Back in Business

I just wanted to let everyone know that Rubys Relics is open again. After a brief, but much needed hiatus, my jewelry work is available again at RubysRelics.etsy.com. Over the next few days, I’ll be adding more products, many of them new, so feel free to stop by often.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: ruby@wolftreewild.com

Cheers,

Ruby

Top 10 Things I Learned from My Honey Bees

That's me. Definitely not winning a beauty contest in my beekeeping attire, but smiling and having fun nonetheless.

Inspecting the old hive and installing the new one this past weekend with my Grandparents and my husband made me think about my perspective in life, here’s what I realized.

Every once in a while, life gets overwhelming. The to-do list overshadows the to-done list by so far I get vertigo just looking at it. My mistakes mock me. The dishes need to be done again. The weeds are crowding out the flowers. I’ve got orders to finish, but my hands are aching. My mind whirls with all the madness.

Then I go out to take care of the bees. It’s work. Yes, hard work in fact. Lots of bending and lifting. Just because bees can fly doesn’t mean they’re not heavy. A few frames filled with honey aren’t so bad, but when you start multiplying them… well you get it, I’m sure.

I'm so blessed to have such a wise and wonderful Grandfather, always willing to share and teach. Thank you, Grandpa. I love you.

You have to move slowly, carefully, with honey bees. They don’t like fast movements. It gets them all stirred up.

You have to be supremely careful with every move you make. Thousands of little bees are crawling and flying everywhere. It’s all too easy to inadvertently squish one.

There is something zenful about beekeeping. There has to be. You must be totally, 100% there, aware, deliberate, attentive, collected, and calm. You have to enjoy what you’re doing and be confident about it. You have to like the bees, or  the bees will know. You don’t want a few thousand little stingers distrustful of you.

What else have the bees taught me:

1. Don’t be afraid to dance. Bees dance to pass their messages along to the rest of the hive. They tell each other things like ,”Hey I found a great pollen source over here.” “Got us a water source, ladies, follow me,” and “There may be a threat outside.” Like the troubadours of old, they dance to tell tales. How irresistible is that?
2. Don’t be afraid to help someone out, but know when to send them out on their own. There’s nothing wrong with helping someone out, but when freeloaders begin to drain precious resources from those who deserve it and need it more, you have to know when to cut them off. Drones have only one role in the bee hive – to mate with the Queen, and only one drone receives that honor. The rest eat honey and that’s it. They hang around the hive, taking resources, and doing nothing to contribute to the wellbeing of the colony. In late summer, the workers begin to oust the lazy drones. While it’s a little harsh and sad, it is necessary to the good of the hive.
3. Be prepared to do a little grunt work before you get to fly. When honey bees first emerge, they are dutifully cared for, fed, and cleaned up after be other more mature workers.  When they are able, a young bee’s first duties are hive maintenance. They in turn have to clean up the hive and care for the newborns before they get to take flight and forage for pollen.
4. Hard work is the only way to get through life, accept it and you’ll be so much happier. Don’t complain and avoid, make the most of your opportunities. Remember that one person’s “work” is another person’s pleasure. Go through your days dancing and buzzing, make something wonderful from the raw materials around you. Leave the world a little stronger, more viable, and lively than you found it.
5. Don’t be defensive until you absolutely be .Most of the time, the offender doesn’t mean any harm. When you must defend your home and family, you must be willing to die for what you love. That is when you give it all you’ve got, because in the end nothing matters except what and who you stand for.   Honey bees only sting once, and then they die.  While they do have excellent defense mechanisms,  they tend to avoid conflict. Yet, when one bee raises the alarm, the rest come quickly to defend their castle and their Queen, no questions asked.
   

   The new bees, crammed into a screened box, but not for much longer.

