Fire Season

It has already started! Fire season in the forests varies from each area of the country. Areas of the west are already burning as I write. When I was a park ranger, I was on the inter agency fire fighting team and we flew all over the country fighting forest fires. My favorite ones were in the west. I loved the west and enjoyed getting to see new areas of this beautiful country at government expense. Of course, I was working long hard hours and that beautiful country was on fire! Really though, MOST fire areas were hardly noticed the next season. In fact, fighting fires actually caused the next fire to be even worse! I got paid to fight them, but I knew that it was really futile and that small regular fires were actually a good thing. The small regular fires burned out the duff and kept the forest healthy. In fact, some trees could only produce seedlings after a fire. I saw many fires burn around the trees and do no harm to them. The next spring the forest would be even more alive with fresh green growth and you had to look very carefully to see where the fire had been. When we fight fires, we allow the fuel to build up and when a fire does come, it is fierce and burns everything, even the big trees. It actually sterilizes the soil and new growth takes many years to occur. I saw this latter type in Yellowstone. I fought those fires in 1987 and to be honest I doubt there would have been much difference, aside from a couple of buildings we saved, had we just let nature take its course. Fuel buildup over the years caused conditions to be so volatile that we could do little aside from saving our own skin. I went back to Yellowstone in 1993 and some of those areas that had such high fuel content were still completely dead. Other areas where there was not so much fuel were more alive than ever and the fire actually helped. Of course, I did get to visit the historic Old Faithful Lodge and it would have been gone had we not been there to fight the fire. I do miss the adventure of fighting those fires, but feel that whole policy needs to be looked at closely.

Perspective

I am amazed at how beautiful and full the Tulip Poplar bloom is this year. Funny thing is, most people NEVER notice it. The blooms are large and showy, but usually are high up in a large tree and sort of camoflaged due to all the large leaves around them. They face up and we usually see the bloom only from the bottom. A Tulip Poplar does not start blooming until it is about 25 years old, so the small trees may give the impression these trees do not bloom. Quite unassuming for a tree that is the major source of nectar in Western North Carolina for honeybees.

I guess I always noticed the Tulip Poplar because we had one in the back yard when I was a kid. I used to climb that tree, when I could sneak and do it, but dad warned me against it because it will lose its branches suddenly and without warning sometimes. Not a good tree for the back yard. Because I was always around the tree it seemed I was always noticing the blooms. From my perspective, it seemed the tree was always blooming and I must have seen it bloom a hundred times when I was a child. Funny thing is the tree only blooms once per year, unless a freeze kills the blooms like last year, and since I was born in September and the tree blooms in May, I have only seen 50 total blooms in my lifetime. I guess the bloom seemed continuous because it blooms for a month and that is a long time for a child.

Spring brings something else besides the Tulip Poplar bloom. Fishing starts getting good for bass, catfish, crappie and blue gill about the time the Tulip Poplar blooms. I remember the Tulip Poplar bloom always signaled me it was time to go fishing again. We had two ponds on the 85 acres of farmland I grew up on. One is about 3/4 of an acre and the other is about 3 acres. I loved going fishing in those ponds and would always beg my dad to take me when I was small. I enjoyed that greatly, but he was busy and it seems he could not take time to do that as often as I wanted. Still, it seems like that is one of my fondest memories of childhood. As I look back, I can only remember going fishing in the pond with him less than 5 times,by the time I was 10 I just went on my own, but from a childs perspective it seemed like we went every day. Dad was good at showing us something once and after that we just did it ourself. I guess when I put things into perspective, because dad showed us the first time, everytime after that seemed as if it were with dad because of association. We always talked about the experience with dad when we got back even if he did not go.

As a child, I did not fully appreciate the blessing of having access to the ponds and was always asking dad to take me fishing at Enka Lake. That was my favorite thing to do as a small child, going fishing at Enka Lake with my dad, but as I look back, I can only recall us doing it once. Funny thing perspective. Quality always trumps quantity and what seems is not always what is.

Enjoying A Homemade Sandwich

A truly great sandwich needs truly great ingredients. Fresh bread of your favorite type is a must for a great sandwich. A main ingredient that is one of your favorite foods is the next thing that is required for the sandwich to be great for you. What ever your favorite condiment is, liberal amounts but not too much make for a great sandwich. Secondary items can be added and subtracted as your mood, or availability allow. To really enjoy a great sandwich, you need to be alone. A great sandwich may taste great, but rarely is it fun to watch someone eat a juicy sandwich chock full of often colorful and runny ingredients. Don't forget the napkins, because you will need them if the sandwich is anything like I have in mind. Wet napkins, or access to a sink to wash up is a real plus if it can be arranged. To be honest, I often eat my juicy sandwiches right over the sink and just wash up when I am done. I have to plan this sink feast to coincide with the rest of my family being out of the room for a few minutes, or they will be yelling at my manners.

