Finally! A chance to sit down and catch my breath this week, even if it was only to spend the day in a standing-room only Beginning Beekeepers Workshop put on the Midwestern Beekeepers Association. They announced that they had expected about 60 people to sign up and they had 175, with another 60 applications that they had to turn away. Who knew beekeeping was so popular?
$60 for the 8-hour workshop included a book on beginning beekeeping, all of the slide materials, lunch and snacks. There were vendors there with all the starter equipment and I came home with a ton of magazines. You know how sometimes classes like this can be too high-level and just not worth your time? Not this one. Wow! They covered everything from bee anatomy, their behavior, where to put your hives, how to extract honey, how to build your wooden hives, etc. There were demonstrations with the equipment as well (without the bees, of course).
I wasn't in a spot where I could get really pictures, so I'm sorry I don't have any for you. How about this picture from Wikipedia? I don't know about you, but it makes me pine for Spring.
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| Picture courtesy of Wikipedia |
So here's the crazy news. They must have given away more than 50 door prizes throughout the day and I was so bummed when they didn't call my name. But then they announced they had one final giveaway. They called my name! You are not going to believe this, because I still can't....I won a complete hive from Ed Fisher and a 3 lb package of bees from Cecil and Joli over at Heartland Honey. It was so nice of them to donate those items - the hive alone is worth about $300 and the bees are worth $125! I met and talked with them (such nice people!) and I am incredibly thankful to them and so happy to get started after I pick up the bees in April.
I hadn't planned on getting serious about beekeeping until maybe next year, since we have this solar project coming up, but I guess I'm going to have to make way for some fuzzy winged friends in the backyard. Next weekend, they're holding a class on how to build a hive, so I'll be joining them. Right now, the hive is just a box of pieces that need to be glued and nailed together. Then I'll need to paint it, find a good spot, and we'll be ready for our newest residents here at Cranky Puppy.
I hope everyone is having a great weekend so far!
Wow, awesome win!! Can't wait to hear about your beekeeping adventures. We hope to join in on the fun one day as well. Honey is yummy!!
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