6. When you’ve chosen a task, give it all you’ve got. Whatever you are doing, do that. Multitasking will only wear you thin and stress you out. If you put all of yourself into everything you do, you’ll always produce the best, most rewarding results.  Every bee in the hive has a job to do, and it’s not always the same job. Clean the hive, feed the brood, defend the hive, collect pollen, make propolis, build comb, haul water, and so on. When tasked with something, they do it without distraction or delay.
7.  Never forget where you come from. Go, explore the world, find the wonders and share them with others. When its time to come home, know where home is, know who home is.
8. Never pass up an opportunity to get up close and personal with a flower. Appreciate the finer things in life, and those things will benefit you.
9. Nothing in life is free. Even the flower that provides the pollen requires something in return for her services – pollination, which the bees happily oblige. It’s all about      cooperation.
10.  Be loyal and stick together. Know and care for your family and allies, and trust no one else. When others come begging or looking for weaknesses, show them to the door, forcefully if you have to. When one of your own comes calling, bring them in, offer      them food and protection, defend them and care for them. Remember, strength in numbers – together we stand, divided we fall.

But wait, there’s one more. Shall we call it a bonus? Or just #11?

Grandpa and Mike carefully prying the frames from the propolis, glove-less. Grandpa likes to get stung, saying it helps keep his hands from aching, so we're giving it a try. Everybody got one sting, and it wasn't too bad really.

Don’t be afraid. Life is terribly short, so make the most of every waking moment.  Most honey bees only live for a few weeks. In that time they fly hundreds of miles, visit thousands of blossoms, and do absolutely incredible things for the community in which they live. Be faithful and strong, hard-working, temperate, always vigilant, but mostly forgiving. Stay focused on your goals, give it everything you’ve got and you can’t go wrong.

Honoring the Earth: 5 Inexpensive and Easy Things You Can Do for the Earth Any Day

The health of our world is precariously balanced, one little thing could tip the scales either way (Photo courtesy of Mike Rubley, II, taken at Isle Royale, 2005)

Did you miss Earth Day? Get distracted and busy with life and living it, then realize, “Uh-oh, it was Earth Day and I didn’t do anything green?” Kinda like me and this post. I started writing it, thinking it would be just perfect for Earth Day, then life happened, and as usual, I’m a day late.

So what! That’s what I say. Why can’t we make everyday Earth Day?

Without a healthy earth, its inhabitants can not be healthy. We are directly connected to our environment. The air we breathe, the water we drink and bathe in, the soil that feeds us… without these things, we have nothing.  That is a fact whether its Earth day or not.

I find that it’s easy to get overwhelmed with environmental activism. The “Green Movement,” Global Warming, Endangered Species… there are just so many things to worry about. So many things to protect. I can’t possibly do it all. Nobody can.

"We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." ~ Aldo Leopold, 'A Sand County Almanac,' 1949

I know whenever I get overwhelmed by any thing I find that simplifying is the key. I have to step back, take a deep breath, and pick one thing I know that I can do that will help one little thing. If everybody did just one little thing to help the environment today, the world would be such a better place tomorrow. I can’t even imagine how much.

If we all did just one little thing for our environment every day and not just on “Earth” day, can you imagine?

We have to start somewhere. Baby steps, right? So, in case you’re at a loss for Earth-friendly activities, here’s a few inexpensive, relatively easy, and immediately gratifying activities you can do today or any day.

1. Don’t drive anywhere. Simple really, and very pleasant all on its own. Stay home today. Kick back at the homestead and spend time with your family. If you get stir crazy, then hop on a bicycle and peddle about a bit. You’ll get fresh air, exercise, and a little closer to nature. Everybody wins. If you can’t possibly stay home today, then set aside a day next weekend. I find that Sundays are ideal and it will give you something to look forward to. Quiet family time at home, now doesn’t that sound lovely?
2. Grab an old grocery bag or two and pick up some trash. There are more benefits to this than you might think at first glance. Of course, you get the benefit of leaving a lovely, garbage-free neighborhood behind, but you also have an opportunity to show your  neighbors that you care about the community, while secretly guilting the heck of the litterer if they happen to see you cleaning up after them.
3. 

   Garlic Mustard is a nasty weed that is taking over native habitat around the Great Lakes region. Fortunately, its easy to pull. Just make sure you don't leave the plants in the woods. Just because you pulled the plant, doesn't mean the seeds can't become viable.

   Have an exotic-invasive extermination party. Doesn’t that just sound like fun? Actually, its not so bad. This time of the year, at least around the Great Lakes region, Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolatais) in bloom and very easy to identify. Its also only a matter of weeks away from strewing seeds to the four winds to infest and take over critical native habitat. Another bonus, is that at this stage its about waist high and with shallow roots, so it’s an easy pull. You don’t even have to bend over.

