Energy Solutions

As I was restlessly trying to sleep this morning, I started having those annoying thought patterns I get when I am sick. Maybe you do this too when you are sick. Some particular cause or problem will get on your mind and you just roll it over and around until you are even sicker and just want to go to sleep again but can't. When you do go to sleep you end up dreaming of this same issue and in general get no rest.

I was thinking about how gasoline has gone up so much in recent days with all that is going on in Libia and Egypt. I heard yesterday that if Saudi Arabia fell the same way, we would have $7 per gallon gasoline. I realized if that happened we would face a very different world. Airplanes would probably cease to fly because nobody could afford it. Only Al Gore could afford to drive his SUV. Most of us would have to start looking at public transportation options, but we as Americans have few of these in most places.

I then thought of a CSX railway commercial that proclaims they can move a ton of freight almost 500 miles on one gallon of diesel fuel. How ironic I thought that the riders on the Information super highway may end up looking back at the Iron Horse for delivery from this mess. I recalled a focus that Obama has on high speed rail in this country. It seemed like a viable idea. Of course people are not freight, but break it down in weight and we should be able to get least 4 people nearly 500 miles on a gallon of fuel. We may even be able to get 8 or 16 people that far if we could just get rid of those darn Happy Meals that are blamed for making americans obese.

I then wondered why Japan, China, France and so many other 1st world nations have high speed rail and we don't. At this point a light bulb came on in my mind and I knew the answer. Americans love FREEDOM and PRICACY as well as CONVENIENCE. The mass transit systems of other countries do not offer either of these to the level that americans would be comfortable with. Then I thought about the possibility of "Pod" cars that either hook up or ride on a train for general travel then become detached for that freedom we all seem to enjoy so much. Of course that would not allow stopping on a whim to see a giant ball of rubber bands or a field of Cadilacs planted on end in the ground. It would also mean all of those restaurants and motels at every exit on the interstate would suffer economic ruin. This in itself may be the Happy Meal solution.

At any rate, I think high speed trains are a great idea we need to pursue as a country, but they are not the only answer. I wonder where we will get the money to afford high speed rail implementation. If it would be profitable, why has not a private company tried to go with high speed rail service. I think we like our privacy, freedom and convenience so much that another answer will have to be found. Whatever the answer, oil has to not be the fuel for it. We need to develope viable electric cars that can be recharged by the sun or outlets. We need to find was to capture energy that is currently wasted. Did you ever wonder how trains are able to slow down or stop without burning their brakes out? The answer to that could in fact be the answer to some of our energy problems.

Trains are actually propelled by electricity. Diesel motors generate that electricity. When trains need to stop or slow down, they convert the propulsion of the engines into braking by converting the engines to generators. These generators require much force to generate electricity just like the engines need much force to propell the train. The generators of course generate electricity in stopping or slowing the train much the same way hybrid cars do but on a much larger scale. This electric energy is radiated off as heat of using panels atop the engine vehicle.These train engines generate enough energy to run a small town but it is wasted. This is one area to both capture wasted energy and provide income to the railways.

Suppose this energy was stored in batteries that were off loaded periodically to "service" stations for electric cars and depleted batteries were loaded back on for recharging. People driving electric vehicles would then lease batteries from the railways to power their electric cars, while paying a fee to change depleted batteries for charged ones. Refuling your car would be a simple stop to quickly change out your batteries and pay your fee just as you do now for gasoline. The highway taxes could be added on to the fee just as it is now to each gallon of gasoline.

NOW...do you see why I was so restless and annoyed last night? I hate being sick! I knew if I didn't put it in print I may revisit it again tonight.

Summer Camp

I spent the week of July 19th at SUMMER CAMP! Yes, you heard me correctly. I never had that opportunity growing up, so I decided to give camp counselor a try. I was a counselor at Laurel Ridge senior high Moravian youth camp. This camp is located on the continental divide in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Laurel Springs NC. Milepost 251 in the Bluffs district of the Blue Ridge Parkway is overlooked by the camp. This is the area of the Parkway where I was a ranger for a while back in 1984.

