings.
Grocery pick up and Popeye’s chicken for dinner, not my favorite but Ellen loves it.

I’m going to bed early tonight.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Tonight's sunset:

I'm takin' lessons from Thomas.... now I'm settin' on the porch with the Mrs.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Oh, forgot Max... he's enjoying the cool evening air with us...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My wife and I witnessed a real treat of nature today...I guess I spoke too soon this morning on having more honeybees around than ever.

I was roasting coffee outside under the porch (a noisy process), and my wife starting yelling at me to look at the tree nearby...thousands of bees were swarming this paulownia tree, whose branches extend to within only a few yards from the corner of our screen porch. I took a step away from the roaster and I could hear the loud hum like a plane was buzzing our rooftop.

A real cloud of them developed and then they started settling down on a dead branch...around a hole the size of a baseball. If you are familiar with this type tree, you know that as the branches die, they often have hollows, but the wood is extremely rot resistant so they hang onto the trunk for many years. We've had many birds nest in them.

We know a couple that used to raise bees and they said that this colony probably lost their hive tree and sent scouts out...they picked our tree, and then the queen came, with all of them following.

You can go out there now, and would never know this swarm was a few feet above your head...just a few seen coming and going.

But our friends are checking with beekeepers they know to see if they need a colony, and whether they can get a queen safely out of a limb 12 feet in the air.

Was difficult getting to a phone in time to click pix, and it just can't show the enormous size of this swarm, which engulfed the entire tree.

My dad used to get swarms.

 

[mostly_gas]

Good evening all. 68F for the start, mostly clear sky, light breeze. Moderate wind, partly cloudy sky, and high temp of 91F, HI p8F and DP 69F. Bike ride early, then work on getting data transferred to new computer. Dell Migrate swing an miss, must have w8.1 or better. worked on network issues with w10, MS removed support for home-group decided nap was more productive
Covid update: Cooke 3358 confirmed cases, 83 active cases, Montague 1881 confirmed cases, 38 active cases, Grayson, 12162 confirmed cases, 244 active cases.
RNG free rental on the clamp !
RS honeysuckle is very invasive took several tries to get rid of it in woods. 6 hours now that's a nap!
David good food, guys won, only fly was Porter ran out
Doug #2 Moderna shot made me feel poorly next day. glad no problems for you
Ron no smoke, yea! nice pic just don't let him boss you around
Buppies hope you get some rain soon
Billy nice garden pic, how is your okra producing, stepdaughter only has had two pods so far
Drew nice tomatoes, more venison burgers would help thin the heard.
Randy the honeysuckle I had rarely bloomed or lost leaves.
Eric have fun in the shed
Paul good to hear airplane done and speaker progress inspite of interruptions. Hard choice between pool party and band performance
Drew pretty place
RNG sorry about the tanker news, fire season as big a mess as people feared. sorry about CC issue
John have fun in Little Rock
RS that is a lot of house paint. Looking nice in the pics
Ken glad lights work. nice pic, Sea World?
Ted hope you get rain when monsoon winds resume. sorry about tractor battery. Glad new trimmer head worked.
RNG wife's sister had same issue. Hit one deer put in whistle, then hit several more. Took whistle back off, quit hitting deer. Wouls have love to have a training weekend like you did.
David you are having a time getting back in the fields
Thomas sorry about bird. Enjoy date night.
Doug hope you can get some projects done
Billy quite the bee story, hope they can move hive
Randy sleep well.
prayer for all, especially Jay/Peg, Kyle's daughter, Bird/aging issues/, Randy/FIL living alone adjustments, PJ/FIL fall and stroke, David(moss)/remodel/divorce,Buppies/new areas, Phil/reflux/wife's eyes,Steppenwolfe/son-auto immune disorder, Grev/wife's eye, Do niece/son/Covid, Bill/DIL home care, Ted/knee recovery, Doug and wife/health issues/nerve and pain/ wife's eyes, Ken/uncle, Drew/tendon healing, David(sadamo)/Sophie's eye surgery,RNG/fire season, and Country.
stay safe and healthy you all.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Took wife for crab cakes for supper. Menu said market price, I ordered 2, wife ordered 2. Cost was $82 for the 4 crab cakes (and 2 sides each). They were good, but not $82 good.

A box of frozen hamburgers at Costco were around $25 last night, but that was 36 patties I think.

New plans for tomorrow, invited to watch a friends kid baseball game at 11 in south PA, right next to a diner we eat breakfast at sometimes, so it’s breakfast, ball game, then pick up pit beef for lunch on way home. Garage and oil change will wait.

My new computer shipped. They said September but scheduled to come Sunday.

 

[two_bit_score]

Thanks to all of you who responded to this question. I've gotten a quote from Liberty Mutual, and I've gotten one from Farmer's Insurance (which I had many years ago) and still waiting for one from State Farm (which I also had many years ago). So far it appears that there is very little difference in them and the AAA that I currently have.

I know you know but for those who might not.

When comparing insurance policies you really have to break it down and be sure the coverage is for the same thing. Especially when it comes to property insurance in Texas right now. Weather is an especially big factor. So that means roofs are being excluded from replacement cost coverage Unless they meet certain underwriting guidelines. Age, type of roof will matter.

Be careful not to just compare the total $$ coverage without looking at what is replacement cost and what is ACV. The deductible will matter also. If you have a standard 1% deductible and then add 40% (or more) depreciation because you have an ACV policy you are not getting paid much on your roof replacement. Of course you have to look at that premium and decide if the extra is worth it.

 

[ronjhall]

Coffee is done brewing. 64° with thunderstorm this morning. Heading to 82° with continued thunderstorms. Got grocery shopping done and mostly conserved energy. Need to make new door for chicken coup. I have the wood. So it will mostly be cutting wood to size and assembling it.
This little guy showed up in camera viewer as I setting up to take a sunrise picture yesterday.

LS, good sunset picture.

Wngsprd, lots of bees. Never seen a swarm here.

Drew, tomatoes look good.

Everyone stay healthy and safe.

Good Morning All.