Saturday - practice, bees and a nap.

I got home at 1:30 last night from the freshman tournament in Owensboro ... drove the bus and kept score while Robert and Mark did the coaching.  We lost to Henderson County 6-2.  We continue to work with our freshman team which is mostly 7th graders.  This will be the varsity team in 2014 ... some will have to contribute before that!  They have a lot of work to do with this group but they have improved this Spring and I think they realize the commitment that is needed to maintain our softball program as a perennial top-20 program in Kentucky. 

It was a late night ... then we had varsity practice at 9:00 AM ... we reviewed a lot of our infield signaling as well as bunt/slap and defending the bunt/slap.  We finished with our 4 runner drill which we made up this year.  I love this drill and it is fun to watch.  It continues to evolve with a few new rules to control the wildness ... next time we will have to add something about interference!  I'm afraid it might evolve into some kind of roller derby contest.  Practice went well.

Sue Neal brought Granny back to Scottsville (from back surgery in Nashville)  and she will be doing some PT at the hospital to try and get back to walking.  She seems happy to be back in the county.

I put some wax foundation in some frames (30+) before going to check our hives.  I think I have had a couple of hives swarm but all are doing okay ... several have a super (all mediums) and part of another super already this Spring.  If we could just have some sunny days without a lot of wind who knows what they could do!  Our new hives look good.  Blackberries are blooming as are the poplars, locust and paulowania (an invasive species my father-in-law spread all over this farm ... beautiful purple bloom ... will try and take some picts)

I have had a swarm take over a hive I had setting in the barn.  Today I organized it and was surprised to see thousands of bees in there.  They must of swarmed early to build up so much brood ...

AP Biology review tomorrow 3-5 and the AP test is a week from Monday morning.

  rr

Thursday and some Sunshine!

In AP Biology we are wrapping up organ systems.  Will start our review tomorrow among other things.  Time to start loading in the information! 

We are also working on human organ systems in Selected Topics ... today was endocrine system and muscle identification.  Tomorrow we we work on the nervous system and brain.

We had a split softball practice after school so did not finish until after 6:00.  Went back to school and worked until after dark.  I have the softball varsity stats caught up for the Daily News Leaders report in the morning. 
Also working on trying to get a game for Saturday ... Riverdale HS in TN is Monday and they are ranked in the top 10 among high schools nationally / NFCA poll ... their record is something like 34-2.  It will be a great challenge and a hostile environment for a school night game.

Practice went well today. Hitting tomorrow while some of the coaches go to Owensboro for the freshman tournament.

I have add bee supers this weekend!

rr

More storms tonight!

We had hitting at BSA after school - three hours with forty players in shifts ... over 3000 swings.  Many of our younger players are showing marked improvement.  We will keep working ... day off tomorrow before a big next week!

Got home for about an hour of bee care before dark ... I continue to take off queen excluders ... I think a couple of hives have swarmed.  I know one has because I had a couple of empty deeps in our barn that had draw out comb in them and last weekend I noticed a lot of bees around them ... thinking there was some leftover honey there they were checking out ... checked tonight and they are full of bees ... that is luck ... will try and put them on a bottom board this weekend.

AP Biology is finishing up organ systems ... reproduction today.

Selected Topics worked on the circulatory system.

rr

Storms again!

Another storm blew through about 3:00 AM last night.  About a half inch of rain with lots of wind ... always sounds worse at night.  More storms today and tomorrow ... not good for bees!

Yesterday we kept working through organ systems in AP Biology.  In Selected Topics we are working on organ systems also.  This will continue today.

We played a District 15 game against Barren County yesterday and won 2-0.  We did not play very well and the umpiring for both sides, especially at the plate was terrible.  The Barren County shortstop got threw out of the game for commenting about the umpiring after she struck out in the seventh inning.  Not good for anybody.

Out players kept their composure and got through a game in which we did not hit well.  We will have to pick up our offensive output soon!

Irises are blooming! Pictures!

