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There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
 (Shakespeare's Hamlet I.v. 174-175)

On the way to Saskatoon, I took a picture of a wintering yard. 
Some hives are in polystyrene boxes.

Saturday 1 February 2003
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It's good to be home.  I couldn't get out of Saskatchewan fast enough, and I'm lucky I didn't get a speeding ticket on the way out of there.  I think I will leave Saskatchewan to their own ways, and hope they will have the good grace not to interfere in ours.

The banquet was fun last night, but I quit early to get some rest.  At 8:30, this morning, I awoke to the news that another space shuttle had fallen apart.  Not surprising, really; it's an experimental craft, and that design is far from a mature concept.  Just the same, it is a sad event and a disappointment, perhaps even more so in these dark days when all talk is about upcoming war(s). Since I got up late, I skipped breakfast and went to the bear pit session to hear what the Saskatchewan beekeepers who are evaluating Russian bee stock had to say.

By then, I was realizing that I was the only Alberta beekeeper at the whole convention, and that I saw no one from BC, other provinces, or the US (other than Dr. Caron).  (I am not sure about Manitoba; my understanding is that Tim Wendell operates in Manitoba, but I confess ignorance on that point).   I was starting to think that the absence of outsiders was a little eerie, since in the past, quite a few Alberta people made a point of going to Saskatchewan, and we welcomed Saskatchewan people at our Alberta meeting last November.  There had also been a number of Alberta, and other out-of province, beekeepers at the BC meeting Quesnel.  In fact, I had been explicitly invited to speak in BC and had most expenses paid, partially because they were hoping to better understand and consider the views of Alberta beekeepers.

At the November ABA meeting in Alberta -- as I recall -- Saskatchewan visitors had been given equal and ample opportunity with Alberta members to express their views in full, and at length.  We had also had a Manitoba contingent in Edmonton, and they were heard respectfully.  Hey, we even had people from Hawaii and California, and they got to talk too.  I recall Kevin Ward and I had a bit of a heated exchange on the floor about the idea of Alberta buying California packages. He was in favour and I expressed concern, but I also recall that we all wound up in the bar together, and I think Kevin bought my beer.

I also recall that Wink Howland went home and wrote in the Saskatchewan newsletter that Alberta beekeepers were broken into cliques that do not speak to one another.  I have not seen that (and you know that I get around and listen to everyone), but I can understand that he may have gotten that impression, because he has judged incapable of listening, and people have given up trying to talk to him and to the CHC. 

People feel hurt, rebuffed and disenfranchised.  In Alberta, the Canadian Honey Council, which he represents, has lost respect and only a few of us diehard optimists continue to pay dues.  It is sad.  There is very serious breakdown when formerly strong supporters and officers of the CHC, Jean Paradis and Barrie Termeer -- to name only two -- openly advocate that Alberta leave the CHC.  They have been forced to conclude that the CHC is obstinately and actively working against the best interests of the industry in Alberta, although CHC has been given every opportunity to see that many of these questions are not  either/or matters, and that all interests can be accommodated.

I had noticed that, at this Saskatoon meeting, no one had been asked to give greetings from Alberta, and I offered to do so, intending to invite the crowd to be sure to come to Edmonton this Feb 20th and 21st for the IPM workshop.  Sure, it is a course for Alberta beekeepers, but the Alberta policy is to share and share alike.  I thought I'd say a few nice things and see about doing a little bridge building.

That opportunity never came to pass.  The bear pit session went much as expected.  It was largely self-congratulatory and there was not much to say, really, except that the stock gave signs of being as good as, or better than, the stock that the Saskatchewan beekeepers had developed, plus it was expected to be hygienic and mite resistant.  A minority view was presented as well, by a beekeeper who has not adopted the Russian stock yet, saying that it is still too early to say and that possibly existing stock is better.   Although all the real work had been done by the USDA, and the USDA had generously and freely shared the stock with these beekeepers, expecting nothing in return, the group was looking the gift horse carefully in the mouth.

Then, Wink made some arrangements with the chair and Heather Clay stood up and -- to my astonishment -- somewhat apologetically conveyed a request from Medhat to consider supporting -- or at least not opposing -- the controlled import of US queens from selected mainland US sources into Alberta -- under strict inspection and special protocols to ensure zero importation of any varroa.

These protocols were considered necessary to placate the (somewhat remote, but real) fear of getting doubly resistant mites.  SHB importation is not even a remote possibility when queens are alone in cages, and the possibility of importing Africanized bees is not real, assuming that the shippers are selected carefully.  Moreover, the presentation by Dr. Caron seemed to indicate that AHB acts very much like EHB in the extreme areas of the temperate zone, so AHB may not be as big a concern as many have thought. 

The timing was awful, and what ensued was both a sad display of ignorance, and of arrogant unconcern for an honest neighbours' opinions, welfare, genuine needs and concerns.   As someone who has no strong views on the border issue (but does have strong views on open-mindedness and generosity to others) and who has traveled and consulted widely to try to get a perspective on this and other questions, I can see both sides of this question and I see lots of room for compromise and co-operation.  I am not inclined to partisan politics, and like to examine and re-examine each issue carefully on  its merits.  Any new perspective or reasoning I much appreciate -- as you must know if you read these pages often. 

