Cahuilla Honey Bee Pottery Hive

12/24/2016

Was supposed to go to the Arivaca Farmers Market today. I checked the weather to see if it would be do-able before the storm system comes in. When I went outside to start the generator at 5am it was clear but the wind was already gusting. Accuweather confirmed my suspicions and I decided to sit this market out, same thing happened last week. 

So back upstairs to that pile of books.......more posting on the website. Getting bored with it but keep plugging away. I am actually pretty happy with my idea on organizing........used some old filing system "Out" separators to at least alphabetize for easy finding when a book sells. I worry that my clientele will become bored with just books everyday - our reports say we have over 200 unique visitors a week. Not much..........trying to build that so we are cross marketing with Pinterest and building our old customers back up in an email marketing software. I am not even half way finished with posting all the archaeological publications. :(

I set that "Living without Electricity" book aside last night, though I want to read it, I found another that has my interests. This book has me taking detailed notes and is a secret - it is for a class I will be offering as soon as this place is organized. This morning, I told Dan of some of the things I learned and he found it very interesting so I think it will be a great thing! As soon as I am finished putting it all together I will let ya'll know the details. Ah, the suspense!

Had to make a run to the little store to pick up some last minute groceries for our dessert we took to a friends house for our ritual Christmas Tamale Dinner. I called the guy about the lattice and he drove out to meet me at the store......got rid of a few sheets! woo-hoo! So back to that dessert - since we have Tamales, I decided to stay with the theme and did a Pinterest search for "Mexican Deserts". Up popped a slew of them but one stuck out - it had the word "Easy" in the title. I didn't have much time to dedicate to something extravagant so this was my pick "Easy Sopapilla Cheesecake".

  Dinner was a blast. Tamales were delish! Three flavors - Green Corn, Beef, and Elk. The elk one even had a potato wedge in it - new to me. Our hostess is the best I have seen, she always puts on a remarkable spread. Sides included Anasazi Beans with Ham Hocks, Refried Beans, Yellow Rice, Green Chilies, Black Olives, Lettuce, Salsa, and I am probably leaving something out. Great conversation and wonderful company. 

12/23/16

I didn't fall asleep until 2:30 this morning.......Dan got up at 4:30 and started the generator and made a fire. Oh why? oh why? I think I was dehydrated. I don't remember drinking much of anything yesterday. At 2 am I was so thirsty I drank a whole bottle of water and that is when I was able to fall asleep. The dog thought she would help by cuddling me and snoring in my ear. Wish Dan could make me coffee. I don't think he has made a cup in his life. He is on a green tea with honey kick (and only the honey from our bees........don't even try to give him any other honey). At least he finally is doing something healthier than YooHoos and Cream Soda.

So the rain gauge was at 1"! YES! SWEET! We needed that badly. Today is only partly cloudy so I am pumping the well to fill the holding tank. I saw that we may get another storm tomorrow afternoon.  Cleaned the refrigerator. Got some pork fat rendering in the oven. Dan took off to look for shed antlers. My day is consisting of more posting of books to our www.prehstoriccollector.com site and also putting more antlers on craigslist. I will ship -  so if you want to buy antlers just let me know and I will send you the links to our prices and photos. I am also processing returns to Amazon today........three total. Check out my two latest product reviews.  I also have Dan's 10x40 Zeiss Binos getting boxed up to send in for repair.

Outside walking Hey and the bees are buzzing me........I always feel like they are reminding me to put out some protein supplement. So out it goes into my bee feeder and within 5 minutes the word is out.

I just don't have much energy.  I have someone off of craigslist wanting the lattice I posted......guess I better go get back to him. Trying to clean up the back piles of "stuff". Building materials and other things we may need, but some things that have been sitting for 2 years are now looking for new homes with other families that may finally put them to good use. Some of my "rusty gold" items for garden art, horse feeder, and faux fireplace stone, along with the lattice........all are on craigslist. IT IS SO TIME TO DECLUTTER. Maybe a cluttered apartment, warehouse, outside, everywhere and anywhere I look....... causes my lack of sleep. A cluttered mind can't shut down.