Our irises are blooming in Holland.  We have several and they are just starting to bloom.  Some are from my mother's iris garden in Ohio.  Several are from Rachel and Kyle from when they lived in Nashville.  Also at the bottom a picture today of an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) an omnivore hiding in the monkey grass (Liriope minor) close to the house ... males have red eyes and females yellow.  Everything is on the move now that Spring is in full swing ... love is in the air!  Note the turtle giving me the an eye through the monkey grass.

A few pictures from outside this evening just before a storm and a couple of iris beards from cut irises indoors using my veho USB Microscope about 40X ... a great birthday gift!

Irises are monocots with rhizomes that spread in a thick mass and are transplantable.  Although their beards may be attractive to bees, I could not find their function.  I will try to take some more picts next week.

Freshman Tournament and Transformation Lab Winners!

Yesterday, we hosted a freshman tournament.  We had two teams in the tournament with Warren East and Clinton County.  Warren East (playing some of their varsity players) won the tournament over AC-S Red 3-2.  AC-S Blue was third.  It was a good day with a big crowd and lots of softball.  Our players played well and our middle school players continue to improve.  Special thanks to Coach Brown and Coach Carter on a great day of softball!

Last week, we finished our required our AP Labs with our bacterial transformation lab.  Good results were had by all which is not always the case.  Pictured below are the winners, LVF and (AG)^2 ... better known as Lauren, Amanda and Amy ... most transformations - 1920!  We will finish the organ system study this week and move into review by the end of the week.  The AP Exam is May 9th.   Review, Review and review ....

Last Selected Topics Contests with picts of winners!

We finished our Chemistry Unit last week.  When studying balancing equations we have our Daniel Boone - Best in Kentucky Gunpowder Championship.  Students make a small amount of gunpowder.  They are scored on duration of flash (less is more) and size of flash (more is better).  Winners always have a balanced reaction equation and good preparation technique.  While some of our students made very good fire retardants ... pictured below is Kacy and Brian that made excellent gunpowder with just the right amounts of potassium nitrate, sulfur and charcoal.

Also, we played some chemistry bingo while studying the periodic table.  Winners are below ...

L-R - Zach, Cody, April, Sir Charles Bunton (little brother of Robert!), Kacy, Tonya (2) and Brian ... not present at picture time ... Thomas "Camaro" Scruggs.

Out at Greenwood and On at ACS

We were suppose to play in the Greenwood Border Battle this weekend but was dropped from the tournament when they cut to 16 teams from 24 because of field problems (rain yesterday morning).  We are a little heavy on games and it will give us time to regroup and rest a little.  Actually, it allows us to go deep in the Owensboro Cath Tournament and it won't be a problem picking up a few games if we have to later.

Our freshman tournament is still on for today.  It is raining north of here but we might get by with a shower.  They need to play a lot and we have entered two teams to get more PT.

Our softball team was featured on Sports Connection / WBKO this weekend.   PR is not my strong suit but, Catie and Taylor did a wonderful job.  We are still ranked first in Kentucky and our team seems to be handling it okay.

In AP Biology we are on organ systems and nearing our review segment.  We finished our last lab in flying colors ... bacterial transformation lab / using pGREEN.  Will post some picts this weekend.

In Selected Topics we are starting our CATS review after finishing our unit in Chemistry.

Checked my new queens during the week.  They are released and hopefully laying eggs now.  The nucs that Gordon helped me make seem busy and I have fed them sugar water once.  After using queen excluders this Spring, I have decided that is one of the reasons I have had some queen cell problems.  Who knows ... there is some magic in beekeeping.

Have to get to school and get things ready for our tournament ... softball season is over half over ... time flies when you are busy.

Storm last night and long trip to Monroe Co.

A storm rolled through Holland about 2:00 last night.  Some strong straight line winds to out a few limbs from our aging trees in our yard.  No serious damage I can see so far.  We were in a tornado watch for a short time and it rained about an inch.