4. Save a little water. Clean and rinse an empty plastic milk jug and fill it with water. Put it into the holding tank of your toilet so it displaces water that otherwise might be used for flushing. This way you save a half to a full gallon of water with ever flush.
5. Make some habitat. Take a broken bowl or dish and place it in a damp, dark semi-protected part of your yard or garden for frogs. Amphibians are an important predator for insects and pest in the garden. They are also very fragile life forms which reflect the health of an ecosystem. Every frog or salamander I find in my garden is a compliment to our land stewardship. A healthy amphibian is the gardener’s badge of honor.
   

   A little paint, and this broken terra cotta pot becomes a cute garden decoration and frog habitat. If you don't have time to paint, no worries, the frogs won't mind either way.

There are tons more things you can do to make our environment a better, healthier place, and oddly enough, they tend to make our lives just a little better as well.

So why not go out and celebrate nature and life and do one little thing to make the world a better place. Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire someone else to follow suit. The next thing you know, voila, the world will actually be a little better than it was yesterday!

Happy Greening!

Snowy April

What's wrong with this picture?

Typically, in Michigan, in early April, this really wouldn’t be notable at all.  Around here, we joke that ”If you don’t like the weather in Michigan, wait five minutes.” As Mom always says, “Many a truth was said in jest.”

Can you believe this was the scene at the redbud last week?

We’ve had a mad wind for a few days now, blowing away the surprising warmth of spring. It blew flowers out of their pots and I watched them bouncing across the hillside from my studio window yesterday. A few weeks ago, temperatures were in the 80s. Now, the sun is gone, there is a robin hopping in the front yard with snow falling on its back. Go figure.

At least it makes me feel a little better about how far behind Michael and I have felt lately. Maybe we’re not behind, summer just got ahead of herself.

A prime example the symbiotic relationship of animals in the garden - Sisu and the mole working together to destroy our hard work.

We’ve been working diligently on the springtime work. So far, the garden beds are nearly ready, tilled, the fencing is up. We just need a gate. Take that, Bambi-bean-theives and other miscellaneous garden vermin!

Hunting is hard work too, you know.

 

The terrace still needs work, but I got the pond up and running. We had yet another animal problem that needed to be solved. This one involved dogs, bees, and mosquitoes.

Dogs and bees weren't the only issue with a still water pond. Our friendly neighbor blue-spot salamander enjoys it too, but he can still visit when the water's running again.

The problem … swimming dogs in pond. Without an electric pump, the pond is just a big skeeter breeder. With an electric pump, its a shock hazard. Without running water the bees are drowning in vast quantities.

The solution – A three-tiered design featuring a waterfall filled with rocks, so the bees have  landing/gathering/launch pads, trickling down to a larger pond for the dogs to cool off in safely. Which then trickles down to another smaller, but deep pond for the electric water pump to be housed in.

Finally a safe place to land.

Everyone’s happy.

Still more to do. Always. The new honey’s are arriving on Saturday. Time to put the last coat of paint on the hives and get the site leveled, and the frames put into the hive boxes. Never a dull moment.

 

Prairie Fires – Under Control

Every year we hear horror stories about wild fires blazing out of control out west.. so far in my life I have been blessed to not have one go wild near us, but I’ve been close enough to a big blaze to respect its ferocity, that is for sure.

Every once in a while, my handsome husband draws me out of my housewifery to help with a little field work, and I am so grateful. Hey, he has a cool job – what can I say.

My husband emerging from the smoke on the black line after a little flame tried to get away. So hot (pun intended )

Last week, he called me in for a prescribed burn. This may sound counter-intuitive, but a prescribed burn can do wonders for the right ecosystem, and can prevent wildfires. By carefully directing a blaze and taking the proper precautions, you can reduce the fuel load of an area, encouraging new growth of native plants and ridding the environment of invasive species. Plus its exciting.

Now before you go setting fire to the back yard, keep in mind, several experienced, knowledgable individuals executed and directed this burn with some pretty expensive (and heavy) equipment, lots of assistance, and under ideal weather conditions. Like any good recipe, all the ingredients for a successful controlled burn must be just right for it to turn out well.

