Brian Harper

A husband & father of one girl located in the southern St. Louis, Missouri area • Insomniac • Mild OCD • Late Gen X • Full-time CAD/CAM Programmer • Started as a CNC Machinist • Technology Enthusiast • Nature/Wildlife Conservation • A Friend to Animals • More Than Mildly Sarcastic • Dad Jokes Possible • A fan of The Simpsons • Premium Knife Collector • Amateur Photographer • Ethical Hobbyist Beekeeper

Location: USA (Zone 7a)
Background: Raised on a farm, now residing in a city.
PeerTube: [@harphives_homestead_@dudelike.wtf](https://dudelike.wtf/video-channels/harphives_homestead_ )
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJjTaM9O7q4LGFIoaIuQP8A

Public Key

npub1kcdyrl0edt777hcrd5c4xmu5dryy5zkc6ek5vygs4nrhxnvutfvs8r6gdz

NIP-05 Address

that_one_guy_at_mastodon.world@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqstvxjplhuk4l00tupk6v2nd72x3jz2ptvdvm2xzyg2e3mnfkw95kgpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsr42tqv

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub1kcdyrl0edt777hcrd5c4xmu5dryy5zkc6ek5vygs4nrhxnvutfvs8r6gdz

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Last Notes

2026-05-01 01:14:40 UTC

After putting in 8 hrs at the office, I spent 3 hours cutting the top 40ft/12.19m plus off this dead tree leaving a 15ft stump to mount my swarm box. Now I just need good weather and another curious group of scout bees to show up. It's prime swarming season now, hopefully we get lucky.
Have a wonderful evening! 🌆
#today #beekeeping #swarm
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2026-04-21 22:10:22 UTC

WE JUST HAD A SWARM SHOW UP IN OUR YARD, IM TRYING TO CATCH IT!!! FREE BEES 🐝🐝🐝
#today #beekeeping #HarpHives
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2026-04-20 00:40:35 UTC

Some of our second year black raspberry canes are pretty epic! The original canes didn't look nearly as good so it must be getting well established. It's always rewarding when hard work and time in the garden start paying off.
#raspberry #gardening
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2026-04-11 22:34:19 UTC

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I'm glad to hear he's doing better!

2026-04-11 00:41:33 UTC

My old fashioned French lilac got dropped off today. I'm excited to plant it tomorrow. I didn't realize it but this lilac is coming from shoots my friend's aunt got from grandma's lilac bush over 35 years ago. It was a sentimental moment when he explained that to me. My grandmother gave plants to everyone. It was originally planted in the 1940s so it's awesome to keep it going a bit longer myself.

2026-04-09 23:41:23 UTC

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I hope everything is ok and it's just a pull or sprain. I don't mind me getting old but hate it for them.

2026-04-08 22:32:58 UTC

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Great choice with minimal headache. Their blowers are very powerful.

2026-04-08 22:24:51 UTC

Hello everyone! How's it going? It's meh here, a sign of the times. I had to get the lawn mower out for the first time this year. I'm glad we invested in the Ego electric mower a couple of years ago. It makes cutting the grass so much easier. No oil, no gas and no engine noise. Friday I'll be getting the wood chipper out, it has all three but will chip a 4 inch branch, so I'll cut it some slack. 😉
Have a pleasant evening! After the hardware store, I'm shutting down.
#today #yardwork

2026-04-06 23:24:49 UTC

The bare root plants we ordered from the Missouri Conservation Dept are starting to put on green. The pictures below are just 4 of the 18 we planted but all are coming out of dormancy. So that turned out to be a good deal.
Below are an elderberry, hazelnut, blackberry, and wild plum.
#gardening #Missouri
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2026-04-05 20:34:41 UTC

If anyone in the St Louis, Missouri area, preferably on the south end, has any common French lilac live shoots they'd like to sell or give away, please message me. I'm having a heck of a time finding plain old French lilac, all the nurseries are selling dwarf varieties. We have a Korean Pixie lilac but I'm looking for the classic one my grandma had.
#STL #StLouis #Missouri #gardening

2026-04-03 00:06:16 UTC

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We've had days. I think this weekend will be our last cold snap to the mid 30s. We hit above 90°F 2 or 3 times already.

