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Snow in Houston Means Banana Harvest Time!

December 8, 2017

Bishop bananas, Gardening, Healthy Lifestyle, Humor, Snow, Winter Chill , , , Leave a comment

I was holding off until it got cold before harvesting!( code for “round tuit”)!

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/round_tuit

Well the snowfall in Houston last night convinced me it must be time to harvest, albeit – at least a day late!

Three bunches of the Manzano variety and two bunches of the Burro(chunky banana). Brought a few hands into the house to ripen and the rest are stored in the garage for the time being!

Early this morning. Just putting a little chill on the bananas.

The harvest.

Fingers crossed I will have enough ripening to make some banana jam!

TTFN

Bishop

May 6th, 2017 – Nude Gardening Day

May 2, 2017

Bishop Beekeeping, Gardening, Humor, Relationships 3 Comments

I receive quite a few emails every day, most are welcome, some SPAM, some – based on the sender I look over my shoulder first and then there are a few senders that are off the wall. You know who you are! 

My curiosity was piqued when I saw the subject line- 13th Annual Nude Garfening Day. Well, it is true. No, I will not include the link! Readers, you are safe, I will not be participating!! My son, Benjamin is getting married on the 6th!

I guess I could get some early photos and try to pass them off as Nude Gardening Day, but, I do have some boundaries and integrity. Kathy also convinced me pass – at least this year! 

Next year! 


Go ahead and use your imagination! I can say with certainty there will not be a Nude Beekeeping Day! 

TTFN

Bishop

Musings – Something I do too Often

March 28, 2017

Bishop bananas, Beekeeping, Buzz Polination, Gardening, Healthy Lifestyle, Humor, Philosophical, Strawberries, Tomato Growing, Travel , , 1 Comment

My wandering mind, always a bit out of control.

Yesterday I was trying to cram too many activities into my day…..The guy at the mower shop called for the third time about my leaf vacuum and chipper that had been in the shop, ready for over two weeks….I had bees to feed, beers to drink, weeds to pull, strawberries to pick and the list went on.

My fat tired garden wagon was strapped to the rack on the back of my Suburban. I released the ratchet strap and placed the strap inside the vehicle…..got distracted…….maybe the bee swarm trap was attracting attention, another cup of coffee, my 5th, and…..oh yes go get the leaf Vac. Fired up the Suburban and headed off. Arrived at the shop, grabbed a strap to tie down the leaf vac and wandered to the back of the Suburban……..and i luckily made it the 8 miles to the shop with the garden wagon still resting on the rack…..Surprise, surprise. FYI, this is garden wagon number two……..I lost one a year and half ago….it was “strapped” down, but obviously not well. Fifteen miles of freeway driving followed the 6 miles from my house down Kingwood Drive to the freeway. I retraced the route, hoping for the best but, I was worried about a catastrophic event. It became obvious that I was lucky and I suspect someone else got lucky and picked up and $ 80.00 wagon…….maybe a little scraped and dented!

Wagon 1thumbnail_FullSizeRender

The infamous rack and a peek inside my two “seater” Suburban. the wagon wheels are visible on the left side. I may need to invest in a truck soon!

Wagon 2 thumbnail_FullSizeRender

A closer look. My “Goo” friend John built me a box to organize my tools….again…my scattered brain always hunting for where the needed tools are. The box will also double a a swarm box if I encounter one…..Love it!

What else…..Oh yes the swarm. It is drawing “lookie lu’s”…..today looks promising. I have some old comb in the trap and that is generating lots of visitors into the open house. Fingers crossed.

Swarm Box thumbnail_IMG_3999

Swarm box with “lookie lu’s”. I hope they like the decor and invite the rest of the group.

Tomatoes

March 28 and I have lot’s of green tomatoes, Celebrity and Juliet are producing. I have been using my electric toothbrush to buzz pollinate the tomato blossoms….apparently successfully. Check out the old link to my article.

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Juliet tomatoes

Celebrity thumbnail_IMG_2996

Celebrity tomato

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Smiling blossoms waiting for their turn with the vibrating toothbrush

On the way back from Bee School in Brenham over the weekend……there is a thread here, trust me, it all makes sense to me, I saw many fields full of the famous Texas Bluebonnets.

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An iPhone image capture…..wish I had taken my good cameras…..next time! Many, many opportunities to take photos.

I am pulling up carrots, picking sugar snap peas…..almost done, getting a few strawberries and waiting on the beets. The freeze killed bananas are shooting up so all is pretty good in my “Backyard Farm”.

TTFN

Bishop

 

Lula’s Hot Applesauce Cookies

March 16, 2017

Bishop Baking, Dessert, Family, Gardening, Humor, Memories, Recipe , 1 Comment

This cookie won first prize two years running at the Kern County Fair….. I baked them both years but my sister Denise won the ribbon the first year…..  she entered too many categories and I helped her out. Not sure if she ever acknowledged the fact nor thanked me.

