Smokin in the bee yard

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user 3604

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Sometimes it's enough to sit a while in the bee yard to have your soul refreshed - and that's just what I needed the other evening. With the season all but done, I sat quietly contemplating the past 5 months of bee work while watching the day come to a close. I filled my Phyllip Trypis bent billiard with a bowl of now extinct McClellend's Blackwoods Flake and on the 3rd light watched thick curls of smoke rise and dissipate into the cool evening air. The bees were fanning in their hives evaporating the day's take of nectar. Their fanning pushed a sweet fragrance into the air around me; a hundred blossoms expertly blended into one - an olfactory delight. And the honey...a delicious gift from God himself.

A few bees were still returning from foraging and I watched as they landed at the entrance to the hive, were inspected by the guard bees and then entered to deposit their nectar or pollen into cells already cleaned and prepared by younger workers.

It was a sweet time of reflection and refreshment. I slept well that night.

"My son, eat honey, for it is good. Yes the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste"  
                                                                                                  Proverbs 24:13

 
I immediately took a liking to this guy.  

What are the binoculars for?


Note:  if you post your photos smaller it allows the text to be large enough to actually read.  Just a thought.
 
Thanks for that photo advice Blackhorse. I was a bit surprised at the size too but I must have missed the resizing part of the process.

The binocs were for checking out birds or deer coming out onto the field in the evening - I didn't see any that night.
 
I adjusted your great photo. I usually use the tool that lets me load a photo right from my iPad photo files. With that I can select from several size formats. Slick.


Re the binoculars...I often hang a “pair” around my neck just in case. You just never know what might pop up.
 
It is relaxing most of the time. These incredible insects never stop amazing me, even after almost 30 years of working with them. I'm happy for the season to come to a close ...for about two weeks - and then I'm already thinking about next year, anxiously waiting for April to see how they survived the winter.
 
Very cool post. Thanks for sharing with us. Just recently helped a cousin of mine pull some full frames from a few of his hives. Had my oldest with me observing and even though she did get stung once (bee got tangled in her hair), she asked a number of good questions about bees, honey etc. and expressed interest in becoming a "apprentice bee person". :afro:
 
Grat post. I think you'd have no end of volunteers for company from the folks here, Beeman! :D
 
Fumus, the beekeeping industry can only benefit by having young people get interested in the hobby, or as a business.
 
I agree with you completely sir and, as I explained to her, having beekeeping or apiary work on her resume could help her stand out when applying for jobs. It would also be a help for my cousin, as he was banged up in an auto wreck last year and is still recovering. :afro:
 
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