2026-04-03 00:02:30 UTC

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Beautiful plant! I'm glad spring has sprung for the most part.

2026-04-02 23:12:15 UTC

I was looking through my gallery today and this old picture of Mr Minx with Pixie laying on him always makes me smile. He was bigger than her, then it switched.
A lot changes in 5 years.
#ThrowBackThursday #catsofmastodon #dogsofmastodon
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2026-04-02 01:23:20 UTC

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The "address" was just a repeat of shit he's said already and nothing new really came about from this sad, low energy broken record.
Winding down wasn't mentioned and boots on the ground seem more likely in my opinion.

2026-04-01 23:30:38 UTC

My wife and I were discussing the upcoming address tonight and we both think it's going to be "boots on the ground". The news seems to be sure it's an announcement we're getting out, maybe within a month.
What's everyone's opinion?
#politics

2026-03-31 22:51:33 UTC

Well my 1st day back at work after the long weekend sucked. My meetings soul crushing, and my commute atrocious.
If I could find a way to go full hermit I would!
Hopefully your Tuesday was better.🙂
#today

2026-03-30 23:36:10 UTC

Have you ever been bored but also don't want to do anything at the same time? 🤷🏼‍♂️ I'm currently having one of those moments. So I'm on Mastodon to talk about it. 😄

2026-03-30 21:54:29 UTC

This black grape vine has some interesting leaves. It's our 1st year with them in spring, we bought two late last year and two bare root this year, so I didn't know they would look like that. All four vines are coming out of dormancy. So hopefully in 3-5 years we'll have grapes. 🍇 Hopefully the Ichi Ki Kei Jiro persimmon trees starts leafing up soon, it's the last in the yard.
#grapes #gardening
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2026-03-28 23:25:08 UTC

Hello everyone! I was able to drag my butt back out there and assemble that raised bed and trellis. We had to run back out for more dirt, we didn't have enough. I have a few more things to add but overall I'm happy with it. Excuse the backyard mess, we jammed plants everywhere.
Melissa is currently preparing a hot pot and my stomach is growling. I'll talk to you great people after dinner. 🙂🍲
Have a pleasant evening! 🌆
#today #gardening
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2026-03-21 16:14:39 UTC

Melissa snapped some pictures of me and Oreo in the yard.
Without my knowledge. I had to slap a sticker over my plumber's ass. I've lost weight and my old yard work pants are too big. 🤦🏼‍♂️
#Caturday #catsofmastodon
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2026-03-19 17:03:09 UTC

Hello everyone! How's it going? Today will be the first day I don't work 12+ hours this week. It was getting old but the overtime is lucrative too so it's a double edged sword.
Our MO Conservation seedlings arrived yesterday, all native to Missouri. We have Wild Plum, Elderberry, Hazelnut, blackberries and Black Walnut. We're giving the walnut away along with some of the others. It's fun to expand our garden.
Have a wonderful day! Take it easy if you can. 🙂
#today #gardening

2026-03-15 23:55:05 UTC

The peach tree has its tent! Hopefully the blossoms survive down to 13°F. It's double walled with an air gap and 1.5oz frost fabric so rating wise it should work out. 🤞🏼🍑 A couple blossoming daffodils got buckets. All the raised beds are covered, we're trying to keep the food alive.
#peaches #fruit #gardening
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2026-03-10 00:24:25 UTC

I got the daffodils and grape hyacinth planted this afternoon and made a Trader Joe's run. Mainly interesting snacks but still fun for Ellie and me. Now to chill out for a bit. It's been nonstop since 8am this morning, I might have overdone it on my day off. Our Missouri Conservation Dept plant order should be here in a week or two. We're running out of yard! I'll be planting some at my friend's house by the beehives.
Have a wonderful evening everyone!
#gardening
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2026-02-28 14:16:39 UTC

For an "end all foreign wars" president, we seem to be getting involved in more military conflicts than ever. My SIL had friends called up in the reserves for a surprise Middle East tour last week so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Though didn't we "completely obliterate" their nuclear program last year?
Sad this guy has to start wars to change the news narrative away from the Epstein files. A real "wag the dog" situation. I'd like to think eventually it all will come out.