In other words, don’t try this at home.

Jumpstart on Spring

Sisu and Osiris enjoying a run at Fort Custer in late February, 2012

Hard to believe that less than a month ago we were out skijoring in our bunny fur hats and down vests.

Now, I’m filling the frog pond, painting beehives, and planting seeds. Hard to believe how fast time flies.

If you’ve happened to stop by the Etsy shops lately you may have noticed that there isn’t any inventory. Not to worry, more than just the house and yard needed a little springtime TLC.

Sanguinaria canadensis or Bloodroot

My goal is to have both sites back up and running by April 1st. Currently I’m working on finishing up a new line of Silver-Filled wire jewelry, getting photos, and updating listings. Keep an eye out and I’ll be sure to announce the grand reopening.

Also, mark your calenders for June 9th, 2012. I’ll be setting up in person at the Ella Sharp Museum Art and Wine Festival in Jackson, Michigan with my sparkling wares. Contact me in advance if you want a certain piece before it gets there. Otherwise, I look forward to meeting you there in person.

Cheers and enjoy another beautiful spring!

Ruby

I just couldn't resist posting this picture of my dogs. They're just so beautiful contrasting against the blooming forsythia, don't you think?

Wolf Tree Wild ~ What’s in a Name?

There are at least two ways to see a Wolf Tree, depending on your perspective. If you are the glass-is-half-empty type, you may see it like Merriam-Webster, as “a very large forest tree that has a wide-spreading crown that inhibits or prevents the growth of smaller trees around it.”

"With this tree will fall the end of an epoch." Aldo Leopold, 1942, from "The Last Stand"

If you are like me, then you might define a Wolf Tree as an aged veteran whose massive horizontal branches gave life to the scrappy saplings around it, whose scarred wood and fruit have sheltered and sustained many a forest creature over countless decades.

Finding a wolf tree is one of those exceedingly rare moments when a person can see back in time a century or more. If you start at the tree and look around, you may see scars on the landscape from farmer’s plows, the tipped remnants of the roots of its siblings, raw and twisted unnaturally into the air for the intended containment of undulates long since passed. You might see barbed wire consumed by the trunks of neighboring trees, scars from maple sugar taps, browse lines, buck rubs, even the occasional crumbling foundation of some homestead long since abandoned.

This tree appeared to be reaching out as if to embrace the storm, somewhere near Big Bay, in the U.P. of Michigan

For whatever reason the wolf tree escaped the axe, whether to mark a property line or to be tapped for sugar, or perhaps to give shade to the sawyers and farmers, the wolf tree represents history, fortitude, tenacity, and stability. It is the denizen of time. It represents a touch of mercy, as it is likely that more than once in its life, the tree was spared by the ministers of human progress as well as the merciless succession of nature and time. The wolf tree represents the ultimate battle of all life, the untenable precariousness of life’s grasp upon its own autonomy. It is the ultimate survivor, the ultimate historian, the ultimate symbol of life, both the life-giver and life-taker. 

The wolf tree has earned its right to stand on its small piece of earth, unharmed and unaltered by man’s saw and ax. As the crowns of its offspring crowd in upon it, slowly choking out its own slow-growing bid for the sun and earth, it deserves at least a moment’s pause.  And yet as you look at it, you must realize that it is, like all the rest of us, dying.

Finding wolf trees is always a challenge, but worth it every time.

I chose the Wolf Tree as my emblem for those reasons. And because, honestly, I love wolves and I love trees, simple as that.

And now you know where my name came from and why I chose it, and you have a little more insight on what I’m thinking about when I create my wire and burned art.

I have read that finding your first wolf tree is the most difficult thing. After you locate your first tree, you will never see the wilderness the same again. When you look at a landscape, you will find yourself in a living time machine.

I can't help wondering about the things that a old trees have seen.

Change is in the Air

The only thing that’s certain about life, besides death, is change. Sometimes it’s for the best, sometimes it’s not so great. However you look at it, it is going to happen. There’s no way to avoid it. Change is what makes life interesting. 

The first wolf tree I discovered, remains one of the best, and holds a very dear place in my heart.

