Down the Road

The Cleverly Trio

The Smiths are a traveling bunch!

After a couple weeks of packing, traveling, unpacking, laundry, packing, traveling (you get the idea) we're finally back home to relax, regroup, and resume fall chores at the farm.  But boy did we have fun!  :)

Nashville - IBMA

Who wouldn't love a whole week of bluegrass and honky tonks?  The weather was beautiful (note to self - it's not too late in the season for shorts at IBMA) and the music was delicious!  Thanks to Brandi Hart and the Dixie Bee-Liners for letting us stalk them all over town.  And we enjoyed the awards show on Thursday night although our friends Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers didn't bring home the Emerging Artist trophy (robbed!).  The post-awards show at the Hard Rock Cafe was incredible with a triple scoop of Monroeville, The Boxcars, and The Cleverlys. And Fan Fest was better than ever!  Thanks to The Cleverlys for bringing us backstage.  I know who I'm voting for Entertainer of the Year!  :)

Pittsburgh - Steelers vs. Titans

We dragged ourselves home from NashVegas and after a brief layover at the farm we headed out to Pittsburgh to take the kids to their first Steelers game.  :)  The weather was absolutely perfect and the Steelers came through with a routing of the visiting Titans!

Brady & Cody meet Emmanual Sanders #88

 

Odds & Ends

Back to the farm...

Now that the temps are hanging around the 70º mark we're making plans for winding down the farm for its winter nap.  The field needs to be mowed one last time, the coops prepped for cold weather, and the beehives need a wind break.  Interesting note - the bees have no problem with cold temperatures but can't survive the wind.  So, we need to construct a break from the northern winds - hay bales, cardboard hive wrap, etc.  And their fall feeding is coming to an end quickly.  The winter survival rate for honeybees in Ohio is around 40% - a depressing number when you look out over the beeyard and try to imagine starting the new year with fewer hives.

High Tech Rednecks

Brady has a new iPhone and I inherited his Droid, which means I can now do mobile blogging!  :)  Well, I could if I didn't have a chihuahua in my lap every time I sit down.  Anyway, I've downloaded the Blogger app and within the next few days I'll send out my first attempt at a blog-on-the-run. 

Coming Up

Clean coops, consolidate bee hives, fencing, band practice