God Smiles on the Midwest

-Posted by Isaac

As a lucky few of you know, I sometimes have my misgivings about living here in good ol' Ohio. About once a week, through the winter especially, my very lucky wife gets to hear the worst of my rants: "This is such a flat nowhere place with flat nowhere weather... it sucks, Honey... I'm so tired of it... we don't live anywhere... there's nothing to look at... nothing to do... just tractors and trailers round here... this is just a nowhere place producing food for people who do live somewhere..."

And it goes on.

If I ever get going like this at a market, please just walk away. You caught me in a foul mood.

Jayne is stuck with it. She married me.

As you well know, it's not so bad. I take a little truth and turn it into a big ugly complaint. I'm good at being unsatisfied, and I know I'd find something wrong with wherever I lived. It's just my sunny nature.

The reason for this post is to show you what the Spring can do to even a pessimist like me. For the past few weeks you too have probably noticed things waking up:

Our wonderful pear tree

"Good morning, young Japanese Maple!"

 And the bees notice too. Like fireworks, each tree and flower takes its turn.

The bee yard peach tree

 Although I'm busy these days driving from bee yard to bee yard, I can't help looking on in amazement.

Bradford Pears everywhere dot the roadside

Redbuds too

We have thirty-some hives at Crownhill Golf Course. As the grass greens up, willows light the horizon. There's no better place to be a small pollen-hungry insect.
Or a runner.
Or even, God forbid, a golfer!

And in the non-manicured, set-aside areas of course you get these beauties:

Go Away, Mr. Chem-lawn!

 I love dandelions. And so do the bees.
Other flowers are on purpose:

Tilled garden,  Jayne's tulips, and the white cherry tree behind.

On purpose or on accident, it's like God decided to reach down and touch the Earth. (In spite of my complaining)

And I'm wrong in saying there's nothing fun to do around here.

Reason enough to drop everything and get out in the woods:

We've found a lot of shrooms this Spring, as Jayne has been posting, and we're trying to grow some of our own.

Hard work, growing mushrooms.

 The warm rains brought not only the morels. The apple trees must have also gotten the "go" signal because I started getting pollination calls about 10 days ago.
This year I got lucky with a couple rainy days. The pollination work of moving hives doesn't have to be done at night if all the bees are stuck inside waiting out the rain.

Bees on their way to Sunny Hill Orchards in Pickerington

The apple trees are about as full-bloomed as I've ever seen:

Mason explains the birds and the bees ...

Adding to the business and midwest joy, the market season is right around the corner. Our outdoor season is always kicked off with the Earth Gathering in Chillicothe. This is a fun little enviro-friendly festival celebrating Earth Day and the awesomeness of Spring.

Come check it out next year.

See you this Saturday. Get your honey fix at the North Market and Worthington Farmers Markets!  Jayne will also be at the Eco-Chic craftacular in Clintonville from 11-7.  It's a fun art/craft show with great local food trucks, bands, and even demos throughout the day.