In the case of my lovely little business, I believe the changes on the horizon are going to be great. A few years ago, I introduced Ruby’s Relics to the world on a whim. I made stuff and I wanted to share it with the rest of you, so my Relics were born.

Unfortunately the brand Ruby’s Relics ended up feeling like a cage, and anyone who knows me at all knows that I don’t handle being caged in well. I had ideas, more things to share, that simply couldn’t be at home as a Relic. They needed to stay wild, just the way they started.

So without further chatter,  let me introduce Wolf Tree Wild, an eclectic collection of elemental wonders for a wild lifestyle. Go ahead, be wild.

No worries, Ruby’s Relics fans and clients, little besides the name will change for you. My mission remains the same, as do my policies… mostly. My Etsy shop will continue offering all the same high quality hand-made wire work and organic treasures, only with some new extras. Wolf Tree Wild will honor ALL previous commitments, as I am still the artist/owner/designer, therefore all guarantees, coupons, etc. will carry through to the new name, without hassle.  

Available soon - A work of art on their own... Recycled/Repurposed Gift Boxes - Contact me for more details

A few improvements are being introduced, but I think you’ll find they benefit you. First, I’ll be selling handmade decoupaged, 85% recycled/repurposed and Made-in-the-USA jewelry boxes to accent your wild-works and make gift giving simple.

Next, I intend to begin accepting returns. I believe that you will love the item you purchase, and I try immensely hard to stay true to the item in my photos and descriptions. However I realize that online shopping can be a little scary. I don’t know about you, but I’m a highly tactile person. If I can’t see “it” with my own eyes, weigh it in my hand, roll it in the light, then I’m skeptical that “it” is going to be what I want to spend my hard-earned cash on.

As an artist who pours her heart, soul, sweat and tears into her work, I find that not accepting returns is, well, wimpy. Now that I’ve got more confidence in the techno-aspect of online selling and since I’ve gotten so familiar with my craft that I dream about wire weaving when I sleep, I feel that I’m cheating both you and I by not accepting returns. If you don’t like your purchase, then send it back. You’ve got 3 days to decide, but I’ll accept it and refund your money, minus the cost of shipping. Simple.

There are a few more changes in the wind, but I’ll leave those for another post. For now, it gives you something to look forward to and gives me a whole lot to do. Yee-haw!  

Renewal

 It’s nearly summer now, and I’ve been a bad little blogger. So many interesting things to share with you, and I’ve been too busy doing to find the time to write about it. That’s about to change though.

My list of post topics is enough to fill up a notebook on its own, so I’d better get to working on it. So much to tell you…

 The world is bursting with life, there is so much work to do. Gardens, bees, dogs, lots of new life to attend to. There have been weddings, birthdays, anniversaries. Soon a baby shower, too. So many grand new beginnings and happy occasions, its hard to keep track. Still, let me share a few with you.

Here’s to many more kisses even better than the first!

First, Congratulations to Tasha & Kyle! who are now enjoying their first week of happily-ever-after as husband and wife. May your love and respect for one another only grow for many many years to come! Love you both!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amiability meets Nobility

On a more bittersweet note, I must bid adieu to my beautiful Harley-girl, who walked at my side for over a decade. She was everything a dog should be, and none could describe her better than Lord Byron wrote of his dog, Boatswain in 1808, “…one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of man without his Vices…”

 Harley was an amazing animal, impacting uncountable lives through her Search and Recovery work in wilderness/airscent and human remains detection, as well as bringing comfort and laughter to the ill and elderly at adult care facilities, and playing “the wolf” in live theatre.  Not only that, she taught many a pup the ins-and-outs of being a gentle and reliable human companion and a great dog.  Thank you, Harley. You are sorely missed, but you have truly earned your rest.

On a brighter note, let me introduce you to the newest members of my family…

Look Ma, I can dig!

- First, we brought a little Sisu, a Gerbarian Shepsky, into our lives about 2 months ago.  Now at the ripe old age of 15 weeks, this little gypsy-eyed girl is full of mischief and mayhem. Sometimes I think she’s cutest when she’s sleeping. Her hobbies include running really, really fast, howling and singing along with the older dogs, and keeping my feet warm. She’s everthing a puppy should be – cute, smart, friendly, willing, curious, courageous, trusting, and just plain full of naughty!

