Fishing, weekend work

Wednesday, I received a shipment of hive body parts I had ordered several weeks ago. I placed the order for the parts because when I counted the cost of buying the materials and the time involved in producing them, it was cheaper by a lot to just order the parts and assemble them in the shop. Everything I ordered is specifically cut to fit the hives. All the parts are mitered and grooved for specific inserts to be added. The time involved to produce what I needed would many multiple hours of tedious work setting and resetting my equipment. Now, all I have to do is assemble the parts and put them in service. Much simpler. All that work will begin this weekend. It will take several days of labor to get all the parts assembled so I will mostly put things together as needed. The unassembled parts are much easier to store.

Pastor was right on time yesterday evening. We loaded the boat and headed for the upper lakes. We first put in at the larger lake, but we had very little success. I caught three or four brim, but nothing of note. So, after about 45 minutes, we took the boat out and put in at the smaller lake. It was a challenge to navigate the shallow water at the entry point, but I had my gum boots on which allowed me to be in the water beside the boat until we had sufficient depth to use the trolling motor. While Pastor threaded us through the trees sticking up out of the eater, I threw out a lure and immediately caught a very large bass.

We fished around the small lake but had our best success at the barge. The wind was not bowing hard, but it was enough to frustrate us as we tried to stay in any specific spot or move slowly along the bank. I had packed a rope and we used it to tie off to the barge where Pastor caught seven large bass and I caught three additional large bass. After about two hours we pulled the boat out and headed out of the property stopping near the gate so we could test the crappie hole on that side of the lower lake. After scrambling down the bank, we fished for about thirty minutes without success. We packed it up and headed home. Pastor will take his catch to his son’s house and have a feast there with them. In just those couple hours, he caught enough to feed the eight of them very well.

When I got home, I hesitated to clean the bass I had caught because I did not know if Alex and Leslie, who were also fishing last night, had had a successful evening. That was about 7 pm. I fed the calf, watered the garden and tilled a couple new rows in the garden so Mama could plant today and tomorrow. It was dark when our Chinese fishermen finally exited the property and pulled up to the house. They gladly accepted the fish I had to add to their catch, paid for the eggs Mama had set aside for them and headed home. All in all, it was a very successful night on the lakes.

Mama and I ran to Decatur on my lunch break yesterday to pick up some vegetable plants she had set aside at the nursery we frequent. In addition to those plants we picked up a couple for Mr. Plumley. He is still unable to get out because of the restrictions imposed on them at the assisted living home. It is a small thing to buy a couple plants to add to his garden. The assisted living home, which allows him to tend to the bushes and other plants around the property, set up a raised bed garden for Plumley a couple years ago and he was lamenting that he was off to a very late start. Maybe this will help satisfy his need to fill those empty spaces in the garden.

As for our garden, Mama will pot most of the plants we took home yesterday. The ones we grew from seeds will be transplanted into the garden this weekend. Their survival in that environment is in question. It is dry. Dusty dry. The temperature is supposed to get to 98° tomorrow. That is only for one afternoon, but it happens to be the afternoon after we plan to get the plants into the ground. Perhaps we will wait until Monday evening. Perhaps not. I have found that the best time to get things done is when you have the opportunity. It may not be the most opportune time, but if you continue to wait for just the right time, the chore will not get done. Or it will be horribly rushed to completion. In this case, a couple days of delay should not hurt us.

With the work I need to get done for the bees, I cannot delay past this weekend. It will only be about three hours’ worth of work, but it is critical to get the colonies set up for the weeks ahead. this time, Mama has her bee suit so she can participate in the process. After dark tonight, I will shut the door on the swarm trap and get it out of the tree. I have not decided whether to make the swap to the hive in the dark, but I may do just that.

I will fill you in Monday. Lord willing.