Lost Colony

I got a little taste of the farm life I so badly want.
In an attempt to make some extra money to make the move to Ireland a little less painless, my wife and I have been doing some odd jobs.  Her grandmother has been great and has allowed us to clean their church as well as help around on her farm.  Today, while my wife sold strawberries and after I hacked away at a field of asparagus, I wandered around with a camera.  Following a little path next to some wooded land, I stumbled upon a lost colony.  There were about six or seven bee boxes, crawling with bees.  I had no idea that her grandparents raised bees.  I questioned her grandmother about it, hoping we could get some honey, (her grandmother would not even know how to harm a bee, so I would be fine with taking their honey) but she told me she lets some guy use her land for his bees.  Sadly, she doesn't even get any honey out of the deal.

Little Boxes

 Here are some of the brightly colored hives in an area that I would not have expected them.  The colored boxes remind me of something...I'm thinking Sesame Street.

Hive Mind

There is something militaristic about the swarming of bees and the letters and numbers.

Strawberry Patch

Today was my wife's last day of college.  Within just a few months, she will be going to grad school.  In Ireland.  I get to go with her.  I thought this was deserving of a gift of sorts.  We have been talking about getting a plot of land to grow some fruits and vegetables on for the summer.  I figured, in case we don't get one, we should have something regardless.  So I purchased some strawberry plants.  As well as a little makeshift planter.  And I gave it to her.  She was quite pleased.

From Within The Strawberry Patch

Sadly there are only two strawberry plants.  Few things look more awesome than a row of strawberry plants disappearing into the distance.  Never ending strawberry shortcake.  Glorious.

Local Produce All The Way

I got my car inspected today.  While paying, I added a bunch of home grown asparagus to my bill.  Thus is the awesome nature of the area I live in...Lancaster County.  They had asparagus on the counter, in a bucket, for 1.50...how could I refuse?  I couldn't.
The fact that a car shop had some of their own vegetables for sale with their vehicle services made me think that my favorite farm stand might be open.  It was.  I picked up some cabbage and strawberry rhubarb jam and my wife got an apple.  It is a wonderful little stand and I rejoice in the fact that it is open.  I will be giving them more business than I give anyone else for the next five months.

Wanted: Newspapers

This picture is more of a documentary shot.  It isn't supposed to be anything special,  just an image that marks the first day that I got to go to my favorite produce stand in 2011.

Skids and Spokes

I have a hard time not photographing bikes, regardless of their location.  But a bike surrounded by skids of produce, now that is pretty awesome.  Id like to imagine there is a forklift attachment for a bicycle and that is the method that is used to move produce around the stand.