Bee shepherdess to be

I sat with the flock this morning, a beautiful day, a new year, and thought about what the first day of last year was like, and what was to come with the move. I'm glad that part is behind us. It was a lot. I think it started soaking in around October.

I'm pleased for our new life here, I have optimism about our future here. I do not have optimism at this time for many other things including world peace, or our situation in America, so I am going to focus on what we are trying to build here at Apifera, and the good we can do here, and that I can do through art ad writing and sharing stories and animals.

We went to a nearby friend's last night and played pool in an old Maine farmhouse, came home by 9 and sipped wine while we watched 'The Graduate'. We have made a cluster of friends from a nearby road, really smart, interesting, grounded people. It's like an instant community for us and we are so happy to have met them all.

And today we walked our Wood. It was so pretty out, with coyote tracks laced all around. I guess my hope for 2017 is pretty simple-health for us, the ability to continue to be able to buy Martyn's prescription meds and what are now affordable, continued sales so I can support our farm, and..I hope our country does not get shattered by the incoming administration. But like I said, that is an area I have very little optimism in, and I am by nature optimistic, so this pessimism is very difficult on me. And it is why we will focus on Apifera and making it a respite for people driving by, where they can stop in on their busy summer travels, talk to some animals, visit my future little book shop, buy some produce or art, and some of our flock's fiber.

And after much research, and finding good resources here, I have decided I am going to become a bee shepherdess this year. After all, "Apifera" does mean "bee bearing" and it is Maine's state insect. I have always loved and admired bees. And just doing the research I learned so much about the ingenuity and work ethic of this creature.

Thank you to so many of you who have followed along with me and Apifera-be it a short time or over twelve years now, your support of my art and writing allows me to do what I was put on Earth to do, and also make a humble living for yet another year. I'm grateful for that, thank you.