my first day as a beekeeper

this blog post is going to be done corporate style -- bullet points.

-- begin the day as I do everyday, in bed, asleep. Then wake up.
-- shower get dressed.
-- drive an hour and a half to the bee pick-up location.
-- become suitably impressed as I note the long line of beekeepers snaking their way out of a two car garage piled high with bee packages.
-- gather needed equipment (supers, covers, bee suit, bee brush, hive tool book on beekeeping, frame components).
-- pick up 3 packagees of bees with marked queens
-- ask owner of the bee business if I'm insane to not medicate my bees. He looks at me. Then he says you have a 75% of the hive making it through the first season. I like the sound of that.
-- drive an hour and a half back home with the AC running full blast to keep the bees cool.
-- take bees out of car place them outdoor sin the shade where there's a nice breeze.
-- drive to hardware store: purchase paint, paint brush, and nails.
-- drive back home.
-- begin to assemble hive. (paint supers and build frames).
-- notice that a fast-moving thunderstorm is about to break, dash outdoors, grab bee packages race inside and place bees in the livingroom.
-- thunderstorm passes (in dramatic fashion), place bees back outdoors.
-- notice that it's getting late and pick up the pace to finish at least one hive.
-- mix up a batch of bee food. 1 part water to 1 part organic sugar. mix 1 quart.
-- get one hive complete in the pasture. (marvel at watching the bees take care of each other after I have placed the queen in between frames and dumped the bees into the brood chamber. the bees start to sort themselves out).
-- note that beekeeping is more beautiful than I thought it would be, then collect myself and race back to the house.
-- complete a second hive as the last light of day fades.
-- bring 3rd package of bees indoors for the night.
-- eat dinner.
-- finish building 10 more frames.
-- inspect bees that are spending the night with me and note that they are very quiet and hang in a delicate cluster around the feeder can and queen container. I realize that bees are diurnal.
-- say good night to bees
-- 10:45 pm collapse into bed, fall asleep fully clothed.