2026-02-25 02:51:10 UTC

I just got home from a kinda scary STL Beekeepers meeting. Apparently the yellow legged hornet has made its way to the US, currently in the south east. The biggest worry though are Tropilaelaps mites. They're currently not in the United States but it's only a matter of time. We don't really import bees from overseas but other countries in our hemisphere do. So a "pests on the horizon" talk.
Well I'm going to type my notes and chill out.
Have a good night! 🌃
#today #beekeeping #StLouis
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2026-02-22 00:24:09 UTC

Good evening everybody! How's it going? Today we disassembled a 24ft trampoline. I'm going to use the two halves of the metal ring to construct a greenhouse with a few other pieces. Hopefully about 8ft x 12ft x 6ft tall. We're constantly trying to improve and expand or garden opportunities.
Have a wonderful night! 🌃 I'm stepping outside for some air before dinner. Cold and crisp tonight. 🌬️❄️
#today #gardening

2026-02-21 18:41:46 UTC

I found a pile of trouble on the bed.
#Caturday #catsofmastodon
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2026-02-18 23:34:23 UTC

We're at high school orientation for our daughter. Where does the time go? Who is that old man in the mirror? It's me.
It's also way too loud in this gym! They have school spirit and a good band.
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2026-02-16 00:42:11 UTC

Anyone else excited for tonight's episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? The jousting has been pretty epic so far in this and the show overall is very easy to watch. They did a great job with casting too.
#aknightofthesevenkingdoms #today #TV
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2026-02-12 23:05:10 UTC

You wash my back, I'll wash yours.
#catsofmastodon #manxcat
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2026-02-08 02:26:47 UTC

I had to step out on the porch for a smoke and took this picture of the neighborhood. I've always enjoyed being outside at night, thought I'd share the experience.
Have a wonderful night! 🌃 After today's bathroom excitement I'm ready to relax for a bit. Tomorrow it starts again. 😳
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2026-02-06 21:30:13 UTC

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I hope you feel better soon.

2026-01-31 00:34:13 UTC

My daughter got asked to a dance next Friday by a boy at school. She told him yes but that he'd have to meet her parents. Apparently my wife met him earlier this week at after school pickup. According to Ellie and her friend, he's terrified to meet me. I'm not sure how I got this reputation but it doesn't upset me. I remember being a teenager and having a healthy fear of my girlfriend's father. It's the way things should be IMO.
She's our only kid so I might be over protective?

2026-01-20 01:44:36 UTC

We're having our 1st night of peace in many months! Ajax has responded to the CBD in a positive way. We've seen way less anxiety with barking and restlessness. This morning he didn't get up until after 4:30 when Mr Minx came in to scratch the bed. The whole house seems less anxious, so money well spent IMO.
Have a wonderful evening everyone!
#mondog #dogsofmastodon
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2026-01-16 23:14:26 UTC

Well I didn't get in the game early enough to make Blade Show this year in Atlanta. Tickets haven't gone on sale yet but there's not a decent hotel around the venue for less than $700 a night. Even though it's not my money, that's too much. With 4,000+ vendors and their entourages, most rooms are blocked out those dates to start. So I think we're going to go to the Wisconsin Dells and stay at Great Wolf Lodge. Four days and three nights are $800 total.
Maybe we'll do Blade Show another year.

