Overdue Road Tripping! Part 5

Did you forget about Part Four?

On the last blog, we enjoyed all sorts of wine tastings in Paso Robles, CA, and made our way to Villa Park to spend a few days with Dad and Risa.

It's bee keeping time!

On Thursday morning, we leisurely awoke in Dad and Risa's spare bedroom; they had some prior engagements (Rotary Club and service for their truck), so we puttered around the house, drinking coffee/chai, eating breakfast, and just enjoying the view from their front patio.

Chris helping me with PT exercises

while enjoying said view

Although the temperature in Southern California was mild while we were visiting (it is ever not mild?), the wind was blowing pretty decently, and as we sat on the patio, we distinctly remember hearing a weird *thump* sound down below us.  We didn't think much of it, but when Dad and Risa returned, they reported that the wind seemed to have blown over their bee boxes!  Oh no!  They have two boxes, full of honeybees, that sit up on a raised wooden platform (to deter ants and other creepy crawlies); Dad built the platform a shade awning, and we think the wind used the awning as a sail and tipped the entire platform over and the bees out of their homes.

After consulting with his bee keeping buddies/mentors, Dad decided that while the platform and shade awning would need further reconstruction, it was important to get the boxes righted as soon as possible, to ensure the bees could get back in their homes and hopefully, settle down a bit - they were MAD.  Since Chris has helped his Dad with his Texas bees before (bee keeping is apparently a popular retired guy hobby), he was enlisted to help, and he happily suited up.

The smoker, used to keep the bees calm(er)

Risa is also tall,

so her suit fit Chris just fine

Once fully attired, the two gentlemen hopped into the resident golf cart and headed down the hill to work on the boxes.  For my part, I relaxed on the patio and inside, icing my foot/ankle.  Earlier, Chris and I had taken a stroll around the yard, and I'd slipped on our way down into the decomposed granite parking area, scraping up my knee and foot (of course, on the leg with the bad ankle).

Sitting in a chair, eating Thin Mints,

icing my leg.

Yup, everything's in order here.

Ready to ride!

Down the hill they go!

Working with the bees

It didn't come out very well in these pictures, but from my perch on the patio, I could see the bees swarming around Dad - they were very, very angry.  In fact, I had to abandon the patio before too long, as the bees were flying up the hill getting a bit aggressive with me, as well.

It didn't seem to bother

this hummingbird, though.

Before too long, the guys were back, having put the boxes back together and in their rightful place.  Chris didn't get stung, but Dad took one shot, right in the throat (yes, through the mesh bee keeper's mask), and it swelled up impressively over the next few days (we had a discussion about how it was probably good to keep an Epi Pen nearby, just in case).  Leaving the bees to settle down a bit (they were agitated for a good 10-12 hours or so), we headed out to lunch, back to Old Town Orange to the 1886 Brewery Company.  1886 was a cool place - good beer and food, and it's housed inside an old antique store, so the surroundings are really neat, too.

We didn't do much the rest of the day - drove Dad back to pick up the truck at the dealership, took naps while watching the Olympics, and so on - and it was absolutely delightful.  Risa had a meeting of her Women's Club that evening, so the other three of us ordered in Thai food and watched more of the Olympics before heading to bed.

The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast with Dad and Risa at their local Snooze before getting on the freeway and journeying east, back to our home base.  The trip took a few hours longer than normal due to a few accidents, and we were more than pleased to finally arrive; we quickly unpacked the truck and picked up the monkeys before the boarding place closed, thrilled to all be reunited with one another.

August looks so comfy, doesn't she?

Just to clarify - we don't make her sleep like this,

she just does.

This winter, Chris dreamed up the idea of

giving the girls heated towels each night at bedtime.

They enjoy it, as you can tell.

Cuddling with Augs while we watch tv - 

all the feets!

Even though our trip didn't occur exactly as originally planned, we still had a wonderful time - we got to eat amazing food, try new and interesting drink options, hike and explore in incredible scenery, and visit with family, too!  What a great trip!

Later!

Amy