Two part recipe; 

Dry stuff

  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp allspice 
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts(optional)
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • Add to hot mix below once it reaches boiling

Hot mix

  • 2 cups applesauce
  • 1 stick of margarine or butter
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup sugar
  • Heat to boiling and then add 1 tsp baking soda

Add dry stuff from above

Bake at 350 for 15 – 20 minutes. They are best after day 2. 

TTFN

Bishop

We Have Baby Bees!

February 10, 2017

Bishop Beekeeping, Gardening, honey, Humor, Optimism, Relationships , , 2 Comments

Earlier this week I was a bit disheartened. The hive that I had labeled the “Cowboy” hive appeared to have abandoned, absconded, from the hive. I am an eternal optimist and even though there was no evidence of robbing, no evidence of hive beetles and an apparently ghost town looking hive, I maintained hope. I planned to return a few days later to confirm my suspicion.

Today, Thursday February 9th, I went out to the hive location in Splendora. I anticipated removing one hive and possibly adding a deep box with drawn comb onto the second hive that was thriving. Well, the Cowboy hive with two deep boxes was void of bees in the top box but, on closer examination of the frames in the lower box…….I saw capped brood, tons of bee bread and after moving a cluster of bees I saw new larva. I was amazed and “friggin” happy. I went from losing a hive to having optimism for the survivor bees that my “Goo” friend John and I cut from a downed tree in Porter last spring. See Goo Friends post – https://bishopsbackyardfarm.com/2016/04/

I am a happy camper/beekeeper!!!!!!!

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Inspecting the Cowboy Hive in Splendora. Finding good news! We have babies!!!!! I am fully geared up but didn’t need to be…gentle bees.

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Such a serious look….but it is a happy look! Thanks to John – my Goo friend for snapping the photo.

My trip to Splendora was two fold, I found a small NUC box with 5 frames for sale on Craig’s List in a nearby area. The young couple selling the box were new residents to a nice 3.5 acre parcel in the Splendora area and the idea of becoming beekeepers in addition to the rest of the work needed on the property was a bit daunting. Therefore….I took/bought the box.

It was not just just a quick purchase and go. The young couple, Charlie and Esmeralda, were friendly, open and also inquisitive. Small world, their interest in beekeeping was the result of a” groupon” class taught by the same instructor I had three years ago. They had stars in their eyes about beekeeping but realized that they needed to take smaller bites in managing their property, the bees would have to wait. They had just planted some fruit trees and were prepping a couple of raised beds for veggies. Esmeralda wants bananas and I told her about my bananas, Mexican bananas, and I saw her grin. Next trip I committed to bringing some pups of both the Manzano and the Burro bananas for them.I gave them my beekeeper business card and I now have a new customer for my local raw honey as well, at least until they become beekeepers…..Yee Haw!

It is just amazing what happens when you take time to get to know people.

TTFN

Bishop

Trivia – I have been using TTFN as my sign off for quite some time now….I lifted the “intialized” phrase from a special friend many years ago and always thought it originated from Winnie the Pooh stories…….. Well not quite!

From Wikipedia – “TTFN is an initialism for a colloquial valediction, ‘ta ta for now’, based on ‘ta ta‘, an informal ‘goodbye’. The expression came to prominence, in the UK, during the Second World War. Used by the military, it was frequently heard by the British public.”

The link to Winnie the Pooh, ,Tigger actually, did not occur until long after A.A. Milne wrote the books. Again, according to Wikipedia, “In Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, a 1968 Disney featurette, the voice of Tigger was performed by Paul Winchell, whose wife Jean Freeman suggested that he ad-lib the line.“ Apparently it resonated!

And now you know the rest of the story!

 

“Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread” – Revisited

December 9, 2016

Bishop Baking, bananas, Humor, Recipe , Leave a comment

I want to update this post….A little over a year ago I posted the post(redundant but I don’t care), below along with the recipe. I had an abundance of bananas this year so I wound up freezing several dozen. They work great in smoothies but during this time of year I get a hankering for “Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread”. See story below…the recipe is not my sister Toni’s! LOL

The difference with this loaf is that I used the Manzano bananas rather than the thick and creamy Burro bananas. The flavor may be a bit more sweet/tart due to the influence of the Manzano flavors.

The bread – Note on the recipe…..test by inserting a knife until it comes out clean….this loaf took about 85 minutes.

img_2333

Kathy hollered from the kitchen, “Can I cut a piece?” “No”, I replied. “But I like it warm”, she whined. I repeated, “No”. She doesn’t listen very well! She also told me that I need to chop the walnuts into smaller pieces! – “Yes Dear“

The previous post……

“What do you do when 8 or 10 of your homegrown bananas ripen all at once? everyone knows that it is Banana Bread time. My wife dug out the recipe for “Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread” for me to use…..problem is, it is not my sister Toni’s recipe, it is our sister Denise’s recipe….how did it get named for Toni…..That is a bit of a story.