The camp is celebrating its 50th year and is indeed a treasure of a piece of property. The camp event was a spiritual treasure. Words can not describe the experience, but my faith in the future for our youth was greatly expanded. Much of the music we sang was familiar because it was Vineyard music. I had a wonderful worship experience as well as a renewing in my soul. The food was great, I met wonderful new friends and I saw young men and women making spiritual growth as they are beginning their journey into adulthood.

I have already put everyone on notice, next year I will be back if at all possible. I hope to take Mackenzie with me to experience this wonderful place. If you are looking a great place for your young person to camp next summer, I highly recommend it. Google Laurel Ridge Moravian Camp.

July Bee Week

I had a great bee themed week the week of July 4th. I started out by speaking to the Watauga County Beekeepers at their monthly club meeting in Boone NC. I spoke about natural beekeeping and using natural comb instead of foundation. It was very well received. I am glad to see so many beekeepers beginning to try and stay away from chemicals in their operations.

I next visited the Honeybee Garden at the NC Zoo in Asheboro. I had not visited this exhibit because it is so far away and made time to do so. NC beekeepers played a huge role in getting this exhibit placed at the zoo. At first I was taken back by it because I was under the impression it was to be a million dollar exhibit. I remarked, "This is not worth a million dollars. What I am looking at is about a $100,000.00 exhibit." I later learned that the million dollar exhibit had been scaled down to $180,000.00 and I felt much better about it. The exhibit is worth that and is very nicely done.

I ended up the week at the NC State Beekeepers Association Summer meeting in Salisbury NC. There I was elected a director of the association representing the Western NC region. A proposal was adopted which will bring about a honey standard in NC which is enforceable. It requires truth in labeling and will end the practice of labeling other honey as Sourwood honey or honey added to high fructose corn syrup as being honey. This standard has been turned over to the NC department of agriculture for tweaking, but I look forward to the standard being applied to honey sold in NC soon.

Sourwood Season was Sour Indeed

For all of you patient folks that waited another long year for Sourwood honey, after the failure of the 2008 crop, I have more bad news! There is no Sourwood honey again in 2009. Of course you can always find plenty of honey that is labeled Sourwood but no matter how much you hope and how much you spend, it will not be real Sourwood honey.

Last year the drought made Sourwood almost non-existent and what little was made in a few isolated pockets was quickly sold to friends and co-workers. This year, was full of promise due to all the spring rain and the weather turning dryer and hot as the Sourwood trees began to bloom. The trees did bloom but the blossoms had no nectar. It is believed that the drought last fall was so severe, as to have killed the nectar flow for the summer of 2009.

Instead of extracting gallons of this wonderful honey, I am trying to keep my bees alive by feeding them sugar. They have nothing else to eat at this point. I sure hope next year is better and that I can keep my bees alive until then.

Just you remember, there is much more Sourwood honey sold than is actually produced! Do not let yourself be a victim of a dishonest honey broker. Yes, there is no Sourwood honey this year.

A man's home is his castle...

...even if he lives in a VW bus! I know, I live in Asheville, and if there is one thing that will teach you is you have NEVER seen everything. I am amazed almost daily with some new expression, idea, contraption or invention in and about Asheville.

Last Saturday, I was on my way over to Johnson City Tn when I began to run low on fuel. I stopped at a gas station in Erwin Tn and saw this particular VW bus. It was surrounded by a party of photographers and just gawkers who were laughing and shaking their heads in amazement. The owner came out to drive away just as I was snapping my second photo. He did not seem at all amused by all of the commotion.

I wondered how anyone could come up with such a creation and not expect to attract a little attention. Notice the moat drawbridge door. I guess you just park in the creek and let the door down if you want someone to come aboard. The torch like light fixtures and the stained glass added to the atmosphere, but what really topped it off was the guard tower and complete simulated rock facade. All he needed was a dragon to complete the effect. No doubt he had just come FROM Asheville and probably would end up back there.

