The Bumblebee Story

A previously untold story…

Only days after arriving with the fifth wheel trailer, a smallish sort of bumblebee was noticed flying in and out of a hole under the gooseneck. They were quite pretty actually. With so many things to think about and do in getting settled, we didn’t pay much mind to their buzzing activity. We should have.

Soon we knew the bees were building a nest inside the walls of the trailer. One day before leaving for town, Tom stuffed a plastic bag in the hole. Upon returning home there were no less than 12 bees inside the trailer. Not my idea of a friendly homecoming. Fortunately, they were a very docile type of bumblebee, even while being swatted at. We figured since they couldn’t get back out the plugged hole, they had made their way along the wiring or such. Wrong.

It wasn’t long before I could hear their buzzing while in bed at night. Being that the bed is literally inches off the floor of the gooseneck, this means the nest was technically very, very close to my head. Not a thought that promotes restful sleep. With a nocturnally playful pet like my cat Chanel, who enjoyed pouncing on the sound in the floor, the buzzing sound would escalate by many decibels. There is nothing quite like being peacefully asleep, in the pitch-dark quiet, to be awakened by angry buzzing only inches from your head!

As the nest grew I began having more inside-bee experiences. Kitty’s nightly playtime resulted in my putting a small cooler over that area of the floor. And in my switching sides of the bed. I did sleep a bit better. That is until we realized the bees were crawling inside through a gap in the floor which was mostly blocked by the cooler. I was a nervous wreck, I’d had enough.

We were forced to a lethal decision – use a poisonous spray inside that hole. Even though we are against using chemical toxins we had no other choice. This action made the otherwise docile bumblebees a tad angry. Tom got stung in the neck by bees that actually guarded the hole! Soon the buzzing sound wasn’t heard anymore. The hole was permanently blocked.

As were any other potentially attractive looking holes to bees. 

Really?

*Financial Institution Rep: So, *Mr. Down-in-the-dumps, a representative will be coming by to discuss bringing your account up to date.

Mr. Down-in-the-dumps: Wall, that’ll be fine. I haf’ta give ya directions cuz the dang blasted bridge is wrecked.

Financial Institution Rep: Oh? Okay, I’ll make a note in your file for the representative. Go ahead. I’m ready.

Mr. Down-in-the-dumps: Wall, first off, come out the gravel road a fair piece. Thar ain’t too many pot holes in it this time a year. Turn on’ta our road. It’s the one with the cattle guard missin’ some bars. Yer car should cross it jes fine. But ya can’t git far after that cuz like I said a-fore, the bridge is out. Ya haf’ta wade through the crik. That won’t be no trouble cuz the water ain’t runnin’ fast and it’s only ‘bout 4 feet deep, jes watch out ya don’t go an twist yer ankle on them tricky rocks at the bottom. Then keep on a-walkin’ up the hill. When ya see the shortest pine tree, the one with the bear claw marks on it, start walkin’ west. Won’t be long til ya see the trailer back yonder in the trees. We’ll knows yer here cuz the dogs’ll bark. But don’t worry none ‘bout them, thar tied up. #Cooter jes sounds mean, but she ain’t. Skeeter’s the one ya got’ta watch out fer. He done bit my mother-in-law last week. Twister’s jes a pup an’ll lick ya ta death ‘fore she’d bite ya.

Financial Institution Rep: Really. Well, we could just talk about this matter by telephone instead. If that’s more convenient for you?

*Most of the following conversation is not real. Any resemblance to a real conversation is mostly coincidental. This conversation was mostly imagined.

# Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Fun at the Ferry County Fair

With our spirits so low, we really, really needed a diversion. So we splurged and treated ourselves to a day at the county fair. What fun! 

We got to see numerous entries by friends, from animals to a single flower, bread, jam, photographs, and a quilt. These even inspired us to enter next year! Then there was the fair food – pulled pork nachos (yum!) and my favorite… cotton candy. Hey, it’s only once a year right?

We heard the Pony Express race put on by members of the Colville tribe was a definite must-see, so we went home to take care of the afternoon/evening chores and then went back for the race, as well as barrel racing, mutton busting (too cute to miss!) and bull riding. Apparently, our little fair is unique in that it is one of the last fairs in Washington to still have horse racing. And what a sight to behold! Wow, talk about athletes, both human and equine. We’re glad we went back, although an EMT friend said she hates it since she is usually standing by for any injuries.

Our spirits were refreshed from an entire day of not thinking about our problems, visiting with friends, and getting in touch with the community a bit more.

At 5 a.m. Tom woke up with the stomach flu. Ugh.

