About Watkinsville's Hickory Hill

After a really long, hot summer, we have been rewarded with an unusually long fall. Some years it seems that we go straight from summer into winter with just a few days of real fall, but this year it cooled off right after Labor Day and we have had a long stretch of cool, mostly dry weather. The trees in my neighborhood, Hickory Hill, have popped with color in the last few days. It reminds me of the song, "Let's go out in a blaze of glory".

Recently, a couple of our Hickory Hill Subdivision neighbors invited us over for a "honey extracting party". They keep bees in their backyards and also take their hives to the north Georgia mountains for a time each summer for the sour wood honey. They called us over a couple of weeks ago to witness (and help with) the honey extracting. It was an interesting process and a lot of fun (until you got to the 100th frame). There are quite a few backyard bee keepers here in Oconee County, GA.

After removing the frames from the hives, the first step is to slice open the honey comb.

Then the frames are placed into the extractor which spins and causes the honey to flow out of the comb and into the bottom of the extractor.

This is honeycomb from where the comb is sliced open. Honey drains from this and some of it can be added to jars of honey. When cleaned it can be used for making things like beeswax candles.

We had quite a few people helping at various times throughout the process.

The honey and home made biscuits were a hit with the children.

This is some of the produce from our garden. This year we tried some asparagus beans, shown above. They are climbers, and produce long, thin beans that taste, oddly, somewhat like asparagus! So far I've steamed them with a little garlic & ginger. They are also supposed to be good in stir-fry.

Does anyone have any experience with these or any ways to cook them?

All pictures below are the exclusive property of Diane Boykin.

Yesterday I was out walking our Jack Russell, Sadie, and just had to take pictures of a few of the beautiful trees in my neighborhood, Hickory Hill, in Oconee County. I'm not sure if this fall is especially colorful or we just forget how awesome fall can be right here. It isn't even necessary to go to the mountains to enjoy the leaves this year. I thought I'd share some of the trees with you.

Maple on Ramblewood Place

Bradford Pear

Maple in woods

Huge Golden Hickory Tree

When we walked by my neighbor, Mary's house, she had the same idea that I did and was out taking pictures of the trees, too.

I will have to slip in a tree that we saw last weekend over in Scottsboro, AL. The large maple has to be one of the most beautiful that I have ever seen!