The world is filled with postures of certainty, like a well-honed consumer behavior study or the latest microeconomic manifesto. And that, my friends, is why I keep bees.
I keep bees for the pure moments of surprise, doubt, and confusion that inevitably arise when I least expect them…
- When the burgeoning hive that towers like a honey-filled monster in my backyard disappears without a trace while I’m in Sweden.
- When the walkaway split that I created like a reckless cowgirl manages to A) raise a queen; B) mate the queen; C) return the queen before her sisters revolt; and D) grow a new generation in time for winter.
- When the perfect hive succumbs like a midnight victim to varroa.
- When the underdog colony I presumed dead in March turns out to be jammed full of bees and blasting into summer.
I keep bees for the magic of utterly unexpected moments filled with challenge and hope; disappointment and glittering joy. I keep bees for all that I could never hope to control.
mistress beek 
An older fellow I know in rural Oklahoma warned me of this — that you’ll never stop learning about bees, and you’ll never figure them out completely. He told me of seemingly doomed colonies that weren’t any bigger than a closed fist that survived the winter and thrived when spring came around.
I couldn’t agree more.
Thanks for weighing in, chaps. Sounds like a bit of unpredictability suits you as well. Here’s to another season of unknown!
My partner and I got hives just last Sunday. And we’re in love already. I just discovered your blog and am having such pleasure reading through it. Thank you!
Hi Fiona, congrats on your first hive! And fair warning: beekeeping is a hard habit to break. Thanks for stopping by. Keep me posted on your progress.
We go down to the girls every morning and evening and just watch them coming in and out, talking with one another, bringing back pollen. It’s mesmerizing! I’m less than a week in and I don’t think I could break it, even now. Our girls are amazing. I just hope we can learn everything we need to before anything untoward happens!
Thank you again!
How beautiful for you. Sounds like you’re enjoying it fully.