Well Established

Bees Fleas and Trees has been wonderful to us.  The trees paid for the girls’ education and allowed us to build up a retirement fund.  In ’95, the business had grown to the point that I could afford to take early retirement to be a full time tree farmer.  I was 53 and left 8-5 with an excellent health plan and a minimal pension (gave up a lot of money by going early but it was a great call).

It is a rewarding life style.  I call it full time/half time – you “work” full time about half the year.  Starts in April with planting, some weed work in May, mow/shear the pines in June, off July, mow/shear the short needles in August, more weed work in Sept, off Oct, and get ready for Dec in Nov, off until the following April.  Sometime in this cycle, the bees have to be tended with the honey coming off in Sept.  The garden has to be planted, asparagus mulched, blueberries trimmed back, firewood cut, split and stacked.  Always something to do and no need to leave.

Carole once told me that I “was born 100 years too late”.  I would swap a car for a horse any day although in my case I guess it turned out to be a bike.  For these last 12 years, I have been as close to “100 years ago” as I have ever been.  Here we live close to the land with nature’s cycle.  We have a huge garden with all kinds of natural goodies.  Have chickens and keep the wood stove going all winter.  I got to walk the Appalachian Trail.

As good as it has been, it is time to pass it on to the next guy.  If you know of anyone who might be interested, have them contact us.  We have a year to track down the “next guy/gal”.    john