July 19th, 2012 was my sister Denise’s 60th birthday. Toni….the other sister, requested that friends and family send Denise birthday wishes along with a favorite recipe….Denise is an awesome cook so the recipes would  be well received. The flyer and recipe that Toni sent out explains the “misnamed” recipe.

Toni’s recipe sent to Denise read;

” This is a recipe of a food gift that Denise and I have made for years to give to family and friends. A few years ago Denise’s son Sean asked me for my banana bread recipe and he has continued the tradition.  Recently he was telling Denise about my “Excellent Banana Bread Recipe”. She wanted to set the record straight –  the recipe came from her. We had a good laugh, because the recipe named had changed to “Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread”.

“Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread”

3-4 ripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup  chopped nuts – optional

Mash bananas and add sugar. Stir in the other ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake one hour in a preheated oven at 325 F. Cool on  a rack then cover with plastic wrap…….if it survives that long! Makes one large loaf or two small loaves.

Ripe bananas ready to mash. In the center, the seed area of the endocarp, the flesh has a bit of a golden color.

Ripe bananas ready to mash. In the center, the seed area of the endocarp, the flesh has a bit of a golden color.

Mixing with the sugar after mashing. The golden center flesh is still visible.

Mixing with the sugar after mashing. The golden center flesh is still visible.

Ready to pour into the greased loaf pan.

Ready to pour into the greased loaf pan.

Final product....this variety of banana is very creamy -it still is evident in the finished bread....Yum

Final product….this variety of banana is very creamy -it still is evident in the finished bread….Yum

After I made the bread I contacted both sisters so we could laugh again…”

TTFN

Bishop

Bee Adventures

July 4, 2016

Bishop Beekeeping, Gardening, Healthy Lifestyle, honey, Humor, Top Bar Hive , , , 6 Comments

Yesterday morning, yes too early for the bees  (mistake one), I went to check on and maybe harvest some honey from my original top bar hive. It has been intolerably hot lately, hot enough to make the wax comb very soft. This topbar hive is my gentle hive. See photo below;


I normally just smoke them a little and wear my veil as seen in the photo! Today I decided to gear up and wear my white overalls, gloves and the above veil.

Mistake two; The bees were agitated from the “git go!” No problem, I had smoke and protective gear. It was 8:45 in the morning and the top bar hive was still in the shade. Probably a thousand or more clustered on the outside and little evidence of foraging…..

The veil has long strings and the trick is to make sure that my collar is flipped up and the veil secured without gaps. Mistake number three, I failed to check the collar and the fit. All of a sudden I feel air from beating wings on my face.

“John, are the bees inside my veil?”  I ask.

“Yes, quite a few”, he responds.

I start heading out of the area and I have company both inside and out. They seem to be pissed at me and ignoring John. I took 6-7 or more in the back of my head and a few more on my forehead.

I wander back to my Suburban, licking my wounds and suit up. John is putting the bars back in place and the top back on. I return to take a peek at the other topbar hive and the two Langstroth hives.

The 8 frame is healthy but growing slower than my other three 8-frame hives. The 10 frame hive is doing nicely with a queen hatched from my original top bar hive. FYI,  my top bars sized to fit in my Langstroth hives. The second top bar hive was also cloned from a queen cell and a few  bars of brood, pollen and honey from the original hive.

Ok, I have orders from the sales manager (my wife for some cut comb and I know where to go. I have two 8 frame hives nearby and I have been anxious to harvest them. I pulled 11 frames, 3 beautiful ones for cut comb and we extracted the others.


I wound up with 12 – eight ounce squares and I also boxed up all the trimmings. I let them drain a bit on the rack before boxing them up. I love cut comb! I also wound up with over 30 pounds of liquid honey. Two more hives to visit in the next day or two to  on the honey production.

TTFN

Bishop

“Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread”

November 20, 2015

Bishop bananas, Dessert, Healthy Lifestyle, Humor, Recipe , 1 Comment

What do you do when 8 or 10 of your homegrown bananas ripen all at once? everyone knows that it is Banana Bread time. My wife dug out the recipe for “Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread” for me to use…..problem is, it is not my sister Toni’s recipe, it is our sister Denise’s recipe….how did it get named for Toni…..That is a bit of a story.

July 19th, 2012 was my sister Denise’s 60th birthday. Toni….the other sister, requested that friends and family send Denise birthday wishes along with a favorite recipe….Denise is an awesome cook so the recipes would  be well received. The flyer and recipe that Toni sent out explains the “misnamed” recipe.