Bridgeless in Republic

In the beginning, the bridge was bad. People hesitated before proceeding, getting out of their car to test it. Or flat our refused to cross it at all. The first time I had to drive across in the truck, which I wasn’t sure of my position on the road in, I had an anxiety attack. Not a pretty sight.

From there it went from bad to worse, with practically each crossing, especially so if one was hauling much weight, more pieces of rotten wood fell into the creek 4 feet below.

Worse has finally become a wreck. Tom had the truck loaded. As he reached the other side of the bridge he heard a crack and felt the rear axle crash through. He gassed it. Thankfully it pulled up and out the now gaping hole with no damage to the truck itself. Once more after that he drove the truck across.

Now there is no bridge. It has been demolished in preparation for reconstruction. Demolition revealed it was in worse shape, even from the beginning, than we thought. We’re fortunate to have been able to use it this long! Without it as our only access, we drive the car to the bridge, walk across on well-placed beams, and drive the truck from there. Oh bother.

At a Low

 We are feeling pretty low. It’s been one difficulty after another all year… overcome one only to have 2 more strike. We’re way behind in our plans, the bridge collapsed, terrible issues with our renters, and now winter is moving in fast. Last week the nighttime temperatures already dropped into the mid-30’s. Brr. And no snug cabin in sight. To be brutally honest, something won’t survive another winter in this fifth-wheel. I am amazed by people who have endured in a travel trailer for numerous years. I don’t know how they did it. More power to those who are currently doing so!

Amidst all the depression are the bright sunny spots that help deflect the dark clouds- friends and neighbors pitching in to help in various ways. Thank you all!!!!!

Guest Blogger - Offgridbob

"Three Little Words"

    There are three little words that every homesteader needs to know and practice, unless of course you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, and those three words are, ADAPT, ADAPT, and ADAPT. Most the true homestead-minded people I know of have a very tight budget to get by on and when you’re just starting out it gets tighter. For me the fun part about homesteading is being able to adapt to any situation that presents itself while trying to start a homestead. Adapting is not always pretty but is almost always functional. If fact adapting is what puts the fun in functional.

     Let’s take for example gates. The traditional gate will have a swing post, a green round gate fastened to the swing post and some sort of stopping post with a latch of some sort. The traditional cost for this gate at today's gas prices and your 50 mile round trip to the nearest hardware store , you may be looking at gas $15, gate $70 (for a 8 to 10 ft. gate) , treated gate posts $20, gate swing bolts $15, chain and connector $10. So we have $130.00 and a wasted day going into town. Now we adapt saving time and money. Most homesteaders will already have a chain saw or bow saw. Cut two cedar or tamarack posts, locus if you have it is best; pine will work in a pinch also. Put your posts in and put in a traditional barbed wire gate. Actually any strong wire will do. Most homesteads will have some old barbed wire lying around they can use. So far no cost. You could also build a slider pole gate. Instead of one post on either side, you would put two spaced just far enough apart to slide a jack pine pole through that is about two feet longer then the width of the gate. Nail a short length of 2x4 across the gate post for the poles to slide on and you have yourself two gates that cost almost nothing except a little sweat and a nail or two. Does it look as nice as the pretty store bought tubular green gate? Probably not to a flatland city dweller but it will keep the cows in just as well and you just saved $130.00.

     Need a coat rack or a cast iron skillet holder? Here’s what I did by accident. Last year I was burning, and I like to use a four blade pitch fork to cast limbs on the fire. My fires get pretty hot with a big pile of red hot coals. Well I tossed some limbs on and the head of the pitch fork flew off the handle and landed right in the middle of the coals and sank out of sight. After the coals died the next day I fished it out and put it back in the handle and there it sat. Yesterday I wanted to get some sod moved so I got my trusty pitch fork and stuck it in the ground and pressed down and nothing happened. I took the pitch fork out of the ground and it looked like Phyllis Diller with a bad hair day. You guessed it, the temper on the tines were totally gone. I could actually take my bare hands and bend the tines with very little force. I have always wanted a cast iron rack to hang my skillets on so I took the pitch fork and stood it on end with the forks pointing up. I spread the forks out and bent them forward into a nice little arc, and then I did a reverse bend at the tips to form a hook. Now I have a nice little unique hanger that could hold skillets, hats, fire place tools or just about anything. I can pick up another pitch fork second hand for 2 or 3 dollars but to buy a one of kind custom skillet holder would cost at least fifty dollars. 

    The three little words again are ADAPT, ADAPT, AND ADAPT.

Offgridbob