An afternoon with my Beekeepers <3

[catjac1975]

@Nyboy and @catjac1975 No way can the bees get to him in the suit. He is around them without cover up too. But this time they where handling the hives and frames. Note the smoker. he did a good job getting it where it calmed the bees for Papa to work. He as very helpful.

When my daughter would drop the boys off, she would say,"Have fun helping Gram in the garden." One day I said to her, "You know they really don't help, right?" They often played , picked, ate, got under foot, fought. I am not complaining I loved it. Now that the oldest is 11 he really can help substantially. The 7 year old can do a little. We always pay them some money. Their parents don't really like that we pay them after 8 or more years of free baby sitting. I pay them what they are worth and they are thrilled.

 

[thistlebloom]

"You know they really don't help, right?" They often played , picked, ate, got under foot, fought. I am not complaining I loved it.

This is the way of things of course, and we aren't really holding on to expectations of them making our load lighter, because as you say, we love it.

I don't have grandkids, but a few times I've taken some of the older neighbor kids to work with me when my clients were gone for the season. I knew that there would actually be less work accomplished than if I were to go alone, but considered it good work experience for the kids.

They had a blast and I took them out for burgers afterward and gave them an hourly wage. They may have even learned something.

They are all growing up so fast and are developing a sort of aversion to work, so those days are probably over now.

 

[Collector]

It looks like grandpa & gs#2 are having some Quality time together, and learning a skill. Young Children do tend to slow things down but it worthwhile to slow down answer questions and point out some of the finer points. Kids will retain more than you think and use it later in life. I still remember things both of my grandfathers told me and taught me when I was a youngster,teenager and young adult and they have both been gone for 25 years now. Time well spent.

 

[flowerbug]

i was being paid to do lawnwork as a kid alone by age 10. i mowed lawns, trimmed trees and bushes, weeded, trapped moles, etc. whatever needed to get done. it was how i afforded buying a brand new bike or two and other things.

as i got old enough then i went to work for the family business. can't say i regretted the lawn work as i think that was a part of having a good work ethic and learning how to deal with people.

my favorite job site was one that had a pool i could use when i was done mowing.

my least favorite job was mowing grass. still is. which is why when i moved in here i made sure that Mom knew that it was her job to keep mowing as much as she can (i help out some days but mostly it's her gig and i leave her to it).

 

[flowerbug]

@Nyboy and @catjac1975 No way can the bees get to him in the suit. He is around them without cover up too. But this time they where handling the hives and frames. Note the smoker. he did a good job getting it where it calmed the bees for Papa to work. He as very helpful.

i'd not be afraid of them either in a suit. we have so many around here i'm close to them any time i'm in the gardens. they don't sting or have any reason to unless i've happened to get them trapped in my clothes somehow and that's only happened twice in all the years i've been here.

i would not, however, like to be around the hives out back without a suit if i had to do anything to them, smoker or not, i've just heard of people having things go wrong once in a while and really paying for it (accidentally knocking against a hive, etc.).

we're both klutzy enough to know better how things can go... we don't have any bees of our own to care for, but i'm facinated by them and wish them a good life.

 

[baymule]

Carol, I love the pictures. Grand parents are such an important part of a child's life. How many little kids can say their Pappa let them help take care of beehives? Not too many! Your grandson is learning something that he may take off on when he get older. At the very least, what a memory to treasure when he gets older. those bees are something that your husband is passionate about and having a grandson to share them with has got to make him proud. A couple of those pictures need to be framed!

 

[Carol Dee]

Carol, I love the pictures. Grand parents are such an important part of a child's life. How many little kids can say their Pappa let them help take care of beehives? Not too many! Your grandson is learning something that he may take off on when he get older. At the very least, what a memory to treasure when he gets older. those bees are something that your husband is passionate about and having a grandson to share them with has got to make him proud. A couple of those pictures need to be framed!

Thanks @baymule , Papa sure loves having his little buddy tag along. At 7 he has become a real good helper too. We printed a few of the good ones for him to take to school and tell his class what he has learned. Yep going to have to print some for us too. His brother is still leery about it all even in the suit. Papa wanted to take him the next day and get some one on one time but he declined. We will just have to find an activity he enjoys for the two of them.

 

[Nyboy]

Carol do you have your own bee suit

 

[thistlebloom]

Thanks @baymule , Papa sure loves having his little buddy tag along. At 7 he has become a real good helper too. We printed a few of the good ones for him to take to school and tell his class what he has learned. Yep going to have to print some for us too. His brother is still leery about it all even in the suit. Papa wanted to take him the next day and get some one on one time but he declined. We will just have to find an activity he enjoys for the two of them.

Maybe he would enjoy processing the honey with Papa.

 

[Carol Dee]

Maybe he would enjoy processing the honey with Papa.

They ALL do. We will have a work day next Saturday. Son, his GF and Boys along with a friend or two will be over to help. Many hands makes light work. And now that DH bought an 8 frame spinner (the old one only did 2 at a time!) it should go really fast.