2026-01-12 19:20:47 UTC

Currently we have several vervet monkeys running around St Louis as well as a random goat. First time I've seen something in the news that made me laugh recently. Hopefully they're all ok, I'll leave my back gate open. My menagerie could use new friends.
#stlouis
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2026-01-11 14:32:26 UTC

It's bath day and nail trims for the doggies today. Anyone else find nail trimming on their dogs super stressful? I do. I'd rather perform surgery on myself.
#dogsofmastodon
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2026-01-07 20:44:44 UTC

I walked across to the main building at work and found out I'd won the perfect attendance prize for 2024 at work. The owners daughter congratulated me and I'm like "for what?" and she couldn't believe no one told me. It comes with an extra week of vacation and a check for $4,000.
#today
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2026-01-06 23:10:43 UTC

I walked into a discussion at work today and ended up explaining the difference between light and heavy crude oil to, let's say impressionable youth in the 20-30 crowd. It's amazing how little some know about the liquid they frequently pump into their cars or how it's made. I started to use engine oil as an example too, but most don't change their own oil now.
After the talk I told them now would probably be a good time to brush up on their Spanish. They just looked at me blankly.
#today

2026-01-05 18:37:03 UTC

I'm curious about a lifestyle standard so I am going to make a poll. I didn't realize that vegans normally do not eat honey. I understand why meat, dairy, and by products are avoided, but the bees aren't being harmed harvesting honey and there's plenty of honey left for them over winter, if you're a responsible beekeeper. I actually bend over backwards do all I can for my bees.
So I'm curious how many people that identify as vegan or don't that eat honey or don't eat honey?
#vegan

2026-01-02 23:24:09 UTC

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We had a good time there.

2026-01-02 23:09:27 UTC

RE: https://mastodon.social/@livelakemichigan/115828011098582595
This is a neat museum to check out if you're ever around Muskegon, MI. Ellie and I went a few years back on our tour of Michigan.
#note1658…0ql7

2025-12-28 19:25:36 UTC

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Looks great and pretty full coverage!

2025-12-28 15:43:07 UTC

Good morning Mastodon, how are you? We're trying to be productive here. The house is cleaned, laundry almost caught up and the litter box attended to. I spent a couple hours detailing our two desktop PCs with a brushes, canned compressed air, and an air compressor. Then replaced the thermal paste on the heatsink of the older PC Melissa uses and replaced a case fan with wonky bearings. It's a never ending struggle. 🙄
Have a wonderful Sunday whatever you get up to! 🙂
#goodmorning #today
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2025-12-26 00:08:25 UTC

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They're very smart our best friends.
This is Gunner, the 1st dog Melissa and I adopted together on Christmas in 2010 with my parents Great Pyrenees Sheba. We adopted him the year prior.
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2025-12-03 16:43:13 UTC

My wife's Christmas gift left Winnipeg, Canada on 12/02 at 4:39pm and is set to arrive at my house outside St Louis, MO on 12/4 before 10am. Shipping was free with $100 purchase. I find that pretty impressive since I didn't pay for two day service. The standard FedEx ground shipping was free.
Yet the post office takes 13 days to get a package from Troy, Illinois to my house in Missouri 41 miles away. 🤷🏼‍♂️

2025-12-02 00:37:49 UTC

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I'm looking for something she can wear to court/formal and informal gatherings. I'm leaning hat or headband. I like beanies myself but I'm bald too.

2025-12-01 19:45:07 UTC

I'd like some opinions. My wife wants a warm hat or earmuffs for Christmas. I came across some fur & faux fur hats that might fit the ticket. I'm torn on style though. What does everyone think?
All opinions are welcome. I'd be really interested in what the women think of them? I'd be willing to look at a different style if recommended. I'm definitely not an expert.
The 2nd and 3rd are the same hat, just up and down.
#gifts #christmas #xmas
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2025-11-27 16:02:19 UTC

So this year instead of the normal group at Thanksgiving, Melissa's parents, younger sister, her husband and kids. It's now going to include her older sister and their entire family, 19 people total. 😳 It was hard for me with the normal group, this is going to be a full fledged clusterfuck.
I'll definitely need to take an edible to function at all. My issue is trying to math out how much to be the life of the party vs passed out on the floor? Way overstimulating for me. 😵‍💫

2025-11-23 22:34:33 UTC

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Great pics! I really like the 1st and 3rd. Something in the way they're shot draws me in.