One of my all time favorite sandwiches is the banana sandwich my grand mother used to make for me. It is best with very fresh white bread, liberal amounts of fresh cold mayonnaise on both slices, liberal amounts of cane sugar spread over the mayonnaise, a fresh banana, that has just lost the green and is still firm without the spots, should be sliced lengthwise and placed on one slice of bread. The other slice should be placed on top and the delight to your taste buds is unimaginable. This sandwich is best if washed down with a tall glass of very cold milk or chocolate milk.

I love summer because that is when I get to enjoy one of my other favorite sandwiches. Fresh homegrown and vine ripened tomatoes are a must for this sandwich to be best. Two slices of fresh white bread are needed first. Take the bread and liberally spread fresh cold mayonnaise on both slices. Cross slice several slices of tomato onto one slice and put the top on. This is one of those country delights that needs to be eaten over the sink if possible. You will need to clean up after wards for sure. I sometimes lightly toast the bread first and if you like, you can substitute ranch dressing or your favorite salad dressing for the mayonnaise. If I am really hungry, I will add a slice of melted cheese or even some ham. To be honest, the tomato is the main ingredient even with ham involved. I have tried cucumbers on this sandwich also and it is very good too. When fresh tomatoes are not available, I have substituted cucumbers for tomatoes. Cucumbers are good and will do, but tomatoes are something that I can actually think of and almost drool over the thoughts.

Summertime is a great time to cook out, and hamburgers are one of my favorite sandwiches. A truly great hamburger needs a thick juicy burger cooked well until no pink is left. The bun should be fresh with sesame seeds and plenty of mayonnaise, mustard and ketchup on it. A crisp fresh piece of lettuce adds a nice touch, but the crowning touch of a great summer cookout hamburger is the fresh home grown vine ripened tomato. It adds that wonderful touch to the hamburger that I enjoy in a plain tomato sandwich. Here again, don't forget the napkins and try to get off by yourself to enjoy this juicy delight.

What ever your favorite sandwich is, don't be afraid to experiment a bit with other ingredients that you also like. You will find that you will come up with new favorites and the variety will only add to your sandwich dining enjoyment. I have to go now, I need to make a nice banana sandwich and pour a tall glass of milk.

Celebrity Morph by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Pedigree - Family history research

Spring Bloom In High Gear

The spring bloom is in high gear at Sourwood Knoll. Our spring honey, which is mostly Tulip Poplar, has a unique blend of Blackberry and Locust nectar mixed in. This year appears to be a bumper crop for each of these. I actually have more customers that want my Tulip Poplar than the Sourwood. It is a well kept secret that many beekeepers enjoy the Tulip Poplar bend with other wildflowers that bloom at the same time. This mixture can vary according to the local flora. Sourwood Knoll has a unique blend of spring flora. If you have never tried it, you should give it a try.

A walk around the Knoll found the Blueberries are loaded and so are the grapes. Looks like a great year for sure. Lots of other plants have a beautiful bloom also after the poor sping we had last year. Just keep your fingers crossed that the weather will continue to cooperate for both the Tulip Poplar and the Sourwood, which comes in July. Contact me if you are interested in trying the tasty delights my apiary produces!

Earthfare and Beekeeping

Earthfare is a great partner for the Buncombe County Beekeepers! They ask us to do a community day where we greet people and tell them about honeybees and beekeeping. It seems Earthfare puts their money where their mouth is! They partner with us to sponser 2 scholarship hives to beginning beekeepers and give us financial assistance by donating 10 cents for every recycled or reusable bag customers use in a particular month. In the two Asheville stores, people use a lot of recycled or personally owned bags in a month and this is a large figure of monetary assistance. This is valuable assistance that helps Buncombe County put on the best bee school anywhere in the country. I appreciate what they do and gladly went today to talk to people about bees. I took an observation hive and my beekeeping tools. President Janet Shisler brought our new display unit, that Deb Roberts and the honeybee project so generously donated to our club, as well as some of her great smelling wax and a solar wax melter where I melted some of my wax as a demonstration. It was a good day and lots of interest in bees and beekeeping. Asheville is a hotbed for beekeeping in the United States and with all the great honey plants and wonderful honey we produce, it is no wonder. It was a good day indeed.

Pups and Play

I have a Boxer who is still very much a pup and a Jack Russell Terrier that is also young enough to be pupish in nature. Both are a bundle of energy and love to play. I laughed yesterday evening as they played "soccer" with Sierra, Mackenzie and my brother Paul's Doberman. They would run around heading the ball and changing directions. Bismarck, the Doberman, would occasionally break the rules of "soccer" by mouthing the ball and running with it. This irked Tucker, the Jack Russell, to the point he would jump on Bismarck and tear into him chewing and growling. Bismarck would drop the ball like "whut?" They played until an aggressive run with the ball knocked it into the pond and everyone just stood there as if to say, "now look what you have done, now what"? They all wanted the ball, but were not about to go in after it. Dobermans do not swim well. In a few minutes Bryleigh, the boxer and only female, started daring to go in. She had never been swimming before, but really wanted the ball. In a moment, she was in over her head and swimming out to the ball. She headed it back to the shore as she paddled like an Olympic swimmer. In a short time, the ball was back and it was game on again! I love a good laugh at the simple pleasures of life. The girls only caught one fish then soccer broke out.
Cal