Bees!

We're in the midst of an exterior housing project and the workers are hammering away as I type. We began the day, however, with a little surprise in the yard. It all started when a worker informed us that he'd noticed a stream of bees flying around one of our trees and when he investigated, he found a hive.

It's not easy to see and photo opportunities were limited, but that large brown cluster you see is not actually a hive. It's a swarm of live bees! The swarm is larger than a basketball. Knowing they are endangered, we actively invite bees and butterflies to our yard by planting lots of flowers and native plant material and so we found this swarm fascinating! The only concerning issue, of course, was the risk of a worker get stung. I quickly contacted a friend who is a certified beekeeper and she educated me. She explained the swarm of bees had landed in our tree because they were searching for new residency after having abandoned their hive (for some reason). A cluster has the queen in the center and she sends out 20-50 scouts at time in search of a new home. My friend said they would likely remain for a couple of days, but when they are ready to move along would take flight at dusk. We were cautioned to give the bees their space and everything should be fine. A swarm is typically docile and not aggressive. Despite the construction workers'  best efforts, though, someone accidentally bumped the trunk with the end of a ladder. At that point, the swarm went up and they all took off  together. I only wish I could have witnessed that, but the workers said it was amazing. I am, literally, giving thanks that the bees were not angered by having the tree bumped and that no one was stung!  I did read that a swarm is usually not hostile. We're happy with the way this worked out in our yard, but there are a few things you should know in case you ever witness a swarm. Keep your distance and just leave them alone. If you are concerned, contact a local beekeeper and they will assist you. Many will come remove your swarm at no cost to you because they will then keep the bees and provide them a new hive. These highly intelligent little insects know when to move on and where to fly. Aren't they amazing?

I hope you have you a bee-utiful Monday!

Tuesday's Tablescape

The rains are gone! The sun is out! It's mild and beautiful! It's time for a patio tablescape!

The azaleas are gorgeous this year, so I snipped a few for the table. Don't you think they are especially vibrant in the sunshine?

After significant rains, water still stands in some areas and more rains are promised for tomorrow and Thursday. For today, though, we're appreciating the beautiful day. I hope your day is beautiful, too!

St. Louis World's Fair

Yesterday, April 30th, was the 113th anniversary of the St. Louis World's Fair's opening day. I have been mesmerized by the fair, and that era, since I was young. First introduced to me during a family outing to the MO History Museum, I found the World's Fair fascinating and ended up researching it for my senior year term paper. I can only imagine how magical that event must have been for the people in the early 1900s!

The Fair covered 1,272 acres and welcomed a total of 20 million guests.

The St. Louis World's Fair was an exposition of grand scale! It opened on April 30, 1904 and closed on December 1 of that same year. Intended to celebrate the centennial of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, it was postponed a year because the construction and exhibits could not be completed on time. The fair offered national and international exhibits including  technology, education, science,  fine arts, manufacturing, civics and entertainment. One of the popular rides at the fair was the observation wheel.

The giant Ferris Wheel was 264 feet high and had 36 wooden cars.

Each car held 60 people! It was destroyed after the fair.

Learning about the fair was very interesting to me and I even had the opportunity to interview a gentleman who had attended the fair as a child. He was so young that he remembered very little about it, did recall some of the attractions along "The Pike". That was the fair's entertainment strip and it offered more than 50 attractions including rides, restaurants, museums, animal exhibits etc. St. Louis still loves learning about this special time in the city's history and has a group committed to educating people about this jewel. The World's Fair Society has been promoting the fair for 30 years and, in fact, I just renewed our membership in December.

I have a little World's Fair display, which houses pictures and books I have acquired. I could go on and on about the time in history when St. Louis said,

"Meet me in St. Louis; meet me at the fair!"

and that's exactly what people began doing 113 years ago.

Arbor Day

Happy Arbor Day! Today is the national observance, while Missouri actually celebrated it a few weeks ago on April 7. Each state declares its own date based on the optimal planting time for that region. This is the day set aside to encourage people to plant trees. Some conservation departments provide bareroot saplings for fourth graders. When I was that age, we all received sycamore trees. Mine was immediately planted in our yard and it began flourishing. As shown in the photo below, sycamores have a peeling bark which shows a lovely silvery-white color.

We photographed these trees when we visited Babler State Park.

The first Arbor Day was in the spring of 1872. Julius Sterling Morton was President Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture and he felt his home-state of Nebraska would benefit, both economically and agriculturally, from an organized tree-planting effort. To promote his beliefs, he put in big orchards and large quantities of shade trees on his farm. His ideas and efforts ultimately grew into the first Arbor Day and it's estimated that a million trees were planted that year.  

These sycamores were also photographed at Babler.

If you're curious why I am sharing pictures of public sycamores rather than my own stately tree, it's because it no longer stands. After more than three decades of gracing our side yard, my parents were forced to have it cut down as it had grossly outgrown its spot. Too close to the house, its branches became a very real threat to the roof and corner of the house, so it had to come down. Due to its size and spread of limbs, it had to be professionally removed (and that cost a lot!!).  I loved that tree, but it lives on because my parents saved these branches when the tree service was finished and I use them, decoratively, in my solarium to this day.

Additionally, my dad made me this birdhouse from one my sycamore's branches. It hangs in the solarium in a grouping with other birdhouses.

My landscape architect husband informs me that sycamores are perfect for parks and golf courses since they are fast-growing beauties with high canopies. You know what? As it turns out, they are also perfect for fourth grade students. 🌳

Happy Arbor Day and enjoy your weekend!

An Early Lantern Switch

I don't usually put out patriotic decorations until early May, but I had a couple of minutes to play with my lantern. I took out the bunny and springtime flowers

to make way for red, white and blue. A scrap of patriotic fabric became the base and then I added an eagle statue we had. It's such an overcast day that it's tough to get enough light for the picture!

It's early for Memorial Day décor, but I was ready to work with the lantern. Who knows? I may tweak it a bit when I do the rest of the decorating! It's hard to believe that April is nearly over.

Have a good day!

Stroganoff

This is my mother's recipe and we've been preparing it for years. It goes together easily and tastes good!

Stroganoff

1 1/2 pound meatballs, cooked

1/2 pound noodles, cooked and drained

Sauce:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup milk

3 ounces cream cheese

2 T. catsup

1/4 tsp. thyme, crushed

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients, except for the sour cream, and cook over low heat until blended. Add cooked meatballs and simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir hot sauce into sour cream and blend. Heat through, but do not allow it to boil. Serve over a bed of noodles.

We're having this for dinner tonight, along with a large green combination salad and hot rolls. Would you like to join us?! 😋

Tuesday's Tablescape

The lilacs are in full bloom and I couldn't resist snipping some for today's table.

As was the case with yesterday's bouquet, I wish you could sniff these in person! As you can imagine, the lilacs have filled the dining room with a wonderful aroma.

I acquired this china at a yard sale last autumn. The dainty little flowers and platinum band appealed to me because the pattern is simple and neutral.  As I considered purchasing them, I began chatting with the seller and learned the history of these dishes. You know how I love the story behind a treasure! This Noritake dishware had belonged to her grandmother who was a member of the Boston Pops and played with Arthur Fiedler. In addition to the 12 five-piece place settings, a complete hostess set was included (with each piece in pristine condition). She even included the two large plastic totes in which everything was stored! In case you're curious about the price, she charged $10.

What do you think of the lilacs and pretty china?

Enjoy your day!