All hail her majesty, the Queen!

After too many weeks of waiting, my version of Mary, Queen of Teck has finally taken up residence in her "palace". The red strap in the photo is to keep raccoons out - in case any of them didn't get the message when the others got their heads cracked open.

I told her highness it was bunting in honour of her arrival. She seemed pleased but her workers did not like the clickety clack of the ratchet one bit. And I put that in place with no protective gear. Not real bright.

I'll bee, hold on to your hats there are lots more bee jokes coming, the first to admit foundation of the royal residence needs a little work. Kitkat and I had set up the stone supports from an old garden bench but they were knocked over by the wind. Probably not best for an 80 lb hive.

Delay issue addressed, I finally managed to find a time convenient for both Todd, my bee connection, and myself to make the swap. At his direction, I read his website about what I needed to prepare when I came to claim my queen. In retrospect, a couple things make me go hmmmmmmmmm....

"we do not stop the flight of bees, or close entrances, until you arrive for pick-up" - apparently, 'close entrances' equates to grabbing some long grass and stuffing it in the entrance to the hive. Keep in mind, 1000+ bees are then placed in your vehicle. Anxious views in the rearview mirror were on tap for the hour long drive to Lonsdale. There were one or two stragglers that followed the hive into Gertrude. I fear they were sucked out the sunroof. I hope they made it home. 

"bring your protective clothing; or arrive early to purchase it from our store here " - as always, I did as instructed and brought my bee gitch. Apparently it was just for show. After selecting my single, that's bee lingo for those not in the know, Todd said he'd need my help in lifting it. "Should I get my gloves and hood?" I asked. "Getting stung is part of the business, might as well get used to it." With extreme care I hoisted my side and prayed for no pissed off bees. 

Sadly, there likely won't bee much honey this year as it's late in the season. So now I'll have a nervous winter praying they make it through! IronMan's grandma is busy knitting them a bee cozy as I write. Seriously, there is such a thing. No foolin.

Between the bees and painting the LAST room on the main floor, it's been a crazy weekend and now time for bed. But first, a little video of the bees in action!