I had an interesting weekend over the Easter holiday, despite the weather.

Not that I can't appreciate the rain. Quite the contrary. However, if I was in charge of the rain I would make it always fall after dark. That way, we could all put tin roofs on our houses and everyone would sleep better.

Of course, since I sleep in the lower level of a house, I would probably have to put on a tin porch or something, but that's beside the point. Friday evening after work, I rode down to Wilkes County to take a class on working an apiary.

While this may sound to some like an ideal place to raise apes, it is actually about something entirely different — bees.

The class was only about $10 and my friend, who has been trying for months to get his name in the paper, paid for my part of the lessons. It turns out that we had missed part one, which was probably chocked full of important information.

By the way, my friend's name is Ken McDonald, which reminds me of Old McDonald. I think that's kind of an ironic name for a guy who likes to farm.

At any rate, he and I also jointly work with the rabbits and such, so it seems fitting that he would try to get me interested in his bees. He even has offered to help set up my first hive.

At the class, they had a drawing for a three frame split, which I don't think has anything to do with bowling. I won it, whatever it is. So that means that I will have at least two hives of bees to deal with this summer. I have been told that crop production on apples, grapes and multiple fruit and vegetable bearing plants is increased greatly with the addition of a couple of bee hives.

This tells me that I have probably needed to get involved with the little critters before now. It's not the thought of dealing with bees that bothers me, it is my utter and complete bee stupidity.

Then again, I didn't know anything about rabbits until I started working with them and reading about them. This will just give me something else to learn about.

There has always been a part of me that likes to learn new things, try new things and new foods and even go new places. However, there is also another part that is starkly pragmatic about life.

"Why do you need bees?" That part asks. "You don't even eat sweets." However, the adventurous half tells me that I might actual enjoy myself, make money or make crops more productive. I will be very lucky if any of the three are true.

On the other hand, it is likely that this will be another expensive and time consuming hobby. Well, at least it will limit my down time, I suppose.

Saturday, I went to help my parents put in their spring garden. I felt like some of it was a bit late and other parts were a bit early, but overall, it was fine.

We put in mustard and turnip greens, turnips, cabbage, lettuce, salad peas, green arrow peas, potatoes, onions, beets, carrots, parsnips and other springtime treats.

Of course, some of the spring garden is going to be running into the early summer, with items like carrots and such getting ripe in late May.

I suppose that means that some of the tomatoes, peppers, corn and other summertime foods will have to wait a little bit.

I left about four rows in the very middle of the garden that separate the potatoes from some of the other stuff, so I at least will have room to put in a few of each thing until the garden opens up. I don't think it will matter if the corn is planted in late May or early June. It should come up anyhow.

Last year the corn didn't really get up until June, at which time we had already replanted. Not only did the first run come up, the second one did also. We pulled out about 200 corn plants and gave some to family members. I have heard that you can't transplant corn, but I know better.

It just isn't worth the trouble.

I can only hope I get all of this mess caught up and the bees figured out before we all have a 'hard row to hoe.' It's still hard for me to believe that winter is over, let alone that spring is aging rapidly.

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