Hello from the Texas Hillcountry

[superhoney]

Hello all,
Wanted to introduce myself to the forums and say hey! I have never tended Bees before but we have recently moved out of the city and onto a ranch. I have had an interest in bees for years and years but never had the space to keep them.

We've recently moved to my family's ranch out here to help take care of it and I can now jump into this hobby I've been watching from afar. Hurray for that!

In my real life I'm a Microsoft Instructor tending a remote learning program over the Internet, so I work from home here on the ranch. It's pretty sweet. We also run goats here and this time of year is especially fun because everyone has kids.

I will be reading and researching for the rest of the year before I plan to get my first queen and bees the following spring. I think from what I've read and understand it might be a little late at the moment to try and get them set up. Besides all I really have now is a burning desire to investigate this interesting hobby and a multitude of links to Bee information websites and of course these forums. :)

I've been reading for a month or so and finally decided to register. All I can gurantee is that I will have many questions and try to learn and educate others as best I can, oh and to have fun while doing it. I've always loved bees, and especially their honey (just ask my dentist), and now I can finally help them a bit. I'm glad.

I'll lurk mostly at first because I'm a blank slate, but I'll probably be talking soon. Many thanks in advance for the help that will no doubt be received from everyone here.

Bye y'all!
Superhoney

[Cindi]

Superhoney, welcome to our forums.  I loved your little story about your life.  Moving from the city to a ranch, what a bonus!!!!  And that you can remotely teach in an even bigger bonus, yes that is sweet.

You will be working very hard to learn as much as you can about the honeybees and how to take care of them, excellent.  By the time that you get your  bees next year, you will have an excellent handle on what is going on.  Good. 

Lurk around our forum, but you can bet your bottom dollar that you will be spending more time asking questions than lurking, hee, hee.  Welcome, we love to hear stories about other things other than bees too, so anytime you want to tell us about your ranch, do that thing.  Have that wonderful and beautiful day, lovin' our lives we live.  Cindi

[indypartridge]

Hello and welcome!

This is a great place to learn about bees. I use the 'search' function a lot because often the question I have has been discussed before and I can get an immediate answer. Have you looked into any local beekeeping clubs?  They often offer beginning beekeeping classes, plus a club is a good place to find a mentor or two. Looks like there may be a club near you:
http://www.texasbeekeepers.org/indexDynFrames.htm?http://www.texasbeekeepers.org/Directories/TBA%20Chapters.htm&1

[superhoney]

Hey Indypartridge,
Thanks for the links!

That's one of my hundreds of links I've picked up along the way so far. Unfortunately the closest one to me I found through them is in San Antonio which would be over an hour and a half drive. Sigh, so I think that's out considering gas prices and carbon signature of my diesel truck. Although I will more than likely email their contact and see if he knows anyone in this area. I thought that would be a good start.

I love searching! Hopefully I will get lucky enough to ask a unique question at some point!

I am also asking all the long time locals if they know anyone who keeps bees, but nothing yet. I see bees in the garden and all around the house but I'm just not fast enough to keep up with them when they fly off! I'm trying to see if there's a general egress direction for the ones I do try and follow but sheesh the phrase "Bee Line" is anything but straight! And then there's the rocks I stumble on and the cedar branches whipping my forehead, let's just say I still have no clue which direction they are coming/going.

But in my favor this is a small tight community around here from what I can tell. Someone has to know and sooner or later I'll run across them in my daily interactions. I might put up a note at the grocery store at some point!

For now this nexxus of information is readily filling in the gaps and making me laugh. Again many thanks for all the contributions.


Thanks again!!
Superhoney!