About 6 or 7 years ago, I'm not sure exactly, my dad started keeping bees. To tell you the truth, I'm also not sure exactly how he got started in the whole thing either. I think that it had something to do with a my grandpa's very large garden, but then it expanded from there.
I think that the bees sort of surprised me and the siblings since he's not exactly a hobby guy....well, I take that back because it depends on how you look at it. He's doesn't keep sports stats, I wouldn't call him an avid reader, and he's really not one to tinker in the garage. But if you count stuff like having an extensive flag collection in order to display the appropriate state or national flag for every visitor to the house, or watching out on eBay for (or making friends with a local artist) in order to find interesting original art for my mom, or making the rounds on his scooter on a warm summer night to pass out chocolate icecream bars to the neighborhood kids outside playing, or offering his services, time, money and whatever other resource he has available to helping anyone who needs it, then he is a very big and actively-involved hobby guy.
But now he also keeps bees. In fact, if I have the story straight, he is a blue-ribbon bee keeper, winning at the State Fair (in the very first year they entered) and the County Fair (and after having filtered the honey with such technical equipment as two pairs of nylons). When we are in town to visit, the hives are actually a pretty exciting part of the backyard. We've watched Grandpa add on a "super" to the hives, climb up into more than one tree to collect a hive that's swarmed, and introduce a new hive to a new queen. Imagine how a full hive sounds--caged in a wire mesh box, waiting to meet its new queen--when it's sitting out on the kitchen counter. It's kind of cool and kind of creepy all at the same time. And in keeping with the kind of hobbyist he is, he doesn't collect the honey to sell (it's not an economically viable hobby anyway), but rather to share. And trust me when I say that the honey is deee-licious (ok, there was that one year when it tasted like weeds, but usually...). And every year when we get our couple 'o quarts for Christmas, I hoard it away to make it last the whole year, using it with only thick slices of the best homemade bread, or when I want to show off for neighbors coming over to dinner.
I think that the bees sort of surprised me and the siblings since he's not exactly a hobby guy....well, I take that back because it depends on how you look at it. He's doesn't keep sports stats, I wouldn't call him an avid reader, and he's really not one to tinker in the garage. But if you count stuff like having an extensive flag collection in order to display the appropriate state or national flag for every visitor to the house, or watching out on eBay for (or making friends with a local artist) in order to find interesting original art for my mom, or making the rounds on his scooter on a warm summer night to pass out chocolate icecream bars to the neighborhood kids outside playing, or offering his services, time, money and whatever other resource he has available to helping anyone who needs it, then he is a very big and actively-involved hobby guy.
But now he also keeps bees. In fact, if I have the story straight, he is a blue-ribbon bee keeper, winning at the State Fair (in the very first year they entered) and the County Fair (and after having filtered the honey with such technical equipment as two pairs of nylons). When we are in town to visit, the hives are actually a pretty exciting part of the backyard. We've watched Grandpa add on a "super" to the hives, climb up into more than one tree to collect a hive that's swarmed, and introduce a new hive to a new queen. Imagine how a full hive sounds--caged in a wire mesh box, waiting to meet its new queen--when it's sitting out on the kitchen counter. It's kind of cool and kind of creepy all at the same time. And in keeping with the kind of hobbyist he is, he doesn't collect the honey to sell (it's not an economically viable hobby anyway), but rather to share. And trust me when I say that the honey is deee-licious (ok, there was that one year when it tasted like weeds, but usually...). And every year when we get our couple 'o quarts for Christmas, I hoard it away to make it last the whole year, using it with only thick slices of the best homemade bread, or when I want to show off for neighbors coming over to dinner.
So today is my dad's birthday. Thanks, Dad, for always sharing your hobbies--honey and otherwise--with us. We've benefitted more than we probably know, but we want you to know that we're still completely grateful. We hope you have a great day--you deserve it.
10 comments:
Hey - three posts in one day! I love the bee keeper thing. What an awesome grandpa! So cool!
That is so fun to hear that stuff about your dad. I love that he is doing the bee stuff in his church clothes too. Very cute picture. Nice to see you are blogging again.
That's SO cool. With the whole scary disappearing-bees thing, I love hearing that one bee population in Provo is being so well cared for.
And wow, it sounds like you're doing that honey proud with how you serve it. You made my mouth water.
The other day I was driving quite slowly behind someone and getting frustrated. And then a memory of your Dad in the red car, meandering slowly to PHS to drop us off, and all the frustration went right away. Happy Birthday to your Dad, and here is to hoping one day I will be a guest in you house and get some of that honey!
I love that it looks like he's doing bee stuff in his Sunday clothes.
He does everything in his work clothes/Sunday clothes....I'm don't think that I remember him owning a pair of jeans until like only 10 years ago.
He does everything in his work clothes/Sunday clothes....I'm don't think that I remember him owning a pair of jeans until like only 10 years ago.
He does everything in his work clothes/Sunday clothes....I'm don't think that I remember him owning a pair of jeans until like only 10 years ago.
He does everything in his work clothes/Sunday clothes....I'm don't think that I remember him owning a pair of jeans until like only 10 years ago.
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