Monthly Archives

September 2018

Sep 28
0

The Wake Robin Honey Harvest

By | Blog

 

As summer transitions to fall, gardens full of fruits and vegetables are producing the last of their harvests. There is another type of harvest that Wake Robin residents and staff anxiously await every year. The honey harvest!

This sweet endeavor started in 2008. In that span of time, the Wake Robin bees have produced a total of 738 pounds of honey. Since 2008, Wake Robin has been home to over 3 million bees. That’s quite a population! With Wake Robin being situated on over 136 acres of land, the bees are quite happy to enjoy all the wildflowers and clover that stretches throughout campus.

Residents are involved in production from start to finish. Residents visit the bees throughout the year and especially keep an eye on them over the cold winter. During honey extraction, the beekeepers decide how much honey they need to leave in the hives so that the bees can survive the cold winter temperatures. Then there is another group that volunteers to assist with the extraction and jarring process. The honey is extracted from the hives and is then poured into 8 oz. jars that are labeled with the Wake Robin logo. The honey is sold in the Wake Robin corner shop, as well as, given to incoming residents in a welcome basket.

Unfortunately, this winter was not kind to the Wake Robin bees as it was so long and cold; many of the bees did not survive. The beekeepers welcomed fifty thousand new bee residents into the hives.  They seemed to settles in to their new home just fine as this year; the bees produced 42 pounds of honey. The head beekeeper mentioned that they might decide to extract again before winter. They are five residents that helped with the bees this year, including three that were a part of the jarring process.

Beekeeping is certainly one of the more unique activities at Wake Robin. While not every resident is brave enough to don the white beekeeping suit, the beehives represent what it means to be a truly resident driven community. In 2008, when a resident had the idea to place hives in the fields of Wake Robin – that idea flourished into a now 10 year tradition.

 

(information provided by beekeepers of Wake Robin)

Sep 28
0

Wake Robin Busy Bee – Patrick Krok-Horton

By | Blog, People of Wake Robin

While walking through the hallways of Wake Robin, you might hear the dulcet tones of an older song drifting around a corner. If you continue onward, you’ll eventually run into Patrick Krok-Horton, a Recreation Services Assistant who has been with Wake Robin for almost 7 years. In 2017, he won the VHCA’s (Vermont Health Care Association) Recreation Services Assistant of the year award, partially due to his dedication and creativity in thinking of new programs and activities to offer here at Wake Robin.

With Wake Robin going through the transition of renovations throughout the community, especially in the Linden Health Center, one would imagine it would make it more difficult to maneuver in the temporary and new spaces. When asked if his job has changed at all since the beginning of the project, Krok-Horton mentions that, “Since the start of construction my job hasn’t changed dramatically. It is sometimes hard to navigate through certain paths when going around the construction, or to support residents when the noise or construction impacts their living area.” However, he goes on to say that helping residents through this time has been a team effort with nursing.

Outside of Wake Robin, Krok-Horton is just as creative! He graduated from college with a degree in Art, focusing on Print Making. His art has been displayed in Burlington during the Art Hop. He says his favorite medium is woodcut, but he has worked in intaglio, silkscreen, and lithography. His artistic talents have been utilized through his work at Wake Robin. Two of his creations have been a “Horse Racing track where I make the track, jockeys, large dice and racing flags”. He has devised a 500-car racing game where he made the cars, track, deck of cards, and prizes.

His next inspired endeavor involves pumpkins! Every Fall, Krok-Horton and his wife set up a huge Halloween pumpkin display at their home. They have quite a following of repeat visitors year after year! This will be their 8th year and every year they have had a different theme. This year’s is Dinosaurs, but some previous themes have been: Pirates, Aliens, and Classic Movie Monsters. Last year they had a record 62 carved pumpkins – which they purchase from a farm down in Rutland. This masterpiece is crafted with Krok-Horton and his dad working on bigger structural pieces, while his wife and her father do most of the carving. He is promising to bring in photo albums to show his handiwork to pass along through the Linden Neighborhoods.

When asked about what makes Wake Robin culture so special, he says, “The sense of community here is a huge part of Wake Robin. Although many people from many backgrounds and lifestyles mix together, the willingness of each person to help others is amazing. The things that people do here when they come together are very inspiring.” Bringing his interests and artistic flair to his work life continues to bring joy to the residents of Linden Health Center and the community as a whole.