Hot Air Balloons

As many of you know, I am interested in hot air balloons. I often have balloons landing and taking off in my yard, and I have had an association with Asheville Hot Air Balloons almost from the beginning. The company was originally Mount Pisgah Balloons and the owners, David and Erma Woods, were good friends. David trained up an apprentice, Danny Smith, and sold him the company when he got too sick to continue. Danny partnered with a high school classmate of mine, Rick Bowers, and the two have continued the very successful business with a great partnership. The name has changed, but the values of the company to provide an excellent and safe experience have continued. I have been on a number of free flights, and have assisted with chasing duties when they have needed it. I promised Rick to assist this month, as the leaf season is here and they have been having capacity flights. I did assist yesterday and today with some great flights. This morning's flight was a record of sorts for me. We put up 7 balloons and the meeting place, Mountain Java, was full to capacity when Rick and I arrived with the two 15 passenger vans. They all were wide eyed with excitement and did not seem to mind that we were gathering before the sun was even up. By the time we got to the launch area, most of the balloons were up ready for take off, or pretty far along in the process. I had easy duty today, as I only had to drive passengers, chase, and help land the balloon then pack it up with a final shuttle to the coffee shop. What a beautiful day to fly! I enjoyed it and due to my duties, had the unusual opportunity to actually take a couple of photos during the morning. I thought I would share a few here. If you are interested in a unique experience, you need to check out www.ashevillehotairballoons.com

The Right Stuff

I was just looking at some photos of space and the space program. Some of the photos included the Apollo program and moon landing. I realized that next July it will be 40 years since we first visited that world and it brought back some memories I would like to share.

I was an excited child of only 10 years old enjoying my summer vacation from school on July 20, 1969. I was excited because I had a fascination with space travel and the possibility of visiting other worlds. I had enjoyed the biographical section of the school library reading about early explorers in this world. I imagined what it must have been like to "boldly go where no man has gone before" as I watched Star Trek or Lost In Space. I even enjoyed reading or television about ocean diving. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea fascinated me for this reason. I also enjoyed fictional books about space travel as I imagined doing so myself. Now, in a few minutes, I was going to actually get to See someone step onto the surface of a new world.

I had anticipated this for days as the crew of Apollo 11 were launched toward their destination from Cape Kennedy in Florida. Speculation that they would land on the surface of this unexplored world and sink deep into the dry dust of it caused me concern for the astronauts. How did they know they would not bounce off of the moon and fly out into space, or some unknown force or being would not destroy them? It was real life exploration of an unknown world that I had only read about before and now I was going to get to see images and hear the voices as Neil Armstrong made history for mankind.

I loved the name Neil Armstrong, it was so masculine sounding and appropriate for my young child's imagination of what an explorer should be. The other names were not as important to me, because they were not the first or the commander. I wondered at how disappointing it must have been for "Buzz" Aldrin to have to watch as someone else was allowed to step onto the moon first. I then thought about the poor sap, Michael Collins, who was circling the block in the Apollo 11 Capsule, waiting on the Eagle to return to the mother ship from the moon with his crew mates. How did he get stuck with such and unrecognized but important position. So close, yet so far. I imagined him being the guy that thinks things like "always the bridesmaid, but never the bride".

I was awakened early by my father and though I could not wait to experience this history, it was summer vacation from school and I was already used to sleeping in every morning. (I later learned this event had actually taken place after I had gone to bed the night before at 11:56pm and this was just a replay, but it was a new event in my mind) I remembered eating breakfast while listening to the T.V., something that just was not done in our household. We always turned the television off when the family gathered around the table for our meals. This day was different, because today the world's history would change forever. I could scarcely wait any longer, as I had very little patience. I wanted to cut to the chase and fast. I always saw situations resolved quickly in thirty minute television shows and this seemed to drag on and on. I finished eating and still, those astronauts were in their capsule, the Eagle, sitting on the surface of the moon. It seemed so long since the words, "The Eagle has landed" were broadcast to the universe. I remembered how quickly I jumped out of the car when we traveled across North Carolina from Asheville to Wilmington to visit my grandmother. That was only a one day trip, and I wondered if the Astronauts were as eager to get out of the "car".

