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•••••MAY 22, 2024•••••

Beginning Beekeeping Last year, I decided it would be a good idea to raise bees. It was one of those “how hard could it be” moments.

For Christmas, my wife and sons got me assorted beekeeping equipment, so I was all set for the adventure. During the winter, I took a class and read several books on the subject. I learned enough about bees to know I did not know enough about bees. They are very interesting and complicated insects.

In spite of my misgivings, I set out a swarm trap and caught a swarm of bees looking for a new home. They seemed happy in their new surroundings but apparently were not. One day I went to check on them and every bee was gone.

They had just packed up and left.

This year, I decided things were going to be different. I purchased an established hive of bees. They already had a queen that was laying eggs and had built out quite a bit of honeycomb.

The evening my new (Outdoors cont’d on pg 2)

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some even landed at the door, but they on us as though they did not seem nearly bees arrived, I was were curious but not as annoyed at seeready and suited up threatened. I decided, ing me. As I worked with coveralls, bee this was a nice docile my way through the veil, and gloves. group of bees. hive, a few bees flew Transferring them to Saturday around, but none attheir new home went tacked. I got them fed smoothly and none of afternoon, I went down to the hive for and closed up without the bees seemed at their weekly inspecincident. all upset. I fed them As a beginsome sugar water and tion and feeding.

Knowing how gentle ner beekeeper, this is put them to bed. I let my bees had been, I another thing I learned them settle in for a week before I checked wore a T-shirt and no I do not know. Perveil or other protechaps one bee was on them again. Not tive clothing. When having a bad day so knowing what to exI pulled the Ranger the whole hive had a pect, I again donned bad day. I do know I the full regalia of pro- up to the front of the hive, I noticed forty or will wear at least part tective clothing. To fifty bees at the front of my protective clothmy surprise, when I door as though they ing so I do not have opened the hive, the bees did not seem at were guarding it. This a bad day when they was unusual and they decide for unknown all concerned about reasons they do not being disturbed. They seemed to be glarwant me in their hive. went about their busi- ing at me with their beady little eyes. I ness making comb went about my usual and caring for the routine and pulled the newly laid eggs. I top off the hive. The fed them again and Ray’s usually calm bees closed the hive.

The following that previously had Longbranch Homemade 1/2 lb. Tenderloins ignored me suddenly week, my son went & Hamburgers with me to check and came alive in full atDrakesville, IA • 722-3355 feed the bees. Know- tack mode. In the time it took me to get back ing how calm they had been in the past; in the Ranger and get out of there, they we only wore veils stung me four times. to protect from bee Sunday stings. With pulling afternoon, I went back each frame to check out to finish the job I on the work in progress, the bees did not had started the previget upset. We took off ous day. This time, I the veils and put them wore the full protective aside when about half suit from head to toe. done checking. A few When I approached, bees flew around and the guards were again

MAY 22, 2024

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MAY 22, 2024

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Jell-O Salad People get excited for Memorial Day weekend. In just a few days, the schools will be out for the summer, traditionally kickstarting the summer vacation, camping, and picnic seasons. I love a picnic. I remember picnics with my family when I was a small child.

Mom was a great cook who could make something out of nothing when there was “nothing to eat in this house.” She also packed a delicious picnic.

Sometimes, our picnics featured hotdogs and hamburgers on a park grill—an old-fashioned grill mounted on a steel post in the park. Dad would start the charcoal, and when it was ready, he placed the hotdogs on the grill and burned them. Dad would never take the blame for charring the dogs; one of the kids distracted him and caused the hotdogs to burn.

To avoid the grilling fiasco, Mom would usually pack sandwiches.

Bologna salad sandwiches were always a hit, but I liked the liverwurst with Miracle Whip better. My favorite picnic entree was Mom’s homemade fried chicken; at home or in the park, Mom’s chicken was the best! No matter the main dish, every picnic included Tupperware.

Sandwiches were stacked in oblong flat containers. Every picnic had a big yellow or green Tupperware bowl of Mom’s homemade potato salad. Of course, all Tupperware containers were properly burped for freshness.

Tupperware pitchers were filled with lemonade, iced tea, or KoolAid. Ice for the drinks came from the bottom of the cooler, which was used to keep food items cold, especially

sandwiches made with mayonnaise. Although Mom usually used Miracle Whip, she was a stickler for keeping anything with mayo (or similar products) cold.

I never did get Mom’s recipe for potato salad, but a few years ago, I got a recipe from Melissa’s aunt Gail.

camping and fishing trip to Ester and Devilfish Lakes on the Arrowhead Trail. I made a batch of Gail’s potato salad for the outing.