2025-11-23 22:33:14 UTC

I picked up this half ounce of Old Pal ground flower for $52. For the life of me I can't figure out why the price was so low. The flavor is good, it's First Class Funk, and the potency high to very high. I've enjoyed two small joints and both were entertaining and relaxing. It's in an old pipe tobacco style pouch and came with a book of all natural hemp papers.
As I'm lazy sometimes, pre ground flower is welcome when it's good.
Have a chill evening!
#cannabis
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2025-11-21 22:43:57 UTC

I missed it, but Tuesday November 18th marked my third year on Mastodon. It's still as enjoyable now as when I joined and I've met so many new, kind and interesting people along the way.
So I want to thank you all for being a friend!
Have a wonderful evening and weekend! 🙂
#mastodon #fediverse #socialmedia
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2025-11-09 14:20:22 UTC

Good morning Mastodon! A bit of a rough start this morning, most mornings lately. Our black lab Ajax has started getting up and pacing around 3am every day. The poor guy has dementia so there isn't much we can do. He's not barking or whining, just pacing from one end of the house to the other. Which gets the other animals agitated. He's been a great dog for 14 years so I don't mind.
Hopefully Melissa doesn't work me too hard today. 🙄
Have a good Sunday!
#goodmorning
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2025-10-29 01:04:30 UTC

Ajax normally gets up between 3:45-4am every day. This morning, when I rolled over and saw 5:00am on the clock my first thought was Ajax had died. I jumped out of our bed and ran over to his and started shaking him. He slowly got up and started wagging his tail. I was so happy he was alive. He's 13 years old and has canine dementia, every day is a blessing.
Well, have a pleasant evening! After today's overtime I'm ready for bed.
#dogsofmastodon
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2025-10-11 13:39:05 UTC

Good morning Mastodon! While tending garden this morning Melissa spotted two Parsleyworms. If all goes well they will be Eastern Black Swallowtail butterflies next year. It's a nice morning to be outside, around 60°F with a touch of clouds. Today is going to be rather busy, lunch with the in-laws and this evening Ellie has a big football tournament to cheer at under the lights. Should be fun!
I wish you all a wonderful day! 🙂
#today #caterpillar #gardening #nature
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2025-10-09 00:54:36 UTC

Hypothetical question for the Fediverse.
Say you buy something online from a mega corporation, like Walmart, pick it up, get a receipt, and take it home. Then a few days later you notice that your credit card has been refunded the full purchase amount. No employees should get in trouble, this item was completely an online purchase and retrieved from a locker. Item also can't be returned.
What would you do?
This has come up in a passing conversation and I'm curious how people would handle it.

2025-09-23 00:51:26 UTC

I scheduled a meeting today at work for later this week that will determine whether I continue my 18 year career with my current employer or not. The situation between the sales staff and programming has gotten so bad I can no longer sit back, stay quiet and tolerate it. After a rather animated conversation last Friday I decided to compile data tracking the issues over the last 6 months. It's a staggering 1,854 sales errors.
Things will change or I will. Change employment.
#today #officelife
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2025-09-12 22:58:08 UTC

I went to my cardiologist today for my annual checkup. My blood pressure was the lowest it's ever been in their system in 12 years. I explained I'd been drinking 1-1.5 cups of beet juice a day for about a month. He was amazed with the results and suggested I continue. I've been buying a gallon from a local store but decided to buy a cold press juicer. It will save me money in the long run and I can customize my recipes. Today was a win.
I hope you all had a good Friday!
#today #TGIF
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2025-09-09 22:25:10 UTC

The black eyed peas are starting to accumulate. We're getting peppers too. Most of the rest has tapered off. A few cherry tomatoes here and there.
#gardening
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2025-09-07 17:16:51 UTC

Penguin has been my constant companion since moving in from the street two winters ago. She rarely leaves my side or lap if I'm home.
#catsofmastodon #tuxedocat
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2025-09-02 22:59:30 UTC

