Our Bees

If you ask Kris she will tell you it took 5 hours to drive to Clearbrook. For the rest of us it took about 45 minutes. It's not that we weren't excited it's just that this is Kris' baby and we have been graciously invited along on her incredible journey.

We arrived in Clearbrook and promptly drove past the bee yard. We turned around in a driveway where the sign read "Honey" and went back. What we saw Mike aptly described as a scene from the X-files. There were people, mostly guys, in white bee suits, gloves and white pith helmets covered in netting. Bees were everywhere. They clung in clusters to the people handling them,they hung in small clouds above the open nucs, they filled up trunks, toppers and in some cases the inside of cars. As we drove in there was a guy driving out in his hatchback. He was still in his suit and the car was full of bees. He was certainly not a desirable traffic stop.

Our buddy Les was there to direct us. We donned our suits and got in line to get our bees. Now, apparently, bee keepers have a sense of humor and we were teased by one of the guys that since we were newbies we were to be given inferior hives because we wouldn't know any better. As it turned out, one of the nucs we were going to get had a sealed queen cell. The guys set this one aside because there were "shenanigans going on with this hive and it looked like it was going to supersede." In other words the hive was raising a new queen because they perceived a problem with their old queen.

Not getting that nuc turned out to be a good thing because the next nuc was a huge thriving hive. We have been calling it our Super Hive. Dana took a second and showed us the queen on one of the frames. He pointed out a drone which he called a big bull. He also showed us capped pollen cells, capped honey cells, worker cells, drone cells, eggs and larva. I just wanted to get my hands on a frame.

"They are your bees." Dana said as he handed me a frame. The weight of the frame with the bees was surprising. Even more so was the vibration I could feel through my gloves. Bees, hundreds of bees, all working toward a common goal just like Kris and Bill and me. They are our bees. OUR bees!

Now our adventure is real. We are all excited and nervous in our own way. For me this is a big bucket list item come true. I've wanted this for years and thanks to Kris the wanting is over. Now the Odyssey begins.

Thanks Kris!


Peace,
Karen