“Isn’t this potato salad just the bomb,” I asked Stuart.

Stu shrugged his shoulders. “It’s okay.”

“Okay? Just okay?” I Aunt Gail makes a was aghast. “Are you mean bowl of potato going to tell me that’s salad because she uses lots of boiled eggs not the best potato salad you’ve ever had?” and finely diced onions; Mom did, too. Gail “It’s okay,” Stu repeatshared her potato salad ed. Then he chastised recipe with me, and me, “It wasn’t made I’ve made it several with Hellmann’s maytimes since then. Howonnaise.” Seriously? I’d ever, Melissa tells me, known this guy for over “There’s just something thirty years and had no a little different. It’s not idea he was a Mayo the same as Auntie snob!

Gail’s.” Hmm. Why? It’s the same recipe.

When we got home, I called Gail to tell her One summer, my that Stuart didn’t love buddy Stu Stetter was her potato salad. “He visiting with a couple complained because it of friends. The four of (Just the Other Day cont’d on us went on a men’s pg 4)

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MAY 22, 2024

How does a pig in mud smell?

With His Nose!

(Just the Other Day cont’d from pg 3)

KEEP DRY IN THE MUD WITH NEW BOOTS!

wasn’t made with Hellmann’s Mayonnaise,” I reported.

Gail questioned, “Well if you didn’t make it with Hellmann’s, what did you use?” I told her I used Miracle Whip.

“YOU USED MIRACLE WHIP IN MY POTATO SALAD?” She was aghast. “I certainly hope you didn’t tell him that was MY recipe!”

I’ve known Gail for twenty years and had no idea she was a Mayo snob, too.

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but you can bet your last dollar I will return it for a good jar. The only thing that could get me chastised more severely than not usAfter being chastised ing Hellmann’s would a second time, I have be making potato salad since switched to Hell- with bad mayo and mann’s—and only Hell- giving my wife a case mann’s—mayonnaise of green gills. Maybe in potato and other I’ll try something other salads. However, I will than potato salad for admit I still prefer Mirthis year’s picnic. acle Whip on bologna, Years ago, I told people tuna fish, and peanut Jello-O salads. Another butter and pickle sand- about a Jell-O salad I lime Jello-O salad had in the 60s made wiches. had cottage cheese, with lime Jell-O and A couple of weeks pineapple, shredded green olives. People ago, I made a batch cheddar cheese, and didn’t believe me; not of potato salad and pecans. One of my even my siblings reused the rest of my jar membered it. People favorites was orange of Hellmann’s. I imsaid, “You’re sick!” and, Jell-O with shredded mediately wrote Hell“That’s just gross!” But carrots and raisins. I mann’s on the grocery I swear to you, Mom can still taste them. list. Heaven forbid I They were delicious made such a salad, should start a batch of and it was good! and pretty, too. potato salad someday and discover I was out Mom made the salad in Speaking of pretty, a fancy mold with lime how about a red Jell-O of Hellmann’s. I just salad with bananas or don’t think I’m emotion- Jell-O as its base. It had mixed in chopped strawberries. Jello-O ally strong enough to with mandarin oranges handle a third chastise- celery, onion, green is fantastic. Jello-O salment for using Miracle olives, and chunks of ad with fruit cocktail or cheddar cheese.

But Whip. On my next trip peaches is good, too. to the store, I bought a nobody believed me until one day, I found a And, you can never go jar of Hellmann’s. wrong with any flavor Jell-O advertisement Unfortunately, I didn’t in a vintage magazine notice the mayo was from the 1950s featurgray until I got home. ing this very salad.

I don’t know if the jar had an air leak or what, Mom made a variety of

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Jell-O with miniature marshmallows stirred in. (Of course, today, people add whipped cream and call it fluff.)

I haven’t replaced that bad jar of Hellmann’s yet, and we might be having a picnic this Memorial Day weekend. It may be time to surprise my wife with a cool, refreshing Jello-O salad with green olives, diced onion and celery, and chunks of cheddar cheese. I wonder if it would be good with a few sardines added in?

I could make it look like the fish were swimming inside.

I could even put a figurine of a barefoot little boy in coveralls fishing on top of the salad. I could have a fishing line with a hook and a worm running from his pole into the Jell-O dish.

Happy Memorial Day, my friends. During your gatherings with family and friends, be sure to remember the purpose of this weekend: to celebrate, honor, and remember those who gave their lives in military service to this great country of ours.