The Missouri Conservation Dept seedling sales opened today. I placed our order at 4:15am this morning. As of an hour ago about a dozen things had sold out already, one of which I ordered. I'm excited to get them next March. We got 35 seedlings total for us and two others.
We will have several extra black walnut trees seedlings if anyone in the area is interested, let me know.
#Missouri #StLouis #STL #MDC #gardening

2025-08-21 21:46:15 UTC

The Missouri Conservation Dept seedling sales list and order form were in this months issue of their magazine. I got all excited and then thought, damn Brian, you're getting boring if that's the bar for your excitement. We plan on ordering hazelnuts, blackberries, witch hazel, nine bark and possibly some others. They come in packs of 10. It will expand our garden project and I'll plant the extra by my new bee yard.
Have a good evening everyone! 🙂
#gardening #Missouri

2025-08-21 00:51:03 UTC

I made a comment to my wife and daughter while they did their nails about cutting my hair and trimming my beard.
My daughter turned and says, "Don't shave your beard dad, you look scary when you do." I just laughed.
I'm not sure how to feel about that. I probably won't shave my beard for a while though. 😕
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2025-08-16 19:37:13 UTC

I'm hanging out with my in-laws dog Tank in another room to avoid a political argument. The dog is better company than most of the people here.
#dogsofmastodon
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2025-08-07 21:43:58 UTC

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It's fun to use the AI occasionally with our furry family.
That's how I got Maddy Winehouse.
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2025-08-05 22:52:05 UTC

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I don't know. Our daughter goes back in 2-3 weeks.

2025-08-05 21:55:23 UTC

I don't mind Oreo using my bathroom. I just wish he wouldn't "play" with the toilet paper.
#terribletuxedos #catsofmastodon
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2025-08-02 23:24:05 UTC

We're heading out to catch the 7:00pm showing of the new "Fantastic Four." I've heard it's good but hold no expectations.
Have a wonderful evening!
#movies

2025-08-02 22:12:46 UTC

My cats contribution to Caturday.
#Caturday #catsofmastodon
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2025-08-02 15:42:13 UTC

We're heading south today into "red hat" territory. So I'm wearing my nice blue shirt.
#today
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2025-07-31 21:55:19 UTC

Today I walked out to the garden to find Mexican bean beetle larvae making a feast out of our plants. As chemical free gardeners we dispatched as many as possible but it's always something. The cucumber beetles, the squash bugs and so on. It's still worth it but it's annoying.
I hope you're all having a good day and a better evening!
#today #gardening #bugs
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2025-07-30 20:03:23 UTC

My insomnia is back. I go through cycles where I sleep fine for a week or two then don't for the same amount. It's quite shocking to go from 6+ hours of sleep a night to 2-3 the next. It's currently 3pm, I've been up since 2:45am and my ass is dragging. I'd like to think I'll sleep well tonight but it will be at least a week before that happens. At this point I'm used to it, it's been going on since my teen years.
#Insomnia

2025-07-25 22:47:11 UTC

My wife's butternut squash plant is massive! The dogs can barely avoid it when going out. I'd say it is 35-40 feet if stretched out and still growing. There's currently 6 good sized squash on it and 1 she already harvested. It apparently thrives in heat and humidity. 🥵 I'm just glad work is over for a couple of days.
Happy Friday everyone! Have a good evening.
#gardening #squash
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2025-07-21 22:30:08 UTC

My daughter wants to see the new Smurfs movie so I booked a theater for 9:30 tomorrow night. Then sent her this little video.
#movies
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2025-07-21 16:51:26 UTC

My wife has a case today that took me back in time to my darker days. A long time ago I got a call from my mom telling me I needed to call the sheriff, he's looking for me. She flat out refused to tell them where I was. When informed she could be in trouble for obstruction she laughed, said you have my address and asked when they'd be by. The deputy informed me later that my mom was one of the most difficult people he'd dealt with. He'd had hardened criminals give up info easier than her.
P1

