FIRST PERSON
Artemisia on the farm This is my daughter, Artemisia, looking at some of our honeybees on a frame last spring. We enjoy working our small family farm, and despite all of the negative things in society, my daughter, husband and I live very happy and enchanted lives.
Sky over Denton
Stephanie Woody-Groshelle, Newton
The family that keeps bees together About eight years ago I was going through an old photo album and came across a picture of my dad working with a beehive in the 1970s. I vaguely remember Dad working with honeybees when I was young. I was raised in the country, and he kept honeybees to pollinate our gardens and fruit trees. After finding this photo, I asked Dad about the beehives, so we walked to the neglected bee yard. At first, all we saw were rotting, abandoned beehives, but then we noticed one hive still active. We realized the hive would likely die during the winter if we didn’t do something. The box was literally falling apart. Since it was I am with David (left) and Dad in our bee yard. late fall, we knew it would probably kill the hive if we tried to transfer them to a new box, so we screwed plywood around the rotting box to help them survive the winter. When spring came we were pleasantly surprised that the hive survived. That was the first hive Dad and I tended together. We now have five that we work. Mostly I enjoy the time Dad and I spend together. Our beekeeping has prevailed and our relationship has grown through the years of me moving away to go to college, marriages, divorce, droughts and floods. It’s important for our environment, but beekeeping may not be for everyone. And I certainly don’t mean to imply that it will solve all problems families may encounter. But what’s more important are relationships, and that there are many ways to help strengthen them. And now, my wonderful husband, David, is beekeeping, and he is definitely hooked. He is a great addition to our family and our bee yard.
Lisa Hunter, Denton
Spring break in Carolina country Ann MacKenzie, Gastonia, Rutherford EMC
Outdoor baby This is our granddaughter, Amelia Lyn West, at 18 months old. Her parents are Dennis and Jamie West of Sanford. Amelia is an outdoor baby who loves to pick flowers. Mike and Teresa Sheets, Sanford, Central EMC
Samantha Barus Chuck Carmack
Airlie Gardens
As a photography student at Randolph Community College in Asheboro, I jumped at the opportunity to photograph lightning when a storm rolled though Denton recently.
Correction #1: We inadvertently ran the wrong phone number and photo credits for Airlie Gardens in Wilmington in the April magazine (“Appreciate Your Public Gardens on May 11”). The Airlie Gardens phone number is (910) 7987700. The Airlie Gardens photos are by Chuck Carmack. Correction #2: We mixed up photos and letters about beekeeping in April’s magazine (“First Person”). The correct ones are above.
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www.carolinacountry.com editor@carolinacountry.com (919) 875-3062 (919) 878-3970 3400 Sumner Blvd. Raleigh, NC 27616 Find us on facebook at www.carolinacountry.com/facebook Carolina Country MAY 2012 5