"I've Been Meaning To Ask You."

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Brood Parasites?  Who, Us?


Today is officially Ask A Nosy Question Day!

Have we talked about something on the blog, that left you wishing for more information?

Are you curious about the status of Robb's recovery, the house renovation, or what's going on at the theater? Wondering what we've murdered in the garden recently, or how the feral cats are doing?

Do you have a pressing question about honeybee biology?

Here's your opportunity to emerge from blog-lurkerdom! Ask away!

Comments

Mel said…
I've been meaning to ask, how do you find the time to both DO all this wonderful crafty beekeeping & gardening & garage building, AND photo journal it so beautifully? Do you set aside time each day to write it all up? Do you have the swiftest most cooperative computer & camera ever, or have you just done this so long that now you make it look easy?
Christine said…
Hmmm, I guess the only question I'm left with when I visit your blog is, "How in the world do you ever find the time to do all this amazing stuff?"
I'll jump in! While the murder in the garden sounding quite intriguing..... I'll settle for asking about the feral cats. I enjoy your pictures and posts, and the things you've made for them (the lunch hut Robb built ;-))
Lisa said…
Mel -- I've found that if I don't deal with my photos within two days of taking them, I never get back to them.

I'm a Photoshop Neanderthal. I know how to do about twenty things, and I do them over and over again. I feel that when I'm editing photos, I'm using a club to do the work that should require a scalpel.
Lisa said…
Christine -- Don't be fooled.

The blog doesn't ever seem to mention the sinkful of dishes, or the hours, we spend do apparently nothing at all.

I'm a famously Unreliable Narrator.

http://howsrobb.blogspot.com/2008/06/character.html
Lisa said…
The feral cats merit their own blog post. Stay tuned.
Anonymous said…
A while back you made some scones for your co-workers and the photo was...picture perfect! (Should have been in a food magazine...seriously!)I was wondering if you could step by step that recipe for your readers??
ASL Girl said…
I also would like to know how the feral cats are doing. They are so cute! My favorite picture of them by far is when two of them are both smiling. The picture was in the blog you were trying to figure out why you had a rash, and it ended up being from the tomatoes instead of the cats.

Also, how is Robb's recovery coming along? Hope all is well with you and Robb!
wassamatta_u said…
I've been mening to ask...
How is the neighbor's truck? And did Robb's bike sustain any damage, other than the plastic gear-guard?
Lisa said…
Good Idea Anon!

I promised that recipe to a friend, anyway.
Tarte N Tires said…
Wait you have time to do all this wonderful stuff in your blog AND do nothing. I'm truly green!
Meredith said…
Enjoyed that *unreliable narrator* post very much. ;) Having been a writer for a couple of decades now, I almost always assume good writing has at least a teensy bit of *tweaking* going on. Not that life itself isn't wonderful and fascinating and glorious -- but the ink & paper magic requires the human contribution for true alchemy.

I just think it's amazing we get to watch one another's journeys unfold this way. Whatever you feel inspired to share, Lisa, I'm sure I'll enjoy reading it.

(Although I do expect updates on the poor hive, and I'd never say no to more cats -- even feral ones. ;)
Anonymous said…
I'm one of those who found your blog via the letterboxing site. I've really enjoyed reading about your beekeeping experiences - it's facinating that you're able to maintain the hives in what I'm assuming is an urban/suburban environment. In fact, each time I read your blog posts I keep anticipating/fearing an "attack of the killer bees" post - LOL. Do your neighbors ever express concerns with the hives? I'm tempted to try beekeeping, but I've always been concerned that they would be perceived as a safety concern by the neighbors....

Anyway, thanks for sharing your blog. It makes for great reading.
Sarcasmo said…
I think you guys are so creative and wish I made time to attend to my 20 things I do well but not often enough. I really enjoy seeing the set designs in production. I read your blog everyday. It's cheerful, even when the subject is less so, you have a way of putting things in perspective. Thanks for sharing. The Lemon Marmalade looked so delicious. I'd love to see more of that too. You could charge for a food blog site alone and provide step-by-step pix of recipes. Do you carve many letterbox stamps and are they as elaborate as I imagine they would be? I can see one now: a bee on a honeycomb. Blue Diamond for sure.
-Diana
Hixson, TN
Sarcasmo AQ
Lisa said…
Mark: The damage to the bike (Lisa's, actually) was negligible. Our neighbor insisted on taking the truck to his cousin to have the wiring fixed. I doubt we'll ever see the bill. We'll load him up with honey and preserves and mulberry wood for his smoker.

Meredith:
In our experience so far, our bees don't bother anybody. They go pretty far afield to forage and never descend, en masse, on any one spot.

The only neighbor we have who can see a hive in our yard has a beekeeper dad and doesn't see at all nervous.

Most fears surrounding bees seem to be based on a confusion between yellow jackets, which are aggressive, and honey bees, which generally aren't. There are also "killer" or Africanized honey bees but they seem to have stopped their northward advance a few hundred miles south of us. Even our mild winters are too cold for them.

Every beginning beekeeping book will tell you to look up your local laws and discuss your plans with/educate your neighbors before getting bees. Good advice.
Gothknits said…
When are you going to call Botta?...she keeps asking about you.
Thomas said…
No real question. I'm just delighted you keep up the blog so well. It's a delight. I love that it does not fit into any categories. Your combination of personality, wit, and curiosity for the world make even a casual posting something I look forward to reading.
Anonymous said…
I know the tomato is a bad subject at the moment so I will focus on the pepper...a co-worker is bringing them into work and most are turning their backs on the gorgeous home grown items. I was wondering if you have experience with making salsa, if so can you help me out because it is a shame to waste anything from the garden.
Kara said…
Do you do everything at home with your camera in hand? If not, how do you get so many good pics of birds and things?

What ever happened to the miniature sets? They were intrigung but will be ever get to see them in something finished?

Did you skip the kite festival or are you holding out on us?
Pica said…
Here's my nosy question: what are you knitting?
Emily said…
If this is too nosy, please disregard, but I was wondering how Robb's toes are doing? I am hoping that the nerves are finding a new way to do their job and that there will continue to be improvement.

My husband has recently started chemo and one of the main side effects is neuropathy...they are trying to minimize the levels and say that in many cases the nerves will heal themselves eventually. It made me think of Robb and hope the same is true for him.
Lisa said…
• Peppers are off the menu at the moment along with every other member of the nightshade family. Lately I have to rethink every dinner idea because it seems to rely on eggplant or potatoes or something else verboten.

And of course the thing I've been craving for weeks is this Hungarian sweet paprika paste in a tube which is amazing on bread or crackers or in a soup. I can't remember if I last bought it in Maryland or Texas or Hungary.

• My toes: I can move them a little bit better. They move on their own accord a little bit less often. I can feel them a little bit better; that feeling is no longer unpleasant.

For a while the toes were just symbolic for us: if I could wiggle them a little it meant there was hope. On a practical level, toe wiggling means very little if those toes can't support any weight while you walk.

Sorry to hear about the neuropathy. There really is a good chance the nerves will heal.

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