2025-07-13 15:54:48 UTC

I forgot to take a picture of the bee yard, it's extremely muggy here and I was rushing to get done. So I used the camera to take a still image. My buddy let me hook it up as well as install a full apiary, he's more my brother than friend. There's nothing but open fields and forests down there. Looking forward to the coming years without the monthly pesticide incidents...
It looks funny because I'm currently combining two hives together.
Have a wonderful Sunday friends!
#beekeeping #HarpHives
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2025-07-12 16:46:15 UTC

They're multiplying
#Caturday #catsofmastodon
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2025-07-01 23:15:26 UTC

Our garden is coming along nicely this year. It's rewarding to walk outside and grab the supplies for a salad or ingredients for a recipe from the backyard. Our honey extractor will be here next Tuesday. The one hive is visible in the tomato pic. I hope to share some of our experience there next week. Today at work I drafted spacers to make my 8 frame supers 7 so the bees make fatter comb next year. I'll show those tomorrow.
Have a wonderful night!
#gardening #beekeeping #HarpHives
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2025-06-30 00:08:58 UTC

I had to rescue a baby rabbit trapped in our garden fence. Hopefully the little guy gets back to his group. I put him within sight of 6 other rabbits. It was hard convincing Ellie not to touch it but human scent would mark it so I used beekeeping gloves that smell like everything but humans.
#wildlife #nature #rabbit
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2025-06-27 22:55:53 UTC

Well I'm not broke, I've got three bucks.
#wildlife #nature #deer
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2025-06-26 15:44:04 UTC

The pickling cucumber plants are taking over the side yard. According to the seed company they were supposed to be bush cucumber but I'm definitely getting vine vibes. 🥒
#gardening #cucumber
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2025-06-24 22:29:14 UTC

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Oh sherbet sounds better than ice cream but I'd have to go out to get some.

2025-06-24 22:15:39 UTC

Melissa is getting ready to can 10 cups of bread and butter pickles with the cucumbers from our garden she's been collecting. 🥒 It's nice to actually harvest and use our own produce. Hopefully there will be honey to go with it in the fall. 🍯🤞🏼
I hope you all have a nice evening. Our daughter is staying at a friend's house so we might go out for dinner. It's still 95° outside before adding the humidity, I might stay home and have ice cream for dinner instead. 🍨
#gardening

2025-06-22 01:09:49 UTC

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It was neat seeing bears in their natural habit. The scenery is very camera worthy. I realized I forgot mine halfway through Kentucky. Thankfully the phones are decent these days.

2025-06-20 01:39:03 UTC

Bear video from Smoky Mountain National Park. My daughter and I took this about 2 hours ago.
#bear #smokymountains #nature #wildlife
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2025-06-08 16:47:29 UTC

The hive inspection did not go well. More bees are being born but the queen doesn't appear to be laying eggs, brood patterns are spotty. I'm stopping by the bee supply store to buy frames and foundations. We're going to try moving them to a completely fresh setup to see if it helps. A new queen might be in order as well, I'm going to consult some of the other beekeepers first.
#beekeeping #HarpHives

2025-06-02 19:47:39 UTC

This is the one time my old ass house helps me out. Do to the layout of our kitchen there is no dishwasher. I've got one in the basement but never installed it. I probably never will. I've already phased out plastic utensils and containers for glass and steel in our house.
Dishwashers release nearly one million plastic particles per cycle, a huge source of microplastic pollution
https://www.earth.com/news/dishwashers-release-nearly-a-million-plastic-particles-per-cycle/

2025-05-24 13:17:39 UTC

My sleep was plagued with bad dreams last night. In the first I dreamt it was raining very hard and all of a sudden there was water running down all of our light fixtures. (Our roof is 1.5 years old and recently inspected after a storm, it's fine.)
After getting back to sleep 45 minutes later, I dreamed that I walked into the kitchen in the morning and looked outside to see my beehives had been decimated by a bear. (Not very likely here but a possibility.)
I don't feel like I slept at all...