Next, we are now in the presence of royalty here in the hills. May I present Queen Ambrosia Mead, and her honey bee entourage. After much anticipation and excitement, my 3 pound package of honey bees arrived in Michigan a few weeks ago to be presented with their new kingdom and castle, all freshly painted and furnished with sheets of wax. They were immediately presented a feast of homemade nectar upon arrival and are now settling happily into their new home.

We have a few dozen more new additions to the property, who definitely deserve honorable mention if not long explanations for each. Course all these gentle fellows are far more subtle and less demanding then puppies and queen bees. Meet the Greens…

Sweetgrass, a rare and very special new resident.

 At long last, I have some living sweetgrass, a plant I’ve been trying to become personally acquainted with for years. And yes, it is every bit as sweet as its name implies. Currently it is far to young and unsure of its new home to trim and braid, but I look forward to a long partnership with this legendary plant.

Bloodroot, a fascinating native spring ephemeral with a rich history of medicinal use.

Bloodroot: This beautiful native plant thrives in a woodland setting, so I tucked it in the lee of a big burned-out log last year. To my utter joy, it bloomed enthusiastically this spring.

A quality of many native plants, which tries the patience of many a modern gardener, is that they like to take their time. When they are first transplanted, they demand the time to set their roots and acclimate to their new location before they even consider blooming. This makes them more forgiving to the ecosystem and soil, but no less glorious when they do bloom.

Pasqueflower, one of the first splashes of color in the garden this spring.

Another gorgeous native that blooms early in the spring is the dainty Pasque Flower. Rich purple when in bloom, by late May, this shy native ornaments the garden with its soft, flowy foliage and spent flower heads throughout spring. 

There are so many plants I’d like to introduce you to, but all in good time. You can look forward to many more garden, plant and puppy pictures as well as a few DIY projects I’ve been working on.

In the meantime, happy spring to you all. Thanks for stopping by.

Bye for now,

Ruby 

Remembering 2010 in Color – Enjoy!

This peaceful visitor graced our walnut tree just long enough for me to catch him on camera - I'm eternally grateful.

The beautiful bit of dead wood virtually vanishes into the backwoods through the year, but this day, this moment, it became a veritable work of art.

The year 2010 has been a good year for me. One of the best, in fact. And one of the fastest.

Where did time go?

Who knows.

Happily, I’m looking forward to another great year in 2011. In the meantime, I thought I’d share some of my most memorable moments caught on camera.

Enjoy!

Who says flowers are only lovely when they bloom?

This Crane couply are regular spring visitors. They serve as a reminder that there is grace, resilience, and loyalty in Nature.

That's my boy, staying true to his roots.

And that is what makes all the trouble of digging, weeding, watering, and waiting worth it.

Sometimes life is nothing more than a balancing act.

One of the few living things that can live in between states of matter. Rooted in the earth, passing through the water, and blooming in the atmosphere. Amazing, when you think about it

Michael found this little guy dessicating in our Michigan basement. This is after we rehablilitated the little fellow and just before we set him free.

If ever you think your life is losing its luster and you are losing your sense of wonder along with it, try looking up.

Early this spring, my husband brought me this rose bush, saying “Every lady should have roses in her garden.”This was about the millionth perfuct bud it produced this year.

Ultimately, God is the greatest gardener.

Bees are one of my very favorite of God's creation - I'm hoping next year to provide the industrious little bizzy-buzzies a home as well as a feast. Wish me luck.

I cannot even begin to fathom how far this little Monarch travelled before chosing to lay itself down in my garden after its final flight. I'm honored.

Oil in the River, or what once was a river.

 

On a lighter note...

I got this shot out on a hike a Pierce Cedar Creek Institute - gorgeous!

Something like what the settlers might have seen ... tall grass and tall trees, another PCCI treasure!

No matter how much science learns, she may always her mysteries.

No seriously, that is a dog.

This lucky oak happened to be just on the cool side of the back burn, and I just so happened to be in the right place at just the right moment.

Survivers

Bike-joring - AKA Burning excess energy on a crisp autumn day.