Chez StanMinn Communiqués: 2# Package

We're backtracking with this entry to fill in the missing piece about how those bees d'honey came to be at Chez StanMinn.
You've followed the story from initial inception and creation of their home, to anticipating their arrival, but then skipped ahead to them leaving!
Confusing, no?
Back in April, the goods arrived and it was up to me to get them to where they needed to go, despite being completely green when it came to bee keeping.
I was trusting it would all work out in the end, and happily, it seems to have.

The bee saga continues as we last left off just about to make a short drive down the road to pick up the "package" (Snort. I'm still 12, nothing has changed.) at Glory Bee.
This was good fortune since many traveled much farther, from as distant as the coast and even Bend.
And you *had* to come get the bees in person by Saturday at 1pm, lest they be sold off to those on the waiting list.

reward

Again, I'd done all I was capable of prior to this point and was just eager to get on with it.
As practiced, drove the quick route and cut through the back lot finding ample parking.
It was a circus!

Tents and food trucks, carts, displays, activities, booths, the whole bit. And an abnormally beautiful day for the middle of April.

Because I had Hospice Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon plans for Saturday afternoon, it was a good thing many presentations were offered for the 'workshop' on Friday.
Perfectly timed, I walked into the cavernous warehouse to attend the talk given by the owner's adult son explaining just how to do this thing. I'm a sit-in-the-front-row gal now, as opposed to my grade school days where I goofed off in the back. Since I was actually paying money for and needing this instruction, it was important not to miss a word, plus my old lady eyes aren't so great anymore and I can see better if closer.

truck

But isn't there at least one in any crowd?
Those who think they are the only ones in the audience, as if being privately tutored? And god forbid they wait until after all is said and done for fear their premature questions might just be answered. Such were my neighbors to the right, a couple from Florence, as we were reminded time and again as they opened their mouths to find out how what Alan was saying would directly affect them, their bees (*they* were getting a nuc! Big stuff and far more important than we small package people!), their location, their temperatures, and so on ad nauseum.
There were some other random annoyances and for the first time, I decided to not hold my tongue by piping up.
Thus far, all focus had been on the more popular and traditional Longstroth hives.

kids

I knew our Warre was different and asked a pointed question re some of those specific discrepancies like feeding and installation itself.
How stupid did I ever feel after my inquiry was roundly dismissed with a rather curt "We've never dealt with those kind so you'll have to ask someone who does."
Yet, they've been at this honey business thing now for how long?
Was it truly possible to have no knowledge of alternative bee keeping systems?
To say I was a bit offended would be about right.
He'd pandered to those insufferable bores but couldn't toss me a carrot?
Lucky for them there are no alternatives locally to their product and services, or I'd be tempted to take my business elsewhere.
Reluctantly, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and was glad for the rest of the day turning out so well.
After a PowerPoint demo and pantomiming with props, we were to witness practical application in a cordoned off section of the lot, where handily enough, our bees were waiting.

There I joined the founder of the company and his assistant's group (take that, rude son) as he showed us very quickly and expertly how to drop those bees into their new house.

I took a thousand pictures and instead of posting them all here today will load them up for their very own special entry because if you look at them very fast, seem like a movie!

Feeling better now with a clearer idea of the procedure, I relaxed by walking among the tables and interacted with folks who really knew their shit.
Sensing my apprehension, every one was encouraging, helpful and kind.
If you tweeted or checked in on Facebook, you were rewarded a full size honey bear- well, hello!
Come to me, sweetie!
A local bread company was giving away very generous slices of their goods smothered in local honey.
Get in my belly!
Gathering stickers, flavored honey sticks, info, flower seeds, signing petitions, I stopped short of making a construction paper bee hat with googly eyes.

A second trip to the unnaturally clean restrooms, filling up the water bottle, milling around inside the factory store once more (realizing I was starting to drag my feet), the last stop before actually putting those damn things in the car was a visit to the food truck- and an auspicious one at that.
Not 3 days prior, driving out of Eugene, I passed a vehicle with such design, color and presence I'd never seen before, but couldn't discern what exactly the offerings being hawked were.
But here it was! Up close and personal.
I went against diet and ordered deep fried mushrooms and sweet potato fries with lots of dipping sauce options.
Adding the close call with the wrong car keys and Zippy's obnoxious alarm going off, it seemed the time was right to get on with it.

At an earlier fact-finding mission, the gal behind the counter (you know, the one who gave me 'tude about those yellow jacket traps?) also told me to bring along a box for the bees "in case some escape you don't want them buzzing all around in your car."
Having previously checked in and issued the precious green ticket, I pulled up to redeem it, for better or worse, THE bees....
It was a fast moving queue of an assembly line, there wasn't even time for technical chatter.
Just to find out this refrigerated truck had come up from CA the previous night loaded with all of our orders.

And just like that, I had bees.

A box of bees in a box

And they would be on my property in about 15 minutes.
Where they would sit on the porch, in this huge box for another 36 hrs. until I finally got my act together and welcomed them into their new home.
And >that< folks, looks to be the topic of our next blog entry.
To beeeee continued...