2025-05-22 01:03:27 UTC

Some of the various plant flowers in our garden. It's a relief to see summer fruits and vegetables coming in. These are eggplant, cucumber, tomato, and green bean flowers. There's also squash, peppers, and zucchini. Making the most of our half acre backyard.
Have a great night everyone! 🌃
#gardening #bloomscrolling
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2025-05-04 18:17:50 UTC

I'm glad the gardening and horticulture crowd have a sense of humor. Or maybe it's just my juvenile sense of humor but I laughed when I saw this.
#gardening #humor
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2025-04-30 17:51:02 UTC

I guess I'm going to add the second brood box to the blue hive tonight. My plan was to wait until Sunday but they need the room.
#beekeeping #HarpHives
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2025-04-27 23:02:49 UTC

Our lunch today included three vegetables from our garden! We had some radishes in our salad and a stir fry that had bok choy and radish greens. It's not a lot but it's a start and only the end of April. Our raspberry plants have really taken off too. Enjoying raspberries soaked in honey is the goal for the end of my summer.
Have a good evening everyone! I'll be around watching my bees. Still can't decide on a name for the new queen.
#today #gardening

2025-04-27 13:12:43 UTC

Good morning friends! Well it's not good here, I fell flat on my back slipping on a muddy hill yesterday and I'm sore everywhere. Yet with my commitments I have to get up and power through. The bees won't wait. So I'm treating myself with coffee and Tylenol, I prefer ibuprofen but it has adverse reactions with my heart medicine. Keeping my heart going seems like a priority...
Have a wonderful Sunday!
#goodmorning

2025-04-25 21:17:21 UTC

We had 3 minutes of rain and now it feels like 150% humidity.

2025-04-24 01:15:54 UTC

If a simple accident results in a $58,000 repair bill on a car value at $86,000 how are people getting insurance on these Cybertrucks? The values seem to go down every month too. I'm not talking about the celebrities but the more normal, everyday people.
It's also shortsighted to buy a vehicle only one place can repair. A place with a 6+ month wait to even get repairs started.
https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2024-tesla-cybertruck-damage-long-term-wrapup.html
#Tesla #Cybertruck

2025-04-20 21:15:04 UTC

My bees are producing young which is a good sign that they are thriving! I'm very happy to see several frames of brood in there now. A lot of it capped. There are a lot of uncapped eggs and larvae too. I have a picture of the queen, Bee Arthur, she is circled in blue. 🐝🐝🐝
The solid yellow caps on the 1st picture are brood or bees about to hatch. They have a fair amount of honey and pollen spread around too.
Have a wonderful evening everyone!
#today #beekeeping #bees #HarpHives
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2025-04-20 13:07:34 UTC

Happy Easter to those who celebrate and happy giant egg laying rabbit day to the rest!
There will be no egg hunts outside here today. The eggs will float away in the torrential downpours.
#easter
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2025-04-17 21:54:41 UTC

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I'm glad to hear it wasn't anything serious. Office visits for humans and dogs are getting annoying IMO.
Ajax has a benign growth under his chin. At 13 years old the vet isn't inclined to mess with it. His quality of life isn't impacted and that's all that matters in the end.

2025-04-07 22:30:42 UTC

It's official, Bee Arthur, Queen of the Yellow Hive is loose! They already ate the candy plug so she walked right out and down the 3rd frame when I removed the metal disc cover. I'd have gotten her picture but she took off into the hive.
On a secondary note, notice all that bright yellow by the reduced entrance? IT'S POLLEN, THEY WERE FORAGING!!! I'll check back in on Saturday to see if Bee Arthur is laying brood. 🐝🐝🐝
Have a great evening friends! 🙂👋🏼
#beekeeping #HarpHives #bees
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2025-04-07 15:39:04 UTC

I'm so relieved to see bees outside my hive after days of thunderstorms and freezing temperatures. We're looking at a frost tonight but improving weather after that. I'm really hoping these guys can make it.
#beekeeping #HarpHives
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