Softball team played at Monroe last night.  We scored 15 runs in the first inning, won 20-1 in three innings.   Our starters only played one inning.  JV won 20-0 in three.  We have to play Monroe two games each year because they are in our district.  It does not do either team any good to win or lose like that.

Last AP lab of the Spring today ... bacterial transformation lab.

Selected Topics finished an animal behavior lab yesterday and will review for a chem/physics test today.

Still have some pictures to post when I have some time.

Greenwood and b-day ...

Yesterday was our anniversary ... 35.  I know that seems like a long time but, from this side of 35 it seems like only a moment.  It has been a wonderful 35 years.

Talked to our children yesterday and they are fine and doing well.  Hannah was coming home from work.  Rachel was resting up from her trip down here last weekend.  John and Claire came to the softball game last night ... ACS 3 - Greenwood 0 ...

Yesterday in AP we started our study of organ systems ... digestive to begin with ...

Our Selected Topics used the isopods we had left over from last week for a behavior lab.

Long day today with a trip to Monroe County to play softball.

Picts tomorrow ...

Installed bees today and our children home for a while!

We had a great weekend.  Rachel was in from Illinois for the weekend and we enjoyed having her home for a while.  Good conversation!  John and Claire was in Friday night for supper and spent the night.  We miss them so any time they are home is great!

Saturday, I went up to Kelley's  (Kelley's Bees in Clarkson, KY) with Joey and Catherine to pick up bees and supplies.  Met them at Smiths Grove.  Returned there to get our taxes done afterward getting home in the early afternoon.

This afternoon Gordon (my mentor in beekeeping) came over to help me install queens in some older hives.  The first hive was a challenge ... lots of bees (thousands) to find one unmarked queen.  After several deep frames, Gordon spotted the queen that got away and went down into the lower deep box. After going through several frames in the lower deep he saw and captured the queen.  We installed the new queen and put the hive back together, removing the queen excluder.

He could not fine the queen in the other older hive and it was on the verge of swarming with several swarm cells.  We took three of the frames and put them in nucs, added bees and frames to try and start three new hives.   Never did find the queen but put in some foundation frames and put the hive back together ... will see how it turns out.

Checked out two weak hives that evidently had the queens die ... added my two packages of bees to these hives.  It was a weird day and I was so glad to have Gordon here to sort out the problems.  I learn so much each time I am around him!

Sue Neal and I went over to Catherine's to help her install her bees into the most beautiful (hand painted) hive I have ever seen!  Every thing went well.

Back to the house for the cleanup and getting some things ready for school tomorrow.

Greenwood at Greenwood tomorrow ... you know what that means!

A great weekend have two of our children home!

rr

No JV tournament ... Friday!

Our JV tournament trip to Hopkins County Central is cancelled because of rain.

Our Selected Topics class working on balancing equations today made black powder.  Students were judged on the size and duration of a small amount of gunpowder when lit ... congrats to Brian and Kacey ... for winning the Daniel Boone - Best in Kentucky - Gunpowder Championship!

In Selected Topics, we worked with isopods (pillbugs) today studying behavior.

Rachel is home for the weekend.  John and Claire came over to spend the night also and eat supper.  It is good to have them in the house!

Getting bees tomorrow but with the cold and rain may wait until Sunday to install them.

rr

Plant Science, Chemistry Bingo and a beautiful afternoon!

In AP Biology we finished our study of plant science.  We have the Animal Behavior Lab on Friday ... the isopod search is underway ... watch out for snakes!

Selected Topic is working on Chemistry ... tomorrow we finish our work on the periodic table and spend some time balancing equations ... the two most important ... aerobic respiration and photosynthesis.

After school was softball practice ... the daily news was over for some interviews and a pict ... we just drilled for a while with the varsity ... Barren (district game) tomorrow.

It was was a beautiful afternoon so stayed and watched part of the boys baseball game with Glasgow.  It would be hard to coach baseball with 90 foot bases after coaching softball for years ... I would get some people thrown out ... as I do occasionally in softball!

