We have six hives going right now.  We started with five new ones this year, and a couple of weeks ago, Sharon noticed that a swarm had moved into the "box" which I call the "pi hive", which had died out late last year.  The video is of the "Forest Defender" hive.  You might notice Bodhi's writing on the bare north side.  The bees are "bearding" on the east facing side.  This is the hive with the most biomass right now.
 This is a different style hive from previous designs.  The walls are twice as thick as our previous hives and the hive volume is at the same time smaller.  Also, I placed the entrance hole in the middle of the wall, instead of the the side.  Also, the hive is sitting on a table four feet off the ground.
 I had also spaced the hives out much more.  It is about a ten minute walk from the farthest apart hives, from the dam to the river.
 Keeping my fingers crossed!

February: Thomas started a new job with Mercy Care, a Catholic charity primary care clinic.
March: We got a new flock of chickens.  We moved our chickens and bee hives into the woods so that we could terrace our backyard..
July: Thomas joined the board of directors as Treasurer-elect @ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett.
September / October: Sharon got a job with the U.S. Census
October: Aura / Aurora joined our cat family.
Thanksgiving: Bodhi finally learned how to ride a bicycle without training wheels.
December: Sharon helped the New Georgia Project register new voters for the Senate run-off.  Thomas found a new hobby, chopping wood.
New Years Eve 2020: We watched the USO perform in NYC to bring in the new year.

US Senate: Raphael Warnock running to for the seat of Johnny Isaackson
Gwinnett County Commission Chair: Nikki Love Hendrickson running against David Post
Public Service Commission: Daniel Blackman running against Lauren Bubba McDonald
Public Service Commission: Robert Bryant running against Jason Shaw

Feeling moody today so I been listening to music.  Here are a couple of tracks from a benefit album I produced for the American Friends Service Committee.  The first is "Just Pray" from Intelligent Minds Unite and the second is "Broken" from Magnus.  Just a reminder of all the talented and passionate people I have been lucky to meet in my life for which I am grateful.

I got this hive from Blue Ridge Honey, a package with a Carniolan queen.  This hive swarmed in May.  Now it has a new queen mated with a local drone.  I named it the "pi" hive after the irrational number pi because the area of the entrance hole is pi inches!  This is the strongest hive.  Most impressive beard, I cannot recall seeing any more massive than this one.

The other hive is one of two nucs I received about a month ago.  I don't know the precise definition of "nuc" but basically a mini hive, usually created from a larger hive, that is being split.  This hive weighs 19 pounds, of which 9 pounds is biomass.  The pi hive weighs 54 pounds.  So anywhere from 44 to 49 pounds of biomass.

I love echinaceas and I love bumble bees.  There several different kinds of pollinators on the echinaceas today.  Bumble bees, honey bees, smaller bee-like creatures, and moths.
I find bumble bees to be really cute, with their furry bodies and industrious work ethic.

We planted many radishes this year.  I've been trying to figure out how to pickle without vinegar and finally found a basic recipe, salt in the quantity of 1-2% of the weight of whatever vegetable you are trying to pickle.  I started these pickles around June the 15th and checked them today.  They are definitely on the right track but could probably use some more time.