Remember the bees...

And then there are two.   
Bee hives, that is.  The one in the middle didn't make it, partially because Sasha, the new Russian queen, didn't make it.  Her new hive mates probably didn't take to her, so the hive failed.

But, there is still honey to be harvested from the frames:

This process of brushing off the bees from the honey made them a bit upset.  Lots of buzzing around and six stings for Barry.

Vicki opts out of Barry's fighting off bees and catches up on the WSJ.  The image of Barry scraping off the bees and their flying all around his head getting into Smart Car is the stuff of nightmares.  

We take the frames into the Dreams Landing honey extractor system in the basement.  

 "Warming room" to keep the honey trays ready to be extracted.

Set-up in the laundry room with steel extractor and honey frames.  

About 20 bottles worth.  Much more next year.

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Photo ops...

Barry and Vicki pose for possible AARP ad

Ugly bug on flower

Victorian house on way to Eastern Shore bee farm 

 Dreams Landing Marina, view from our hill

Severn River sunset (taken by Gail Watkins while we have dinner)

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Meanwhile....

Barry is in Florida, dealing with the boat, which looks like a storage unit.  It is now in slip N-16 at Vero Beach Marina.

View of the bridge after Barry put up bimini.  Everything that might blow off in a hurricane had to be put inside while it was stored in Ft. Pierce this winter.  Unfortunately, the plug on the bottom of the boat didn't get pulled, so the bilge filled with rainwater, forcing the bilge pump to run until the batteries drained and the pump died.  Cost to fix: $1,395.  

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That's all folks...

CHANGE OF SEASONS...

Annapolis' main street "makeover"  

One day, our mayor put his finger to his chin searching for creative ideas and came up with this:  a bike lane and boardwalk on one side of Main St.  Mind you, it's only a trial until mid October and it only cost $80,000.  

Meanwhile, I'm told three bikers a day use the lane and, as you can see, not many pedestrians seem to want to enjoy the carbon monoxide.  The parking meters are there, but no one can park, thus relieving the city of that revenue.  The business people are furious because customers can't park and the restaurants can't serve people sitting at tables.  Residents just sit, drink-less and meal-less and wonder why.

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Official portraits of the new royalty...

Sofia

Sasha

Sofia and Sasha get their portraits taken.  The dot on the back is the universal way to separate the queen from the rest of the pack.  Not sure what they use for the dot....my first thought is WhiteOut.

And this is Sofia getting to know her new hive mates.  She obviously smells ok and has been accepted.  Wish we could do a cam like the osprey one so you all could check in on boring days to see how 60,000 bees are doing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blwj31F9aFs

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EXTRACTION TIME....

The date for getting the honey from the frames will be Saturday, October 20.  Barry is conducting the event with Stan and friends at the farm on the eastern shore.  Time TBA.

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THE BIG CALENDAR IN THE SKY...

Barry is leaving by car with his friend Tom Butz on October 22 for Vero.  They will then move Balboita from Harbourtown Marina, Ft. Pierce, three hours north to the Vero Beach Municipal Marina.  Vicki and yappers will depart from Annapolis by car a few days afterwards.  We will then indulge in a mindless, but soothing life on a marina queen until May.  Since we did not rent Dreams Landing this year, we will be coming up to Annapolis for visits in an attempt to keep some of our few remaining friends.

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That's all folks....