Don't blink

-Posted by Isaac

There they go.

Last day of school. Do you think they learned anything?

Thankfully, we already have one proud graduate in the family.

What a blur, this time of year. A time of energy and transition. The kids are moving into summer-play mode and the bees are going out to hopefully produce some honey. Summer-work mode.

After watching Eden strut up to receive her preschool degree, I loaded the last 16 apple pollinators for their move to better pastures. The rain has made this somewhat slow and difficult this year.

This group will come of age in western Madison County. Notice the honeysuckle is still in bloom out that direction.

Although it’s a busy stressful blur, I can’t help but love this transitional time of spring. We’re watching our babies grow up.

It all starts as a fantastic idea, doesn’t it? I think I want to create something. I want to bring something into this world and make it better. The potential is endless.

For a couple months, every morning I would rob the queen bank.

The last few…

Between the nuc sales and splits for our own purposes, we went through some 800 queens in April and May. Wow, that’s a lot of potential!

And before you know it, you have babies everywhere.

Very fast growing babies!

But I look at our own kids, I look at the 4-H goat we got in March, the baby ducks and chicks we got in April, even the baby rabbit we got last week… and I think, they all grow fast! All babies!

And they’ll grow up right too, provided you shed some love and attention.

All too soon, you’ve got teenagers.

Rambunctious, undisciplined and headstrong teenagers who need space.

If you don’t give them what they want, they’ll become insubordinate.

A bit of gentle coaxing may be in order…

But that period passes quickly. Blink and you’ll miss it.

Turn around again and you’ve got yourself full-grown, productive adults.

No, they’re not as cute, but it’s still a joy to see them reach their potential.

I remember riding in the truck with my dad. I was about 11 years old, Dad would have been mid-forties, and he was talking about my grandfather Barnes. He said something like, “Isaac, you won’t believe it, someday you’ll be 75 years old, you’ll turn around and think, where did it all go?”

Dad will be 77 in a few days. I wonder if he remembers telling me that?

But I took it to heart. I’m only in my mid-forties and I believe him!