Toni’s recipe sent to Denise read;

” This is a recipe of a food gift that Denise and I have made for years to give to family and friends. A few years ago Denise’s son Sean asked me for my banana bread recipe and he has continued the tradition.  Recently he was telling Denise about my “Excellent Banana Bread Recipe”. She wanted to set the record straight that the recipe came from her. We had a good laugh, because the recipe named had changed to “Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread”.

“Aunt Toni’s Excellent Banana Bread”

3-4 ripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup  chopped nuts – optional

Mash bananas and add sugar. Stir in the other ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake one hour in a preheated oven at 325 F. Cool on  a rack then cover with plastic wrap…….if it survives that long! Makes one large loaf or two small loaves.

Ripe bananas ready to mash. In the center, the seed area of the endocarp, the flesh has a bit of a golden color.

Ripe bananas ready to mash. In the center, the seed area of the endocarp, the flesh has a bit of a golden color.

Mixing with the sugar after mashing. The golden center flesh is still visible.

Mixing with the sugar after mashing. The golden center flesh is still visible.

Ready to pour into the greased loaf pan.

Ready to pour into the greased loaf pan.

Final product....this variety of banana is very creamy -it still is evident in the finished bread....Yum

Final product….this variety of banana is very creamy -it still is evident in the finished bread….Yum

After I made the bread I contacted both sisters so we could laugh again…

TTFN

Bishop

Beekeeping Lesson 11

November 16, 2015

Bishop Beekeeping, Humor, Philosophical , , Leave a comment

I rescued a bee colony from a tree that broke off during a storm. The tree snapped at a large knot hole, splitting the colony into two sections. When I arrived the bees were calm and well behaved in the section that was on the ground. To get a better look into the cavity holding the bees, I pulled some of the vines from the trunk section. Here is part A of the lesson; try to identify the vine species prior to handling it, especially if you are highly susceptible to poison ivy or poison oak!!!!!! I am highly susceptible and I am now paying the price.

Lesson 11 – it has several elements. Part A above.

Helpful tips;

B. Thoroughly wash with hot soapy water, any skin surface that may have come into contact with the vines. Touching body parts with hands coated with the plants oils leads to a spreading of the rash. Trust me – sensitive skin parts should never be touched! Nuff said.

C. Contaminated clothes, like my bee suit, should be washed in hot water. Sometimes it may require several washings. I am putting my bee suit back int to wash for a second go…… Yes, I am dealing with a second round of rash breakout.

D. Aveeno works well on the rash. I have also found, at least for me, a very hot shower, as hot as you can physically stand, blunts the itching for 4-5 hours.

Unfortunately, I seem to discover lessons the hard way! I will keep you posted on my future adventures that become lessons for others.

Suited up - the end of the section is open to the colony. Bees were buzzing before I secured the end. Suit is in the wash.....again

Suited up – the end of the section is open to the colony. Bees were buzzing before I secured the end. Suit is in the wash…..again

 

TTFN

Bishop

Photos and Garden News From Home

July 23, 2013

Bishop Family, Gardening, Hand watering, Humor, Vegetables 4 Comments

I am still a long, long way from my garden. My son Joe arrived home and resumed gardening duties – watering(rain has helped him) and picking – he says he can’t find any cucumbers….I think he needs to bend that 6’4″ frame a little more and check a little lower!

We opened the gate to friends and neighbors to swing by and pick whatever they wanted. In our absence we have checked in with some of our harvest crew. Unfortunately not all are well trained! They seem to recognize ripe tomatoes and do a very adequate job with that duty. When it comes to harvesting my limes…..the skills seem to be absent. Coach Hendrix swung by the house and picked a couple of limes and dropped them off at her father’s house to accompany his cold beer. I can just imagine his surprise as he pops the cap on an ice cold beer, takes the knife to slice a wedge or two, only to discover that he has a green Meyer Lemon……You see, I don’t have a lime tree, never have, but apparently the green Meyer Lemons look like big fat limes right now! Coach Hendrix received a jar of my lemon curd this past season but her name is now scratched off of the “who’s been nice” list! I may forgive her……I think she knows that I love good IPA’s from several of the local breweries!!!!

Thank you Joe for giving me a fix. Just two more days and I can get my hands all grubby and show you where the cucumbers hide.

Celebrity Tomatoes

Celebrity Tomatoes and some Chard

Cucumbers - I am sure there are some hiding!

Cucumbers – I am sure there are some hiding!

Peppers and Leeks

Peppers and Leeks

Strawberry Towers

Strawberry Towers

Sweet Potatoes spreading nicely.

Sweet Potatoes spreading nicely.

Joe does a nice job snapping photos with his iPhone….Thanks again Joe!

TTFN

Bishop

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