Would this be the moment, I wondered, as the television announcer, Jules Bergman, described what was to happen soon. In a moment, history was happening too fast it seemed. Neil Armstrong stepped down the ladder from the Eagle. I remember the video being too grainy and hard to see. It did not help that we lived in a "shadow" of the television antenna high on top of 5700 foot mount Pisgah and never had good reception anyway. This was before cable and satellite television and we only got three channels over the air. I recall going outside to adjust the antennae while dad called instructions out the door of the house. "A little more to the right, now left, easy, there, that is perfect!" I would get in to find perfect was a relative term. Neil stepped onto the moon and made that famous statement which I heard live, "One small step for man, one giant leap for macccgghhhhttt". What did he say? It had to be mankind, but it was garbled with static at the end. I was so disappointed that the moment was not perfect. Was it our T.V., or was it the transmission from the moon? It turned out the original transmission was a bit garbled at the end, but we know he did say, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" What perfect words these were. Short concise and so true they were. What else could I expect from a man named Armstrong?

I remember watching for more T.V. footage of the activities on the moon and feeling let down, because I wanted to see more. I wanted this to last and last so I could explore with them. Then, all too soon it seemed, they got back inside the Eagle and blasted back to the Apollo capsule. I was relieved that my heroes were safely able to break free from the moon and the mission was a success so far. I imagined what questions Michael Collins must have had ready to ask Armstrong and Aldrin when they docked back with his craft. I thought of the wast as the Eagle was jettisoned to make the return back to earth.

It seemed no time that the Apollo 11 capsule splashed down in the ocean and the crew was picked up. I remember the quarantine to be sure no diseases or organisms were present to destroy our world and the relief to find there were none. I remember the disbelief of adults that were saying this was all staged and we never landed on the moon. How could they not believe a man named Neil Armstrong? If for no other reason, his name was so American he had to be the real thing. I was just glad to be able to be a part of the generation that got to experience the men with "the right stuff."

Survivor Bee Colonies

I have spent a good part of my summer in 2008 collecting European honeybee colonies from hollow trees in the forest and from man made structures. These colonies usually have one thing in common in that I can document they have been surviving without human management for 2 to 5 years. Now, getting these bees to survive the winter is number one on my priority so I have been feeding them heavily. These bees are going to be an important part of my breeding program for the future. I am committed to non-chemical beekeeping. I strongly believe we need to stop using all chemicals in the hives at all costs, so we can achieve an equilibrium between the mites and bees. Using chemicals only makes the mites stronger and this will never allow us to live with the mites. I am selecting from the survivor bees with natural resistance as well as not using chemicals so the mites will regress to a stable bee and mite relationship. I am breeding for gentleness, propolis production (for assistance against disease), honey production, hardiness in the Southern Appalachians, Honey production, resistance to the mites and disease without chemicals, and hygienic behavior. As you can see from the photos, gentleness is already a trait. I hope to be selling some of this stock, from this years breeding, next summer.

Scarecrow Festival

Today was my third Lake Julian Park Scarecrow festival. I had no honey left to sell, so took the playhouse I constructed for the Buncombe County Beeschool. I built one last year for raffle, and the winner gave it back to us. I was building one just like it for another customer last Christmas. I got sick before the one I was building was finished, so I substituted the one from the bee club in its place. I finished the replacement and am going to sell it outright, instead of raffling it. Lots of children loved playing in it today and I got several good leads on selling it. Hopefully, I will have it sold soon and the bee school will benefit from it. Maybe I will even get a few more orders for my trouble.