One day it will be organized, I swear it!

I break out the bee hive frames and put in some wax foundation, saving the slightly waxy sheets in between each piece for woodstove starter. I love that wax foundation smell, reminds me of my childhood. So very tired. I think I will call it quits early. Maybe I will even feed all the animals now, then snuggle into a blanket for a movie.

1byone Amplified Indoor HDTV Antenna

We don't get any local channels. Dan watches his television either through our Amazon Prime account or Youtube videos. Other than that its DVD's to the rescue. We have been wanting local channels to at least get the news. So I read about an indoor antenna  that is supposed to pick up channels within 50 miles. 

It received excellent reviews on Amazon.........so I decided to try it.

Sitting next to the TV it picked up nothing.

Pulled as far as the cable would let me and holding it so it pointed out a window - it picked up three channels.........they were either fuzzy or extremely weak. So I think it is our metal building? I did go on Amazon and start to type a question under the product to see if anyone had any better ideas on making this work. Another person had the exact same problem with only three channels and spent the day on the phone with 1byone customer support only to return it in the end. Well, I am not waisting my day so......... this is going back too. 

I think we will have to drill a hole in the wall, run a cable up and out the middle of the loft floor to the outside of the building and put up a regular antenna. No quick fix. Another project, but we have other priorities so TV gets put on the back burner.

Lily's Home LED Taper Candles

The bathroom gets extremely dark as there is no window........really we should add one. However that is behind a long list of "to do's" around here. So in the mean time we use a solor outdoor light. We have two. While one is inside the bathroom being used, another is outside being charged. One drains of power, we swap it out with the charged one. The only issue is trying to find it in the dark to flip the switch to turn it on. Plus it lays on the small sink countertop, taking up valueable space. I ran into this cute candle wall sconce at a thrift store and thought about using it with an LED candle so there would be enough light to visit the bathroom without fumbling around. Sadly, they don't provide much light at all. I bought the pack of 4 off Amazon, and processed the return today. If you are looking for "ambiance" maybe.........but definately not a light source by any means.

The LED 11" "candle" opperates with two AA batteries.

My thrift store sconce.

The sconce with LED sitting ontop of the toilet.........so disappointed that we can't see the seat.

Zeiss Optics

I can't say enough great things about Zeiss products and their customer service. We have two pairs of 10x40 Zeiss Binoculars. One is over 20  years old. It got to the point where we could barely use them, then it came down to just leaving them at home because I couldn't stand using them. Couldn't get them to focus at all so looking through them gave me a headache.  I google searched "Zeiss Repairs" and almost at the top of the search was the Zeiss repair page..........https://www.zeiss.com/sports-optics/en_us/hunting/service---support/customer-service.html   - so very simple........fill out a form and submit it. Within the hour an email with your information confirms your inquiry and you print the email and mail it with your binos. I was so afraid I would get this call "what are you thinking lady? buy a new pair!" but I decided to spend the shipping to send them in (they didn't even require a serial number on the form).

Nothing for three weeks. Hadn't heard from them.........but then I just picked up my mail and I have no clue how long the box was sitting there, but there was my binos  -  returned to me. They hadn't called for a credit card number for repair or return shipping. Oh jeeze, I started thinking, they didn't even want to tell my over the phone that my optics were too old and worn out to repair. I opened the box, expecting the "Dear Mrs. King, we regret to inform you......" but instead I found, carefully packaged, my binoculars - all polished up. Of course a few small scratches in the lenses were still there but they actually worked on them and cleaned them and shipped them back at NO CHARGE!

 A letter included stated the work completed:

REPLACED WORN DRIVER

CLEANED OPTICS

LUBRICATED SEALS

RESET FOCUS AND SEALS

My binos work fantastic! I can't wait to go out shed hunting with them. Although.........now Dan wants his sent in as they won't focus within 150 yards and so I have a feeling he will be stealing (borrowing) mine until his return.

