nyc and alameda

back in alameda after a trip to nyc. always nice to come home. (bee homes now in place and ready for bees!)

some photos from the lovely highline park in ny below. and more.

also loved this tom fruin house along the water by the brooklyn bridge.

little swarm

i went to get a beekeeping lesson from chris of bubble farm soap co. bubble farm soap co. has some of their hives at alameda point collaborative farm. the farm was so pretty yesterday—blue skies, kids doing some farm work, and the bees buzzing.

upon arriving, chris spotted a little swarm, so he went to get a box to drop them into. it was pretty magical to have my first beekeeping experience be standing in grass by a flowering tree with bees buzzing all around. at a of couple points, seeing multiple bees walking around on me, i got a bit nervous, but i knew from taking a class at bubble farm that bees are at their calmest when swarming because they're filled with honey (which they eat in preparation to swarm). they're hanging out while lady scouts look for a good home. plus i had my suit on! so i kept filming and stood still and listened to the buzzing and watched all the bees looking like little bits of light zooming around.

after that, chris checked on his hives, which were in various interesting states, and explained what he was seeing/looking for.

knowing what to look for on the frames and deciding what to do in response to what i see will definitely be a long learning process, but i feel much more comfortable now about trying beekeeping! thx chris and jean!

getting closer

still a few bits to paint, but bee boxes are almost ready!