Laura & Bees, A Guest Post

 
Laura just goes for it.  If she wants to learn something new, then she does it.  No holding back.  Hebrew, bee keeping, photography.  She's game.  I've really adored what she's done with bee keeping and wanted her to talk about why she loves and it and what made her want to try it:





Sitting out on my back deck one evening, cleaning up some old frames and putting in new foundation – a friend drops by, and I thrill at the opportunity to talk about my bees.  Again.

This interest in bees, it’s been some time in the making.  We, my kids and I, gave beekeeping a try a number of years ago, and while our bees survived only long enough to allow us one honey harvest, I’ve wished ever since to do it again, and do it better.

This last winter, I decided it was high time that I make my own wish come true.  After a little internet investigation, I found that our local beekeepers association would be offering a beekeeping class complete with all a novice beekeeper (that’s me) needs to get started and mentoring by a real beekeeper. Sign.Me.Up.

Things kicked into gear for our class in late March when our bees were delivered.  Packaged bees come in crates containing three pounds of bees (roughly 10,000-12,000 bees) and a queen in her own little cage.  Considering the 30 or so members of the class who were all receiving bees, it was by anyone’s estimation, a pretty exciting day.

These last few months, I’ve been to bee meetings, participated in group bee work at our hives, prepared and served gallons of sugar water to my girls, investigated all things “bee,” and grown increasingly fascinated by their complexity.  I’ve also, thanks to beekeeper friend, supplier, and advice-giver Mark, started a second hive! 

I can’t explain why I’m so enthralled with this new hobby.  Maybe it’s the satisfaction of experiencing Nature all close-up and everything. Maybe it’s the smells:  smoke, wood, honey, fresh air.  Maybe it’s the fascination that comes of being a student that will never master the subject and the connection to generations of others who’ve never mastered it either. Or it could be the bees themselves. I just know that I am enthralled.