Bees and mites

It seems that when the Varroa Mites began damaging our bee population, many of the commercial beekeepers bought into the wisdom of the pesticide industry. This mentality permiated much of the beekeeping world and it was declared that bees could not survive without chemical treatments. Those treatments began selection for a super mite which the bees really could not survive without assistance of some sort.

As real wisdom finally caught on, we realized that not only were we selecting for a super mite by using increasingly more toxic chemicals, we were harming our bees also and now they really are failing even with all the assistance we can give them. I began beekeeping in 2004 and decided to not use chemicals even if I lost my bees. My goal was to find and select for a bee that was tolerant of the mites.

I also began searching the wilds for feral bees that managed to survive without assistance to selectively breed for resistance in my stock. I have now made it until 2008 with no chemicals and I have raised queens from my best stock with great results. I CAN raise bees without chemicals and they are doing better than the bees of my friends who use chemicals.

Many experts believe there are no surviving feral bees and all the bees that were believed to be feral are actually swarms that escaped from managed colonies. A New York forest called the Argone Forest seems to have proven there are feral bees still in existance without management and they are surviving without chemicals.

My first thought was these bees must have naturally adapted to the mites. Studies now show that that may have happened to a degree, but mostly, the mites adapted to the bees. A good parasite does not kill its host, and these mites seem to have regressed to a point that they can live with the bees without killing them.

I find this amazing. Had we allowed this natural process to go on in our colonies instead of using chemicals, we may have actually been able to live with the mites instead of creating a super mite and poisoning our bees. Maybe someday we will learn to think about our interventions before we make matters worse.

I love the Olympics

The Olympics have always been one of my favorite events. As a child I used to listen to the majestic theme song as the prime time telecast came on. I recall seeing the best of the best compete in amateur athletics. It seems there was always a compelling story to tickle my imagination and push me to try harder to be my best in whatever I did myself. These were role models that shaped my being. I even welcomed the addition of professional athletes, because this meant there was no doubt that the competitors really were the best of the best. I only recall two bad tastes in my mouth as I feasted on this epic occasion that only came around every four years in my youth.

The first bad taste came in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City when several American sprinters laughed, joked and disrespected the American flag as they were presented their medals for sprinting victories. I was glad when their medals were stripped from them because my feeling was the best of the best included being the best sportsman also.

The second bad taste came in the 1972 Munich games when the horror of all horrors happened and terrorists captured and killed much of the Israeli team. I had found it very cool that every four years all nations could put aside their differences and become sportsmen that got along while showing their best side in attitude, performance, and etiquette. This traumatic event spoiled the Olympic spirit of those games and the only thing that pulled me through was the resolve to let the games go on even if on a somber note. Mark Spitz winning 7 gold medals while setting 7 world records was an unbelievable event but would be forever overshadowed by the terrorists horrible act. That act shaped my feelings about the lack of humanity in terrorists and the belief that we can only defeat terrorism by not being terrified.

The terrible events of 1972 calloused me to other events that paled in comparison and the steroid scandals went unnoticed by me to a large degree though it did disgust me. I enjoyed most Olympics tremendously after that and came to realize that my single most enjoyable event in the games is also the shortest event. That event only takes a little over nine seconds to complete from start to finish. This event is the 100 meter dash when the title of worlds fastest human is issued.

I found myself enjoying the Beijing Olympics of 2008 tremendously because of the heroics of the dolphin-esque Michael Phelps as he shattered Mark Spitz's 1972 feat by winning 8 gold medals, setting 7 world records and one Olympic record. This was a fantastically marvelous feat and was a nice appetiser to my favorite event the men's 100 meter dash.

