Good morning to all our friends. How are you guys? We hope all are doing well, and looking forward to a great weekend!
As for me…I’m hangin in there. Actually, I’m doing pretty well considering. Today is 30 days since Deb passed away, but I have to say that I am so happy in my heart for her. She’s sorely missed, but I know she’s walking with God. Throughout her ordeal…he smiled down on her constantly! God IS great, isn’t he?
Tomorrow is my birthday, followed up next Thursday with Deb’s, the 19th. She would have been 55… “Double Nickels!” Me? I’ll be 37! LOL!
Kinda curious to see how this next week pans out, but, I am much, much better, and the coping now is much easier. She wanted me to be happy, I told her I would, and, we will be together again somewhere down the road!
Anyway… thank you all once more for ALL your support and prayers. You can only imagine how good it feels to be so loved by others…many being total strangers. Life is grand, is it not?
Well, you guys know that Deb and I had put some bees on our place. Ole Sherry or, “Queen Bee” as I call her, approached us about putting hives here, and we gladly accepted, with the stipulation…she made us up a hive too.
The day she stopped out in front of the house on the hard road we had just posted on our site that we’d appreciate any info on beekeeping just the week prior. We had several responses from different people, including ole George up in South Carolina.
George’s response to our request was there any beekeepers out there who read our column was simple enough. It was… “I am one.” That was it…nothing else??? I was like, “Boy, ole George is quite the talker, isn’t he?” LOL!
Anyway, I contacted George and we had many laughs over his response. He seems to be one heck of a guy. Hey George, how are ya buddy?
So, after our request for beekeeping info…God supplied us with Sherry, and what a blessing that has been…FREE honey! LOL!
Well, last Tuesday Sherry came to extract honey from Deb and my hive…our first. I told Sherry that she was a couple hours late and I had some other irons in the fire, could we do it Wed. morning. She replied that would be fine, BUT, let’s take a peek in the hive to see how it looked.
So we did…
After walking back to the truck, a dern bee was buzzing my head and stung me on my right ear. No problem, I’ve been stung countless times. So, I went to the mailbox, checked the mail and went back to the house.
Bob, who works with us part time on the place was washing Debbie’s truck, and I asked him was my face red, and he said it was red as a beet. I told him not to leave but to come inside because I thought I was having a reaction. I went up, got a shower and took two Benadryl’s.
I came downstairs and was really having a hard time breathing. That dern bee…had messed me up good! I told Bob to call 911.
By the time they arrived I was in bad shape. Blood pressure was 80 over 50 and breathing was very difficult. They put me on an oxygen treatment, put in an IV, and told me I have to go to the hospital, to which I replied…nope!
Long story short, I did go after some persuasion, and I’m glad I did. I honestly have no doubt I was dying. I just knew that when they were going down our drive to the hospital that I’d probably never see our place again. I’m telling you guys, I was one sick rascal.
I looked up at the ambulance roof and thought, Dern Deb, I sure don’t mind leaving this earth and comin up to see you again, but dad-gum woman…it ain’t even been 30 days yet! LOL!
They then gave me a couple more injections, this being on account that I was in route to the hospital, and if I reacted to these, at least I was on my way and I could be treated for that if it took place.
Well we’re flying down the road, sirens blarin, and I’m sure wantin to start feeling better. By the time we arrived at the emergency room, the last two injections had indeed stopped my reaction I was having to the bee venom and I was feeling much, much better. PHEW!!
They kept me for a couple hours to observe me, and told me that during the ride my blood pressure had hit 60 over 20 at one point. I’m like, I know that’s pretty low, but make me understand the seriousness of that…do people die with blood pressure that low?
They said they sure do, but, it evidently wasn’t my time. I know for sure that when our good Lord calls, we come home, but ya reckon I MIGHT have a “special little angel” lookin over me now that might have helped me out some? I sure like to think so! Pretty neat stuff, huh?
Now I have to keep one of those shots close at hand. I asked why I would react this way after all those years of bee stings never botherin me? They just replied that our body changes, and evidently…mine had.
I think that’s just a polite way of sayin, “You’re getting old feller!” They did caution though, that if I was stung again, I may only have a minute or two to get the shot in me.
SO, the very next day…we extracted the honey from the hive. Dale, Bob and Sherry on the outside with the bees, and me sittin in the truck, AC runnin, and…THE WINDOWS ROLLED UP!
Once they got the frames taken out we took the frames to the greenhouse, shut the doors and extracted the honey.
I’d never done this before and I thought it pretty neat. I videoed three vids of this and maybe you guys will enjoy seein this take place. I could have just made one, BUT, I don’t know how to edit the dern things so, what you see is what you get! LOL!
We are “movin up” though. We live in the woods so our internet is provided by WildBlue. It was not like high speed, but would function, though again, not like high speed internet.
I’d do a video and Red would have to take it to his house an upload them for me. WildBlue just recently has increased their speed dramatically and I now have the ability to upload the videos here at our place.
Who knows, one day I just might learn how to edit the vids?? My buddy Brian at the CFP, I’m sure thinks this is only “wishful thinkin,” cause after working with Brian some the past year and a half or so it wasn’t long before he suggested changing my name from Dub to…imadummee!
You’re a bundle of laughs there Brian!
Hope you guys enjoy the videos.
It’s been good visiting with you guys again and God Bless! Remember…keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!
Dub and Deb
Sorry about that reaction! Bad stuff! And Happy Belated Birthday.