Manny hits #500!

The Red Sox playing the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards this evening. At 9:29 pm, just as I was about to upload this photo, we watched Manny Ramirez hit home run number 500.

Over the past few years Oriole Park at Camden Yards seems to have become "Fenway South" to those Sox fans who've made the trip to Baltimore to watch our team as tickets for home games become nearly impossible to purchase. It's a beautiful ball park not far from Baltimore's Inner Harbor. According to Wikipedia, "Camden Yards is just a short walk from Babe Ruth's birthplace, which is now a museum. Coincidentally, Ruth's father once owned a pub located in what is now center field of the stadium."

So now it's a party night in our house in celebration of Manny Ramirez--his 36th birthday yesterday and his 500th home run this evening!

Oh...here is that photograph of the honey bee pollinating my clematis last week. Click on the photo for an enlarged view.

"Good vibrations" in Charlestown, RI

We were asked to install bees in hives already located in a private garden in Charlestown. So, after completing our work for the day in the new outyard in Foster, Mike drove the remaining two packages of bees to their new home. Earlier in the month we'd met with the couple who own the garden to introduce ourselves. They've created a beautiful space.

(This photograph was also taken on 13 April as the new Charlestown packages were installed in these "previously enjoyed" hives.)

Earlier this month Mike was checking on these hives when one of the property owners came out to inquire about the bees' progress and well-being. The gentleman mentioned observing the bees on his plants while he worked in the garden and that, from time to time, he had been able to gently stroke them while they were pollinating the plants. As Mike talked about their conversation, I could imagine the gardener giving the bees a loving touch. How tender, I thought! How can you not adore people like this? I think the bees benefit from such loving attention though, naturally, I cannot say for certain.

We feel so grateful to these good, caring people in Foster and Charlestown who have invited our bees into their gardens.

Installing new hives, Foster, RI

This Spring seems to be a rainy one and that's not great for beekeeping, though it's lovely for the plants in our gardens. Honey bees prefer those warm, sunny days with little or no breeze. I've been stung a bit more than usual this year as a result of having to install or inspect hives on those less-than-ideal days.

Earlier this year I wrote about acquiring a new outyard in Foster, thanks to Deb and Butch and their desire to share their expanding vegetable garden with some honey bees. It was a raw and overcast day on 13 April when I installed the two hives there.

After the hives were installed Butch did a lot of work on the site, and I am very grateful to him and Deb for their caring attitude. He installed a snow fence around the hives, giving me plenty of room to do my work. The fence offers the hives some protection against unwanted visitors, both two-legged and four-legged.

I purchased a veil for Butch, even though he was willing to go right into the hives with me without any protective gear. He is a natural beekeeper, I think, but wears a short beard, and bees do seem to get tangled in hair and beards quite easily. I thought he should be able to enjoy getting as close to the bees as he likes without taking stings to the face or neck. Besides, a sting in or near the eyes can be quite dangerous. I don't want anyone being blinded because of carelessness.

Maybe later this season we'll manage a photo of him wearing his new veil.