Our oldest daughter (Rachel) is coming home for the weekend ... I am looking forward to that!  She and our son (John) will be over for supper one evening.   Also this weekend I have a couple of packages of bees to install.

Good Morning!

Headed to school ...

Yesterday in AP we started our study of plant biology ... plants have hormones too!

In Selected Topics, it was the periodic table with information on products that contain each element.

Softball was East Robertson ... we won 7-4 but they got their 4 runs on 5 good hits, one a homerun.  Barren on Thursday.

A beautiful morning here with the sun just coming up ... Spring is in full swing and our bees will have a great day!

First day back after Spring Break!

Today in AP Biology we conducted our fly count.  Three crosses ... autosomal monohybrid (sepia mutant, 3:1 Mendelian ratio), autosomal dihybrid (sepia and apterous mutants for at 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio) and a X-linked monhybrid (white eye mutant giving a 1:1:1:1 ratio).  Results were good but our apterous mutant is always a problem in the tubes we use.  It was again a low count.

Tomorrow we finish data analysis and launch into our study of plant biology.

In Selected Topics, we started our Chemistry unit with some research on gunpowder and the history of its production and usage.  A review of the periodic table tomorrow.

Hitting practice for softball this afternoon.

Went for part of the beekeepers meeting this evening but left early to get to the house!  Rained heavily this evening.

rr

Back to School - AP Exam on the horizon and picts!

I spent the week with our softball team on the Gulf.  We stayed in a condo on Orange Beach ... it was beautiful and we had good weather.  In addition to playing softball, we toured Fort Morgan at the entrance of Mobile Bay which included visiting a bird banding station, banding hummingbird coming across the Gulf, our players helped release some of the banded birds ... our players went snorkeling last Thursday ... lots of fish and shells and a few sea sick participants including Coach Carter.  Lots of beach time!

We did play some softball with games at Baldwin County HS (AL), Escambia HS (FL), and six games at the Enterprise HS (AL).  We lost two games and won one on Friday when we moved up from the beach to Enterprise ... a little beach fever.  Our team bounced back on Saturday to win our last pool game (New Brockton, AL) 2-0.  In our first tournament game, we beat Northview (ranked 4th in 6A Alabama HS poll) scoring four runs in the seventh inning on a single, a slap and five bunts.  Our best small ball performance in the last four years!  We avenged our loss to Enterprise HS in the Championship game 3-2 ... tied the game in the seventh and won in the eighth inning in an international tie-breaker.

We left Enterprise and drove through to Scottsville, getting home safely at 2:30 AM.

Today,  I went to Sunday school, checked some of our beehives, went into to school and did some work and heading to bed soon.

Tomorrow in AP, we have flies to count and in Selected Topics, we will start our Chemistry unit.

Two final pictures from our trip to the Gulf ... while there Taylor, our catcher, had her 18th birthday and celebrated by snorkeling and one of our coaches, Robert, is getting married this summer so we tried out his child-handling skills with Coach Carter's daughter ... cute!

Lamberts, the beach, and softball

Yesterday evening we took our softball team to Lamberts.  Lots of rolls flying through the air and everyone  had a great time and ate too much.  Beach time this morning ... I got up and took a walk down the beach by myself to think.

This afternoon we are playing Escambia HS in Florida ... about 45 minutes away.  They are very good and will be only the second good team we have played this season ... I hope Beach Fever is about over.

The team is going snorkeling tomorrow then on Friday up to Enterprise for a two day tournament against good competition.

The hummingbird website about Fort Morgan and banding migratory birds is below ....

www.hummingbirds.net/events.html

Sorry for the delay ...

School ended on Friday and I was in a rush to try and get the softball team off on a road trip ...

Saturday I checked all our hives and fed some bees.  Put in several frames on strong hives.  Fenced some and put up some gates.  Got the mowers ready and mowed with Sue Neal's help the yard.  AND finished our taxes.  A long Saturday.

Internet is not good here ... so will update my blog when I can.  Hope you all have a great Spring Break and can work in a little Plant Bio AP!  Yes, I am serious!  rr