Well, It was Bound to Happen

 There she is. My first bee sting.  I knew it was bound to happen.  That Langstroth hive is grouchy.  I came home for a bit Saturday between dress rehearsal and the big opening night of our fifth and six grade musical.  It was supposed to rain all day, but the bees were out in droves.  I needed to put an empty frame in the middle of the brood chamber, just as I'd done with the Top Bar Hive earlier in the week.  The hope is the bees would be busy drawing out that frame, and the queen mum laying eggs left and right, so the next deep full of empty frames that I put on the top would get filled with honey, not brood.   I did the Top Bar Hive one evening without gloves or hat and veil and without incident.  These bees were after me as soon as the cover came off.  Thankfully, I did have the smoker going well.  I also had my alcohol pad so after being stung once, I could remove the "danger, danger, Will Robinson" scent that little mean sister would be issuing, keeping a multitude of hit bees from coming after me.  I did manage to get the frame in, but those stinky bees are just no fun.  Now, I feel worried about their location and all my gramerlings.  I told Handy Man, we may be moving that hive way up the hill. It's sad to have to requeen when she's laying so well, but a mean queen has mean offspring, so she might just have to go.

This has simply been an exhausting week.  Of course, the kids were adorable, and did a great job on stage, but the back stage job, with  a couple of middle school guys,  required all the good graces I could muster and very seriously taxed my joy.  The chicklets on the other hand were  a dream.  It's sad, because most my boys were also wonderful. It is interesting how a couple of bad attitudes can affect the whole lot isn't it?

Oh My JOY!

 Most of the week was all work, I fear, but Bugg and I turned work into play as she most joyfully helped me make the mints for the Opening Night VIP table .

You know, we're still on Coyote vigil here, so the boys were looking at weapons.  Whilst we were working she asked, "Where are the boys?"  I replied, "Oh, out looking at guns."  She heaved, "Aren't you glad we're girls, so we don't have to out hunting?"  Then, " I bet we're going to make more of these next week, pink ones, because you know I love pink."  Hating to bust her bubble, I tried to explain, 

"Well, after I've made these for two hours, I'm not usually too excited about making them again real soon." Her response, "Well, I'm always excited about eating them."

I make these mints in my classroom every year for the Mother's Day Tea. I have kids who just cannot grasp the idea of the size and how to gently pat them in the mold.  She was rolling them out like pro. She's a wonderful chef assistant.

Now it's off to camp for me, yipee!