We highly recommend Zeiss. Spend the extra money - they are worth every penny.

12/22/2016

5:00am.........snug as a bug in a rug. Turned in the darkness to my phone, a notification of sales from my new square shopping cart got me to grab my flashlight to head out to start the generator. What did I sell? Lights on and Dan starts reporting on his deer antler study. The man should have been a biologist. Dang, I need my coffee!  I get a quick lesson on deer antler growth and dates antlers where found (yes, he tags them) and how many antlers and which go to bucks he is following. I think he dreams about them and wakes up with "eureka!" moments. 

I head to my computer and find some archaeological publications and pottery shards have sold. So since I need to do a gas run for the generator, I will also be shipping. Remind me, I need dog food and potatoes too. Used the last tater for breakfast: just had bacon, eggs, and we split one fried potatoe with chives. Been posting more archaeological books onto our website throughout the morning.....it is now 7:45am.  Did I tell you its raining? yep! woohoo more rain! The metal roof sounds like music with the pitter patter and off and on down pour. We need it so badly, praying for a ground soaking day. I did check the water holding tank and it is getting low........need a sunny day to pump. I cringe because I should have checked the weather and topped it off before the storm system came in. Live and learn.

It took me awhile but I am finally happy with my new honey labels. I had to bottle up some pints to deliver to a friend. Got 9 done out of the case she wants. Need to go buy more jars. Ran out because I also canned up some homemade apple sauce.  Dans hungry and I am tired of being in the kitchen so its tuna sandwiches and chips to the rescue.

Thats my dad and I on the label...........I can't express in words how happy I am when I am in the bees. It brings back so many childhood memories. I am at peace when I am working them. It is my quite time while I listen to the low hum of the hive and the occassional bzz bzzzzzz bzzzzzz sting! ouch! 

Gas & mail run. Wow! the rainbows today have been spectacular. Found out that we have lost some of the restaurants in our area. Todd's Restaurant, whose Not So Benedict Eggs and Nopales Omelets were absolutely to die for, is closed for good from what I hear. Also Cindy Lous II has moved to Elfrida. Their rent went up and with the minimum wage increase in Arizona starting in January, they just couldn't afford to stay where they were. A friend of mine who owns a small business in the area was talking about the pay for her employees being a 24% increase in her labor budget........she doesn't know if she can keep her doors open. Sad state our country is in, it seems like everyone and their brother knows what is best, yet no one has a clue. At least the rainbows lift my spirits.

Oh, did some research on adsense. I apologize in advance. ha-ha! I am going to sign off for tonight. Go check my rain guage and make dinner. Not sure, but thinking it will be a simple steak & cheese salad using the leftover fried venison from last night. I didn't get everything done today, plus I forgot the dog food and potatoes, duh! I did post more archaeology books on our website, but did not post more antlers on craigslist like I wanted. I also NEED to process a bunch of pork fat and get to canning some vension and mountain lion that I have out thawed. I also NEED to do Dan's guide report and renewal............ so much to do, tomorrow is another day.

12/21/2016

Woke up late this morning, 5:30 am, normally I  have a cup of coffee by now and am working on posting more items onto our website www.prehistoriccollector.com - this week I have been focused on putting all archaeological and historical publications that we have availabe for sale on. I can't believe the stacks and stacks of books we have. The upper loft where everything is kept has to be under so much stress from the weight. I am under stress just looking at it all.

I got that pot of coffee going, but Dan was extremely sore this morning so I had my cup in my hands for only a minute before the "Honey, I can barely move..........can I have a massage please?" broke the morning silence. We talk over the massage, what we are doing today, what needs done. We have someone interested in all the antlers we have for sale. The gentleman, of course, would like a group deal, so we are working on that today.

We always do breakfast. This morning was some freshly made bacon (a gift from a friend). What a treat, it was actually the end of the package. We had strips yesterday morning and so today what was left in the bag went into bacon, egg, and cheese burritos. My neighbor makes great flour tortillas and I buy some from her frequently. Christmas has her behind so we don't have any left. I normally get my eggs from them too.....but I haven't heard back from them in 4 days, typical as everyone seems so busy now-a-days. This makes me furious to think about that Murray McMurray Hatchery gift certificate from my brother that I have just sitting here for two years because we have yet to put up a chicken coop. No fresh eggs on our self-sustainable living goal as of yet. That frustrates me.

