276 Art Exchange

Big news! Ruth & John have their wooden wine racks, accessories, and cutting boards in a new gallery. Look for our stuff at the 276 Art Exchange, 142 W Lane Street, Equality, Illinois.

 I stopped by with an assortment of pieces, figuring that they would pick a few which they thought would sell to put in their gallery.  Turns out they took everything I brought!  Not only that, they put them into their display which looks a lot better than my own.  Now I need to find a way to up my game.

The 276 Art Exchange is a beautiful gallery, with a high caliber of art.  They've just opened up, but they've been working on this for two years, so it seems to be a well thought out proposition.  This is a great addition to the Southern Illinois art community, and we encourage everyone to take a trip and check them out.

Custom Made Cutting Board

A couple of quick pictures of a special order I just finished.  This is a solid cherry cutting board, thirty inches long by fourteen inches wide by about two inches thick, with live edges on two sides.  It was coated with mineral oil, then finished with a mineral oil/beeswax paste.  Pretty nice, eh?

 Is there something you need made?  Let us know what we can do for you.

Vulture Fest, Makanda, 2019

Get ready for one of the best and most distinctive festivals in Southern Illinois.  Yep, I'm talking about Vulture Fest in Makanda, this weekend October 19 & 20.  We've been doing this show for a number of years. and it just seems to get better and better. Not a craft fair, not a music festival, not a gathering, but a unique combination of all these things.  You'll find some of the best artists in the area, some great bands, and the best people watching you're likely to find.  Tiny little Makanda has become a mecca for artists and outsiders, a place where people can be themselves.  

 So drop by and prepare to have a fantastic time.  Take a look at all the great art, hear to wonderful music, absorb the funky vibe that is Makanda.  You'll be glad you did..

Wine & Art Festival at Rend Lake

We're going to a big on this weekend, the Wine and Art Festival at Rend Lake.  We've been doing this show for some fifteen years, and we look forward to it every year.  Lots of great artists, bands, good food, and us!  

We're really ramping up our products, and we've got lots of new things this year.  You should check out our line of cutting boards, beautiful pieces made from local black walnut, cherry, hickory, box elder, and coffeewood.  You won't find these in the big-box stores.

We've also got some exciting new pieces to show off wine bottles for your wine loving friends.  Lots to see and do this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 12 and 13 at the Illinois Artisan's Center off of Exit 77 in Whittington, Illinois.  It will be a great time, so come on out and see us.

DuBois Center Fall Festival

Join us at a new event (for us), the 2019 DuBois Center Fall Festival at the Dubois Center in Dubois, Illinois.  This is a one-day event, Sunday October 6, from 11:00-5:00.  We've never done this one before, but we are assured it's a really fun time.  Of course, it will be even more fun if we see a lot of our favorite people there, so come on out and say hello.  We'll be looking for you.

Ruth & John's 2019 Shows

Folks, we've got a big season coming up for Ruth & John's.  Lots of shows, lots of goodies, lots of opportunities for you to make a dent in your Christmas shopping.  We have all sorts of new things for you to see, and I think you'll like our improved display.  So stop by, say hello, and find a present for all of your favorite people.

October 6

               DuBoisCenter Fall Festival

               DuBois Center, Dubois, IL

October 12-13

            Wine and Art Festival at Rend Lake

            Artisan’s Center, Whittington, IL

October 19-20

            VultureFest

            Makanda, IL

November 2-3

            Heritage Festival

            Southeastern Illinois College, Harrisburg, IL

November 9-10

            AutumnFest

            John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL

November 23-24

            Artsand Crafts Extravaganza

            Show-Me Center, Cape Girardeau, MO

December 5-7

            Holiday Craft Sale

            SIU Student Center, Carbondale, IL

Southern Illinois Made Expo

 Been missing us?  Then come to the Pavilion in Marion this weekend for the Southern Illinois Made Expo.  This is a great chance to see the works of many of the talented and hard-working people of our region.  Not just, or even primarily, a craft fair, this show highlights the products and services of many native businesses.  You will want to see this one, if only to gather information on lots of things you may need in the future.  

We'll be there with new products, as well as your old favorites, and we're looking forward to meeting lots of new people.

Solar Power

Our new solar panels went online two weeks ago.  One guy came out from AES and a couple of guys from Egyptian Electric.  It took a little time, swapping out and installing new meters, checking out the equipment one last time, then finally throwing the switch.  It took a few minutes for the system to boot up, but they said they said they knew it was working; the meter on the pole was running backwards.  Pretty cool, huh?

It's been two weeks that the system has been harvesting sunlight and turning it into electricity.  We've had our share of rain, and several overcast days.  Even so, the system has produced over 544 kilowatts of electricity so far.  I think that's pretty neat.  If you are one of the many people wondering how much a solar system can produce, there's some information for you.

