From Dad May 17, 2015

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Re:  Letter 24 of 3

Dear Riley:

Who would have guessed that 6 months could pass so quickly?  It was so good to Skype with you on Mother’s Day and we loved your letter waiting for us the following morning.  It’s wonderful to see people making changes for the better and to witness the joy the gospel brings into their lives.  If we knew nothing else about the gospel, this would at least be evident; it changes lives for the better, and brings an increase of joy into the lives of all those who apply its principles.  Why then the venom towards it??  At any rate, you look and sound wonderful.  I’m glad to hear that things are picking up in a big way for you and your companion.  With faith, obedience, and hard work, I can’t imagine any way you won’t be wildly successful.

Today is a beautiful day, but the first full sunny day in awhile.  We’ve had so much rain I think I’m in danger of growing moss on my back.  I spent a good portion of the day yesterday out in drizzling rain punctuated with occasional torrential downpours.  The ground out by the garden is at capacity for water retention and moves like Jell-o underfoot.  I’m trying to fill my garden boxes with soil so I can plant, but the soil is so wet, I could work it with a cement trowel.  Tomorrow it’s forecasted to continue raining through Wednesday.  We desperately need the water, so this is a blessing, but one that’s a little difficult to work around.

The bees have been difficult to manage with all the rain.  It turns out I had a rather serious problem which needed to be addressed as quickly as possible, but the weather wasn’t cooperating very well.  Either my former queen left the hive, was killed by the worker bees, or is barren.  Whatever the reason, I have no eggs or brood, and now my bees from my package are near the end of their life span.  In an emergency rescue effort, I needed to acquire a couple frames of eggs and capped brood and a new queen.  Bro. Pyne was good enough to provide me with two frames of brood (such a good man!) and I was able to pick up a new queen the following day.  It was quite a challenge to find windows of good weather in which to tend the hive.  I’m still worried about the possibility of the other queen being in the hive, barren, and ready to do battle with the new queen.  I employed a queen excluder between the two brood boxes in order to keep the other queen at bay until I can conclusively determine there is only one egg laying queen in the hive.  I need to check the queen box within the next three days to see if the bees are accepting a new queen before I set her free in hive.  It turns out that too rapid integration of a new queen can cause the worker bees to swarm her and sting her to death.  All this I never fully appreciated about bees…  This is more work than your Mother would choose to invest, but I’m still fully invested in the survival of this hive.  By the way, if you happen to see a queen bee flying around… she’s worth $39.00!

We’ve made it half way through the month of May and I’m beginning to feel like we’re going to survive this.  The weather caused a postponement of two activities, one of which will be moved to June.  This has spread things out a bit and I feel like I can breathe a little easier.  Just 9 more days left of school.  Parker is planning on working for me through the summer  I’m looking forward to this, and think back on the time you were there.  We became quite accustomed to your contribution and missed it when you left.  Things have been SO busy.  Long days and lots of orders, but it’s rewarding and everyone gets along extremely well.  Parker should fit in well.

Well, as always, I look forward to your letter and pray daily for your safety, success, and for you to be blessed with the gift of tongues.  I can see you’re already more of a man than when you left last November, and can see some of the spiritual growth which has taken place in your life.  We are being so blessed, and I can’t deny the outpouring of blessings directly related to your service.  It’s truly astounding.  Take care, follow the Spirit, love and serve your companion, chin up, shoulders back!  It’s a great time to be alive and engaged in building the kingdom.

Love,

Dad