The 2008 100 meter dash field featured the reigning world record holder, the reigning world champion and the former world record holder. It appeared to be shaping up to be a race of Olympic dreams to tell your grand children about. I watched with intensity as the race shaped up and was already savoring the replay as the starter gun sounded. The field was quick out of the blocks except for 6'5" Usain Bolt of Jamaica, the world record holder. At about the 60 meter mark, Bolt caught the field as his long powerful stride got into rhythm. I was anticipating his smoking the field at this point and he sure was until the 80 meter mark, when he slowed his stride. It was bizarre to watch Bolt actually slowing down while he was still pulling away from the field. He then turned and looked at his nearest competitor and looked at the camera then pounded his chest as he slowed to almost a jog across the finish line setting a new world record and winning a gold medal.

Usain, you robbed us all of seeing you, the greatest 100 meter sprinter of all time, actually perform your best. I could not believe that the best sprinters in the world, giving their best, could be disrespected so by one of their competitors. Then you further insulted us with your childish antics that disrespected you and your country. I have revisited Mexico City by watching you and feel you too deserve to have your gold medal taken. You did not perform your best and you do not deserve this honor.

Fallen Hero

I work with an amazing team of people at Hendersonville NC Social Security. Many of us are personal friends off the job and we care very much about each other as people in addition to working as a well oiled machine on the job. We know how to get things done and complement each other in our strengths and weakness. In short, it is the best group of people, that I have ever worked with in my government career.

One of the universally loved and respected members of that team recently passed away and it has tremendously impacted all of us who loved and respected him. Roger Parker is also known as 1st Sgt Roger Parker and returned from a tour of duty in Iraq just a little more than a year ago. We missed Roger for over a year as he was taken to active duty and deployed to the front lines. Roger was always on our minds as we prayed each day and remembered fond times with our friend and co-worker. The guys at work took Roger to The Outback Steakhouse for his send off and promised to take him there again on his return.

While Roger was in Iraq, we regularly sent him care packages from home with all kinds of goodies and supplies that he may otherwise be doing without. Each package was thoughtfully prepared and sent with the hope he would be blessed by receiving it. When Roger returned, he told me that that package was always a highlight of his week. I laughed as he told me how he took a jar of my Sourwood Knoll honey to the mess hall in his pocket. He was not supposed to take anything into the mess hall, but he bent that rule to enjoy my fresh raw honey on his bread. It made me feel good to know that I could at least provide that small pleasure for a man that had made such a sacrifice to serve my country.

We had Roger back for less than a year when he passed away too young at only 41. He will be missed as a great co-worker who always carried his load, a friend who always had time to talk to people and a people person who loved to share a laugh. I somehow, in my mind, expected Roger to come back in to work until his funeral. At that moment my mind finally resolved that shock and disbelief about his death with the fact he is gone. I felt guilt because I had not been able to find the time to take him back out to eat though we had discussed it. I guess I learned there are no guarantees in life and we should never put off until tomorrow what we could do today. Roger may never know how much he meant to us all, but he was special in that every person in our office had a universal respect and fondness for him.

1st Sgt Roger Parker, you will be missed by everyone who knew you May you be at peace and may we all see you again in a happier place of joy and celebration. Until then, we will all have Roger shaped hole in our souls. We still have our memories and respect for you to hold onto until then.

Happy Birthday

My maternal grandmother, Lula Belle King Wilson, would have been 118 today! She was a sweet and loving person who had much wisdom tempered with unfailing love. She always took care of protecting her "grand youngins" and, though she died in 1979, I still love her and miss her. Nanny grew up and lived in Brunswick County NC and she was only 13 years younger than her mother, who also lived to a ripe old age. Happy Birthday Nanny!

Cradle of Forestry Pollinator Week

I was privileged to be invited to demonstrate and educate the public about honeybees today as part of the grand finale of Pollinator Week at the Cradle of Forestry in America. It is a chance to go full circle, so to speak, for me as I actually graduated from the Biltmore Forest School of Forest Resources at NC State University. This is the place that famous and prestigious school had its humble beginnings as the Vanderbilts began forestry in America by bringing in Carl A Schenck from Germany to begin modern forestry practices in America. If you have not visited this facility, though it is a bit out of the way in the Pisgah National Forest, you need to do so soon! It is a first class facility and is a crown jewel of the US Forest Service.