Ruth & John are Going Solar!

After lots of planning, meetings, setbacks.and frustration, we are finally getting our solar panels installed.  We've been working on this since February, meeting with the solar company, dealing with the bank (fun), getting our well tested (don't ask), each delay pushing us further down the list.  But finally, last Friday, the work began.

This is the rack, or the supports for the panels.  This went in last week and took a day.  As you might be able to tell, our roof is fairly steep.  I've never been up on it, and don't ever plan to be, but these guys clambered around and got everything in place.  FYI, the pipe in the middle of the roof is for our wood-burning stove.

Here they are adjusting the racks.  To the lower right, you can see a tree stump.  This is a maple tree we had planted some time ago, but it had to come down for the solar installation to work.  Apparently, solar panels don't work very well in the shade.

Also, on the left, you can see our dog on the front porch.  Hi, Cedar!

Nearly done putting all the panels in place.  Each panel is pre-wired, so they can simply join the connectors once the panels are in place.  The work goes pretty quickly, considering how big an installation it is.

A closer look at the final panel going in.  It's pretty exciting to think that what had been just a flat expanse of asphalt shingles is now going to be providing most of the power for our household.  If their projections are accurate, our electric bills will plummet into the teens.  Pretty neat, huh!

And here is the box which will soon connect all those beautiful panels on the roof with our local power company.  In essence, we will be electricity generators selling power to the company.






A special thanks to Aur Beck and the crew at AES Solar who are putting us in touch with the sun.  We are excited to be taking this step, and look forward to many years of clean, safe, affordable energy from our new panels.  Be sure and ask us about them when you see us.  It will give us something to talk about besides the bees!

Catching Swarms

There are lots of things to love about Southern Illinois in the spring.  Since we've started keeping bees, one of the things to add to that list is catching swarms.  The fun way is to wait for a report of a large clump of bees hanging on a branch, a building, or a bush, then going out and getting them to go into a box prepared for them.  The easy way is to put out a baited box and let the bees find it. 

So far this year, we've caught two swarms that way, one from my grandfather's farm, and one from Ruth's brother and sister-in-law's place.  These swarm traps, or bait boxes, are baited with some old comb, and coated on the inside with propolis and slum-gum. 

Propolis is a resinous mixture that honey bees produce.  They use it as a glue, caulk, binder, to entomb foreign bodies in the hive, and it makes the frames stick together in a way no human invention could.  We scrape the propolis off of old frames and hives, save it, then mix it with grain alcohol to use as a sort of paint for the inside of the bait hives.  Slum-gum is the black residue left after melting beeswax, and it is also spread on the inside of the boxes.  This makes the swarm trap smell like an old hive to the bees.  Since bees like to move into a space previously occupied by another colony, it makes it much more inviting than a brand new, clean, freshly painted box.

Once a colony moves in, we give them a few days to get established.  A freshly swarmed colony is a comb building machine, gorged on honey and ready to go to work as soon as they move in.  In the box, the workers start building new comb, and the queen starts laying eggs as quick as they can.  Once they have brood to defend, the colony is much more likely to stay in their new home.  We can judge when they have brood by watching the bees coming into the hive.  If they are bringing in pollen, that means they have brood to feed, and they're pretty much settled in.

We learned this lesson the hard way last year.  I moved the traps back to our apiary as soon as the bees were in the trap and transferred them into a hive.  Since they hadn't really established in the hive, four out of the six swarms we caught absconded, taking off and searching for greener pastures.

So after a col, wet spring, we're happy to see the swarm season moving into high gear.  We're hoping for lots more swarms to make lots more hives so we can make lots more of those Ruth & John's products you know and love.

"When Will You Have More Honey?"

People are already asking us when we will have honey again this year.  We were fortunate enough to harvest seven gallons of liquid gold last year.  Ruth was afraid we would be stuck with lots of honey, but we quickly sold most of what we had (we did keep some for ourselves).  I take that as a compliment on the quality of our honey.  I mean, I knew it was the best honey in the world, and now other people are saying the same thing. 

Of course, all the credit goes to the bees.  They are the ones going out and bringing in the nectar, adding their own special enzymes, patiently fanning it to lower the moisture content, then covering each cell with a cap of fresh beeswax.  It helps, I think, that we live at the edge of the Shawnee National Forest, and the bees have a wide range (bees travel up to three miles in every direction) of mostly forest and hayfields, with very little by way of row crops. 

Spring finally arrived (I was beginning to wonder), but so far it's been cold and wet, bad flying weather for bees.I'm hoping for a long stretch of the glorious spring days we all live for, with abundant sunshine, warm temperatures, and gentle breezes.  Then the bees can really go to work.  With the right conditions, they can fill a box in the beehive with honey in as little as a week. 

