Sunday, April 12, 2020

Easter Bees




   


Well, here's a challenge.  We are in Vero (probably forever) and Barry is notified that his $900 worth of bees have arrived in Annapolis, waiting to be picked up.  What now?


Barry reserves a car with Enterprise to go gloves and mask,  non-stop to Annapolis, pick up bees, slap together six hives, borrow son Jim's pickup truck and take it all  to "Heron There" organic farm in Croom, Md., near Upper Marlboro.   Return to Vero.

"Heron There" Farm, Croom, Md.



Then, the unexpected.  A note from son Jim and granddaughter Hannah (who's in veterinarian school and intrigued by all things science), "We'll do it!"  Sheltering-in-place had become so boring that they were willing to wrestle with 48,000 bees.

What do people with no experience do in this situation?  What else? They binge-watch
YouTube videos about how to install bees into hives without going to the emergency room.  The two of them had no bee veils, so they jury-rigged outfits out of Jim's painters' suits, safety googles, head bands, anything to keep the little buggers off their faces.  (They stung them anyway.)



Screen shots of Jim and Hannah organizing the bees at the organic farm near Upper Marlboro, Md.


Barry watches the two brave newbies by cell phone, coaching as needed.  It's virtual bee keeping.  For Barry, it's like waiting for the baby to be born.  

The amazing deed is done, and Barry and all of the beekeepers of the world thank you, Jim and Hannah Lathom.

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Now for the gratuitous photo gallery:


Boy on beach with super moon









 This is where we all should be: the gin blue waters of  the Abacos

That's all folks.

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