While waiting for Dan to sort through more antlers to sell (it is cold in the warehouse)...........I decide to work on cleaning off my desk, the generator is on, so I posted some of the shards I had already photographed. Yep, behind there too, my computer has so many photographs on it I am surprised it is still working. Things to be posted on our website for sale, or on our virtual museum for educational purposes, or on our guide service site for updates, or on our youtube video. Jeeze! Another frustration!

It's wet outside! Yes! We got a little rain in the night. Not too much, just .05, but enough to register and put on my rain log. Why the log? It is for a follow up water article that I am working on.

The Pigeon needs fed. Yep, caring for a pigeon. I caught a banded pigeon over a month ago. It flew out of Los Angeles and land here in the Altar Valley. The owner was contacted by the information on the bands. I am still waiting on the box he is supposed to be sending me for next day air shipping of the pigeon. You read that right. Next day air! So am wondering what is so special about this bird? I see pigeons for sale on Craigslist all the time for $10. each. Again, its been over a month........so maybe the owner realized it is not cost effective?

Cleaning a section of the warehouse reminds me of all the projects I have in waiting.....bottle crafts, light switch upcycling, cast iron stands I bought at at the Arivaca Community center yards sale to be upcycled into bird feeders and the lamp I was just about to throw out when my mother said.......oh wouldn't that be cool done in mosaic for an outdoor ornament. Oh ya!  I also found a warranty and sales receipts...........come on! how unorganized is that! I got the long table that I call my "cafeteria" cleaned off just in time for Dan to fill it with all the antlers he pulled out of our private collection to put up for sale.

So waiting on the guy who is interested in the entire lot of antlers to get back to us...........

It is such a beautiful day, overcast. Supposed to rain more. Dan wants to go hiking but is worried about getting wet, so he stays home and fixes my wash line. One beam was cracking apart and no more wire could hold it together. Insulators where falling to the ground.

Ready to go again! I love my wash line.

I cleaned the woodpile. It wasn't too bad as I have been doing a little every time I go out for an armload for the wood stove (our only source of heat). I found these two beat-up half drums in the back that Dan found in trash piles someone dumped in the desert. Put a few drain holes in them and now they hold our kindling. Also gave them a quick coat of paint........just because it looks nicer. Had the stands in the back too. One is from an old kiln. 

One of the reasons for cleaning the piles of wood is rattlesnakes..........we had three here this past year, all near the woodpile. Think they were looking for mice and rats. Picking up all the wood I thought for sure I would run into centipedes and scorpions, must be too cold. All I found were termites and this little critter.

 All done........ One project out of the way.

Except I have another wood pile in another area to clean up - on another day.

Raking around the woodpile I got a wagon load of mulch.........then on the way to the orchard, a flat tire. Same tire I had just aired. Bummer. Need to find solid tires for my cart, our terrain just tears them up.

Dinner was simple......just fried Venison. However I had an issue with my veggies. A quart bag of Okra left from the garden, cut up and fried with some carrots, but very, very bitter. So bitter it reminded me of too old devils claw. So I opened a can of cream style skillet corn and viola! the sweetness of the corn countered the bitterness of the okra and I had a veggie hash to go with the vension.

The venison is from Dans buck. Stay tuned for photos and story on that as he is still sorting our antlers to find previous years sheds ...........the buck is 10 years old and Dan almost has his life history from a yearling on. How freakin awesome is that?

Before bed I started reading a book "Life without electric" - so far it is mostly about Amish living. The night before I sorted through eight magazines. That made me feel like I got a little more accomplished before hitting the hay. The guy did get back about the antlers.......I think he was surprised by how many we had. He wants to look at them in a week or so, until then I will be posting them for sale on craigslist.