I took an observation hive, two regular hives, a bee gazebo and lots of honey as well as bee tools and props. The day was spent answering questions from an engaged public, as well as doing demonstrations on beekeeping inside the gazebo. I also got to sell ALOT of my fresh Locust honey. Some people could not wait to taste the honey and instantly proclaimed it to be excellent and unique. Mackenzie helped me with sales when I was busy with education and my friend Burt Hardwick, who volunteers at the facility and is also a beekeeper, lent a hand. I must say I was pleased with honey sales and I believe each customer will be equally pleased with this unique and tasty delight of Locust honey that we only get to experience about once per decade.

I took this opportunity to explain how and why I keep bees without chemicals. I educated about my efforts to locate wild colonies of bees and use these superior genetics of survivors to boost my queen breeding program. After finding I use no chemicals in my beekeeping, a facility employee gladly paid premium prices for some chemical free wax to use in candles and skin care products. I handed out plenty of cards and shared many smiles. Some new friends were made and some old friends were rediscovered. All in all, it was a very good day indeed. I anxiously await my next installment.

Mackenzie's Birthday

My youngest turned 14 today and we celebrated by going to her favorite restaurant, Asia Grand Buffet, in West Asheville. They grow up so fast! Mackenzie was joined by family and friends and even a birthday cake decorated with a horse and fence. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kenzie! I hope you have many more!

Kyle and Rene's Wedding

I have been to and in a lot of weddings and to be honest most are stiff formal affairs that are not alot of fun. In fact, I have only been to two weddings that were fun! One of those was today, when I attended the wedding of my nephew, Kyle Moody, and Rene Barefoot. Kyle is an engineer with Eaton and Rene is a teacher at Enka Middle. They will be living in a home Kyle built in Fairview. Kyle is also a contractor and is looking to sell this home but they will live there until it does sell. I wish Kyle and Rene many blessings in life and a very happy marriage. They both are great people and I pray will continue to be a great couple.

The wedding was at Taylor Ranch and the reception was catered with a fine barbecue pork and chicken with all the fixings. Kyle is a graduate of NC State and Rene is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill. A chance to dance with either of them was available for a dollar and the one with the most dollars at the end would decide where they would receive season football tickets. Rene won, so it looks like Carolina tickets. I did my best to make sure Kyle got State tickets, by paying a dollar to dance with him. It was a short dance with no contact and brought a few laughs. I could not let a fellow State grad have to endure season tickets at Carolina! It was close, but Kyle lost out. I just wish my own wedding had been such fun. Way to go Kyle and Rene!

Bee Vacuum

There used to be a Bee Vac brand vacuum cleaner when I was a boy, I know because we had one. It was about 3 feet long and about 8 inches in diameter. The suction hose went in one end and it had handles to pick it up and move it. It was very 50's and we used it until the late 60's when we got a Kirby upright to vacuum the wall to wall carpet.

I made a bee vacuum today, and it is not for vacuuming around the house, though it would do that, it is for vacuuming honeybees! I remove bees from structures and trees and a little assistance from a bee vacuum is handy. I have never had one before because they killed too many bees. Most home made bee vacuums are little more than shop vacuums with a cage inside.

I have always said I thought the bee mortality rate would go down if they did not have to bounce down a corrugated tube. I also knew a larger space inside would minimize any impact. I had a job removing bees which were inside the living quarters of a house, and kill bees or not, I needed a bee vacuum. My friend Darrell had one so I borrowed it. He had been telling me how good it worked, and he did not lie. I do not think I killed a bee with it. I basically works like the old bee vacuum my mother had except it is made for honey bees. The bees go down a slick tube and in the end of the canister. The 8 inch canister is 2 feet long and padded at the bottom with foam in case one hits the bottom.

