Local Honey & Mabry's Farm

This morning when I went out to the driveway to get our morning paper in my shorts and tee-shirt I slept in I realized it was chilly, if not cold. The temperature was 52 degrees. At colder times of the year 52 might seem like a heat wave, but the season reverted, it felt very cold to my bare legs.

Back earlier when I first got my bike I was looking forward to riding the bike through the year, even cold weather. Now, that cooler weather is upon us, all I can say is, “Who do I think I was kidding, besides myself?”

It has that football weather feel about the air. A cozy time to stay inside and catch up reading, if you ask me. But, it is also a good time to work in the yard without fear of working up a sweat. And soon there will be leaves to rake. Shit.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I also went to Mabry’s Farm before I went to buy groceries. I think my mind got so preoccupied grafting a entry about Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum I forgot completely I went to Mabry’s Farm.

Mabry’s Farm is right in the middle of wealthy east Cobb County. It is about 50 to 100 acres surrounded by expensive subdivisions. I’m sure the land is worth millions.

Mr. and Mrs. Mabry are in their 70s or early 80s. They are a warm, friendly, good looking couple who sell various farm products… whatever you can pick out of their garden, or they have free range eggs, or they have what I come for, locally produced honey. Yep, those little bees picked up the pollen from various yuppies’ flower beds in the area and brought it back and contributed it to the hive, which then Mr. Mabry takes it and do whatever you do to process honey and then put it in pint and quart jars.

In their carport they have a little stand with the various kinds of honey in different size jars. They are wildwood honey, wild flower honey, and raw honey. They have a sign saying for those wanting local honey, get the raw honey. One time I asked Mr. Mabry about it and he said the raw honey is the honey his bees produced. The wildwood and the wild flower he buys from a fellow in the mountains of North Georgia.

I buy the local honey. I buy a quart jar for $9 and it gets me through about a half year. Each day, I take a tablespoon of honey with a table spoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of hot water. The locally produced honey has the local pollen in it. It is like getting a vaccination. It helps keep down allergies. And the apple cider vinegar keeps your plumbing clean.

On a little table beside the honey jars shelve is a little box. A sign says “Honor System”. I put ten in and took one dollar out for change. I wonder how many people did just the opposite, put in a one dollar bill and took out a ten?

Yesterday when I drove up Mrs. Mabry was talking to a lady about her age. They were just putting the last of some flowers into the lady’s van when I was parking. The next time I was there I had a mental note to tell either Mr. or Mrs. Mabry that my wife’s great uncle married a Mabry that lived in this area – and maybe that would her inspire them to give me some more information or maybe even share some pictures. But, they were talking, about church business I guessed, so I didn’t blurt in and rule the conversation. I can wait six months.