The beginning...again.

Hi, welcome to my blog on Beekeeping. I will be amazed if anyone ever shows an interest in my adventures with bees, knowing that it is not the usual looking hobby for someone to have! A brief history of how I got involved, with an expanded version later on is probably necessary right up front.

About 18 years ago I went through a very critical time in my life. At this time I left a very wonderful church staff to deal with some things in my life and to go to counseling full time for a year. My counselor asked me one day if I had any hobbies. I laughed at him and responded "Im a pastor, I don't have time for hobbies!" This was both a proud statement and a response from a broken person. Through his help Sherri and I began to dream outside of the ministry. Our lives had only been the ministry and there was no life outside of my identity as a pastor. One of the dreams we had was to live on a farm, raise our kids on a dirt road and have a couple chickens in our yard. The words of my counselor haunted me though; "what are your hobbies?" or better said, "what relaxes you, what energizes you, what makes you smile?"

I spent a lot of time at a consignment bookstore and one day came across a beekeeping book. I bought it and was fascinated with the biology, and social life of bees. The craft of beekeeping seemed so earthy and unique...I was hooked! A long journey that eventually moved us to Minnesota and back into the ministry set us up for our dream to come true. We found our farm and I bought 2 beehives. That dream lasted for a couple of years until we took a new pastoral position in Fremont, California. I sold my hives, brought bits and pieces of equipment with me and left the "hobby" down a dirt road in Minnesota.

This year I was faced again with the question "what makes you smile?" I could not deny that I missed beekeeping, knowing that it held such a reverent place in my heart. I had learned so much from the bees and I had learned to relax or get stung. This hobby, therapy, joy had haunted me long enough. A week ago, we painted my hives, repairing 9 years of weathered pieces in the side yard, bought more equipment and found a ranch near Sunol, California to put my bees...The beginning...again!

This blog will hopefully help you get to know the fascinating life of the common honeybee and in the process you will probably get to know me a little better. I hope that you enjoy my ramblings about what makes me smile!