I liked it so well, I decided I had to have one myself. Mine is basically a copy of Darrells ingenious design with a few modifications a carpenter such as myself would make. I bought a 12 inch diameter and an 8 inch diameter "quick tube" concrete form, some screen wire, and some duct tape. I already had an old upright vacuum cleaner the the motor still worked on but my kids had abused until the upright part did not work. From my playhouses, I had various scraps to put all of this together with.

I used a hole saw to put vent holes in the the inner canister and for the vacuum motor suction hole. I also put a hole in the lid for the hose with the hole saw. I used a part from the old upright to put into the lid and attach my hose to make the hose swivel in the lid. I wrapped the inner tube with screen wire and wrapped duct tape around it to hold it in place. Several laps around the tube with the tape makes it stay because tape on tape does not let go. A few screws and some glue did the trick. I am amazed at how well it works. I need to install a vent hole to make the suction a bit less, and I will put it in the outer 12 inch canister, so I do not have to screen it up. Darrells model has the hole in the lid for the inner tube, but that has to be screened over. I am too lazy and figured a vent hole is a vent hole and I will put mine where it requires the least amount of work. Thanks Darrell for your great idea

Now, I am thinking of breaking it in on a colony of bees I know about that are in someones well house. It is tempting, because I really wanted 20 hives before the summer was over and this would make 20!

Enka Triathlon

My nephew, Kyle Moody, and his fiance' Rene Barefoot ran in the Enka Triathlon at Biltmore Lake today. Kyle and Rene are getting married on the 21st. This is the second time they have done that triathlon, and in fact met in the last one two years ago. Kyle is the number one ranked triathlete in his class and won the Clydesdale class in the event this year as well as finishing 28th overall. Rene is the 10th ranked female triathlete and finished second over all in the women's division, losing only to the number one ranked triathlete. My prayers are that they are as successful in marriage as they are in triathlons.

Personal Bee School

I teach beekeeping to large classes or to individuals. I have a current student, named Alex, who just started her personal beekeeping school this morning. She is a really enthusiastic student and a very quick study. I went into some basics of beekeeping when she first arrived and soon moved to the hands on in hive experience. Alex picked up on some of the points I had made and made reasoned statements about the condition of a hive that were correct and used knowledge she had obtained to evaluate the evidence she saw. I was impressed.

She was ready to get her fingers into the hive without waiting and we did just that. I let her light a smoker and I lit mine. We both had a hive tool and just went into the hive to evaluate what we saw. In the first hive, we had a newly emerged queen and another which I just closed up and left alone for now. In the second hive Alex was impressed to see where the bees, which had been taken from a wall in a house, had attached the comb to the frames and were removing the rubber bands. The next hive found lots of drone larvae and a supersedure queen cell that had hatched. Other supersedure cells had been torn into from the side and I told Alex we were looking for a new unmarked queen. She almost immediately said, "There is the queen"! I was taken back, because I had not seen her yet. Alex pointed her out and I picked her up and marked her with a yellow dot. The next hive had a queen that was laying eggs and I had marked before with a red dot. The queen had lots of places to hide because the bottom of the comb had a space between it and the bottom bars of the frame. I was looking for her on a frame that seemed the likely candidate but not seeing her when Alex said, "there she is in the crack between the comb and the bottom bar. See how big her abdomen is? Sure enough there she was!

I am proud to teach students like Alex and I believe Alex will make a GREAT beekeeper. I am also pleased to hear she is going to keep bees without chemicals like I do. Best of all, I arranged for Alex to meet my friend Darrell, who is removing a colony of bees from a structure tomorrow morning. Darrell is giving Alex the colony of bees in exchange for her assistance! I loaned her a bee suit and some hive equipment to put the bees into. This time tomorrow, the hum of happy bees will be heard at Alex's house, just one day after her first beekeeping lesson. Talk about hands on!