Silly Buddy, Bellina and a bit of Shelly

Dahlias, Found a New Button on my Camera!

Dahlia Fun & Photos

Every year, after our annual show, the Monterey Bay Dahlia Society has it's "Dine-Around".

We choose 3 gardens to visit and enjoy a meal at each one.  Our first garden was at Doris Wilson's on Green Valley Rd.  in the Salsipuedes area.  Doris is in her late 70's and is a go getter.   Garden 2 was at Kevin and Karen's "Corralitos Gardens".  Under the oaks, surrounded by amazing dahlias, Kevin had a BBQ going...the sun was shining, gorgeous!  Stop 3 was a drive by at our place, "Day Valley Dahlias"...then on to Betty & Jim Crandall's for delicious desserts!

Shellaylee

Babysitting-Dogs!

Christina has been house/dog sitting for a coworker...She had to go to a wedding and guess who doggie sat???

Pictured are Buddy Bellina Shelly, and Lily.  Lily is a Shitzu...such a cutie.  They are all waiting for a yummy treat!

MBDS Dahlia Show 2008

Here are so photos of the Monterey Bay Dahlia Society Show which was held on Labor Day weekend at Soquel High School.

I entered 28 blooms, 5 went to the head table and 2 remained to place Best Double Novelty 'Shinkyoku' and Best Anemone 'Alpen Pearl'

Busy is as busy does!

Lordie have I been busy.  Working at the hospital, in the dahlia patch, with the bees, preparing for the annual MBDS flower show...We did have time to play though at Uncle Pat's wedding to Laura Mahan.  August 23, 2008,  John Patrick Lucchesi married his high school classmate Laura Mahan.  A sweet story.  Laura was sweet on Uncle Pat in high school, but the war came and things changed.  They both married other folks and had great lives.  Both their mates passed and Laura, never forgetting about Pat, found the courage to call him up.  The rest is history.  We wish them hundreds of days of quality time together.  The wedding was simply gorgeous!

Final Product

Thanks to the bees and blooms, 17 jars of honey today!  So pretty!  Tastes delish, with an aftertaste of some kind of flower, I can't quite tell!

You can see I cut our the honeycomb and placed in a big pan, I crushed the comb with a potato masher, really good.  When it looked sufficiently smashed, I strained it into buckets.  I used cheese cloth.  This method takes a bit of time, but I like to watch the honey drip into the buckets!

Extracting Honey, Crush and Strain Method

Yesterday, July 31st, I removed 3 frames of honey from the hives.  I extracted it today.  Here is a frame of that capped honey.  The bees cover the cells of stored nectar with wax = capping.

Beehive Inspection Day

Today I worked the hives, all 3.  They are growing beautifully, and making lot's of honey.  Since 2 of these hives are new colonies, and since the older hive was a combine of a swarm and a queenless hive, I am treating it as a new colony as well.  This means that I will not take a lot of honey from them.  I want to make sure they have enough of their own stores for Winter.  I did take 3 frames ( medium sized ) total from the hives today and will extract tonight or later today.  I will take photos of the "crush and strain" process.  I do not have an extractor, and besides, I like being "one" with the honey!

Seedlings from Our Garden

Here are some 3rd year seedling from Day Valley Dahlias ( that be us )...I really love the red one, nice!

We rescued a pup from the local animal shelter.  'Shelly' is a terrier mix, we think she is mostly comprised of Rat Terrier, here are a few pics, some of her early on at our Oregon Bungalow, then back here at home.

On July 19th we visited my mentor's fabulous dahlia gardens.  Karen and Kevin at Corralitos Gardens have a real knack for growing these beauties.  They have brought many a new variety to the dahlia world for our enjoyment.  Here are a few photos:

July 19, 2008...First bouquet from the dahlia patch!