You can help us in our quest to bring you this wonderful stuff.  If you see a swarm of bees, call me ASAP, 618-713-4101.  The more hives we have, the more honey we will have

So back to the original question. When will we have honey again?  I'll tell you what I tell everyone who asks that question; it's up to the bees.  They're hard at work, and their numbers are booming, so I'm hopeful for a bountiful honey crop.  But first we have to make sure we leave enough honey for the bees to make it through the coming year and only take from the excess.  Once they have sufficient stores laid in, we can harvest some for ourselves and for you.  When will that be?  Ask the bees.

It's Swarm Season!

Now that it looks as if Spring has come to stay, we're at the beginning of swarm season for honeybees.  Honey bees make new colonies by swarming.  About half of the worker bees and the old queen fly out of the hive to find a new place to live, leaving the remaining workers to raise a new queen.  The departing bees are a swarm, and they land somewhere, typically a tree branch or some other resting place, and form a clump or ball, where they will will stay for as little as fifteen minutes, or as long as three days.  While they are in this clump, scout bees go out looking for a new place to live, some suitable hollow or cavity where the swarm can take up residence and build a new colony. 

 If you see one of these swarms, don't panic.  They aren't looking to attack you, and in fact, are fairly docile, as they have no stores or brood to defend.  But the one thing you should do is call or text me immediately at 618-713-4101.  I will be over ASAP with a hive body to give the swarm the home that they are looking for.


By hiving the swarm, we are actually increasing their odds of survival.  Numbers vary, but only about 25% of wild colonies survive their first year.  While beekeepers lose colonies every year as well, the survival rate in an apiary tends to be much higher.  So do the bees a favor and let us know as soon as you see a swarm.  We - and the bees - will be very grateful.

Beekeeping Classes

A number of people have noticed our adventures in beekeeping, and have indicated an interest in getting into bees themselves.  We have found the learning curve in beekeeping to be pretty steep, and one of the best ways to gain the necessary knowledge is to take classes from experienced beekeepers.  To that end, we have gathered information on a variety of classes available to people just beginning in this crazy hobby. 

 Southern Illinois Beekeeping Association

Beekeeping 101part 1/2 - January 10, 6:00p-8:00p.  The local beekeeping group, the Southern Illinois Beekeeping Association, is full of experienced beeks, and they are very generous with sharing their knowledge and experience.

Beekeeping 101 Part 2/2 - January 16, 6:00p-8:00p, the second part of the beginning class taught be members of S.I.B.A.  Both of these classes are taught at the U of I Extension office 402 Ava Rd, Murphysboro, IL.

Beekeeping 101 - March 2, 10:00a-12:00p Another class taught by the members of S.I.B.A., this one is at Plantscape Nursery at 720 North 33rd Street, Herrin, IL.

In addition to these classes, S.I.B.A. hold regular meetings at the Extension Office which often includes opening and inspecting hives there on the grounds, weather permitting.  Check out the homepage, https://www.siallabuzz.com/, or their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SI-All-A-Buzz-122105784493539/, for more information.

 Shawnee Bee Club

Fundamentals of Beginner Bee Keeping - January 28, 6:00p-8:00p.  The Shawnee Bee Club is another local bee club, this one in Harrisburg, IL.  I don't know this group, but I suspect it is another gathering of enthusiastic and helpful beekeepers who would love to meet you.

Leedle Houme Bees

Beginning Beekeeping Class - February 2, 9:00a-1:00p.  Rose and Doug Leedle run Leedle Houme Bees at 2713 State Highway 14, Mulkeytown, IL.  Their shop has everything you need to get started in beekeeping, as well as the things to keep going as you get more advanced.  We have found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful to beginning beeks, and we heartily recomeend them as a source for both supplies and information.  This class is to be taught at the West Franklin Historucal District and Silkwood Inn Museaum, 2130 Schoolhouse Rd, Mulkeytown, IL.

 Beginning Beekeeping Class - February 9, 9:00a-1:00p.  Another opportunity to learn from Rose and Doug Leedle.

John A. Logan College

PS 788 - Beekeeping (Practical)   This four-week class begins Thursday, April 4 at 6:00p, and is taught by Mary Ellen Brown.


There are probably more opportunities around which I am not aware of.  Please, drop us a line and let us know so we can share it with other interested people.  We are going into our third year of beekeeping and couldn't have made it this far without the help and advice of numerous experienced beekeepers.  We would be happy to help you too, to the extent that we can.  If you have questions, please let us know and we will do our best to answer them.  Be warned, beekeepers love to talk about bees.