At first, I could not believe my ears, but then I quickly gathered my things and left, to avoid witnessing what appeared to be rapidly turning into a gang beating.  I drove from Saskatoon as quickly as I could.  The road conditions were slippery and foggy until I neared the Alberta border.  As Alberta drew close, the sun came out and the landscape again took on shape and clarity.  I have not been involved in any previous attempts to discuss the border with an unreasoning, fanatic group -- or even suspected that my normally pleasant friends to the east could be so insensitive and uncomprehending -- but now I can understand why no other Alberta beekeepers were there.  Some might say that this is democracy, but that kind of democracy is like two wolves and a sheep discussing what is for supper.  Democracy, as I know it and love it, takes into consideration the needs and wants of minorities.

At any rate, I have no idea what transpired after I left.  Perhaps some statesman, if there was a statesman in that assembly, pointed out that Alberta had -- against Alberta's own interest -- reluctantly supported the neighbouring provinces in the original border closure, even though families and businesses were ruined or severely damaged  in the process. Maybe someone pointed out that there is no transshipment of bees between Alberta and Saskatchewan, and that the areas where Alberta and Saskatchewan beekeepers come into contact are very limited.   Maybe someone pointed out that those areas of Alberta are not a threat, since the beekeepers in those areas share similar philosophies.  Maybe someone pointed out that Alberta had spent $1,000,000 on stock development and that there are at least seven serious queen breeders and producers in Alberta and more in BC, but there is still a large queen deficit.  Maybe someone pointed out that the imports could be restricted to areas that are many hundreds of miles away from their operations and that any concerns or risks to them would be managed carefully.  Maybe someone pointed out that there are Saskatchewan beekeepers paying huge sacrifices for the provincial policies that benefit some, but punish others, but that they are afraid to speak out.

If someone did say those things, it was not I.  I was gone.   I had already discovered, in a resolution discussing the importation of more USDA breeding stock, that the insights of outsiders are not welcomed in such matters.  I can usually bring estranged parties together and find common points, but I know efforts are wasted, and even counterproductive, when people are determined not to listen, and this group had its mind made up.  I was very disappointed in my friends.  I was on the road, and I could not put enough distance between that meeting and myself  fast enough to suit me.  What I saw looked like a mob, and it was ugly.  I hope these people come to their senses and appreciate the generosity they have received from Alberta and others in the past and what they are receiving freely from the USDA, an agency of a country whose exports they are unconscionably blocking.  I hope they realize that trade is a two-way street and that they can't just be takers for ever. 

I know how much this queen question means to some people in Alberta.  Not to me, and not to the majority, but some people.  In Alberta, we've acknowledged this and compromised so that all can have a chance.  In Saskatchewan, apparently an inflexible fortress mentality prevails.   I'd been warned, but did not believe until I saw its ugly face today.  My Dad had an expression for what I saw today: "Dog in the manger", was all he'd have said.

I can remember, years ago, when Alberta beekeepers and Saskatchewan beekeepers were divided into irrational warring camps.  The divide was maintained by several manipulative individuals who used irrational ad hominem arguments, fear and suspicion to drive people apart and to recruit followers.  At some point, as a group, most of us recognized what was happening and what it was costing us in terms of cash and in terms of human dignity, and since those days, most of us have learned to separate the people from the issues and to all get along.   We compromise and try to respect the minority interests. 

In fact, in this current situation, I'd say that most Alberta beekeepers don't particularly want US mainland stock, and some are self-sufficient, but in the large, they do respect and support -- or at least do not oppose -- the minority that do need packages or queens and are offended by those who do not acknowledge and accommodate the needs and tastes of others.  Most of us just don't understand keeping others from what they need, especially if the cost to us is small.  It is not in the Alberta culture.  By the large, we don't expect others to be like us and to operate the way we choose to, want what we want.  And, the corollary to this is that, of course, I can't speak for all Alberta beekeepers, nor would I wish to.

---

I try to be careful what I say here, and to present things in a positive light.  Maybe I'll get over this and re-write it tomorrow.  Maybe someone will tell me it is just a bad dream.  Anyhow,  I calls 'em the way I sees 'em,  and I want to make this clear: I don't dislike or blame any of the people involved.   I do think they are suffering under a delusion, but I consider them friends.   I want very much to discuss the issues with them.  I just hope they will consider others for a change, quit being so selfish, listen carefully, and compromise where it costs them nothing.

After all, the issue of importing queens to Alberta -- in really -- had nothing to do with Saskatchewan.  The request was merely a courtesy.  For Saskatchewan, the Alberta border on the west is every bit as closed to bee transit as the US border on the south.

If anyone is wondering, no, I'm not mad and I don't hold grudges.  I just know when I'm in the wrong place.  After years of beekeeping, I know that if the bees are getting vicious, and smoke does not work, get out of there and come back another time.  Hope this applies to beekeepers, too. <G>.

Saturday..Becoming mainly cloudy near midday. Wind west 20. High plus 5. Tonight..Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Clearing overnight. Wind north 30 km/h diminishing to light. Low minus 7. Normals for the period..Low minus 14. High minus 2.

Sunday 2 February 2003
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I awoke and looked for any messages telling me that I was wrong.  There are none.  I refined my comments a bit and now will get on with life, a little wiser and a little sadder.  Anyhow, today we are expecting visitors again.  One is wanting a truck and another, to get started in bees.

Beyond that, our year-end was the 31st of January and I need to get things in order for the accountant.  I also need to discipline myself to turn out a half-dozen articles.  Yesterday I wrote 2,100 words for free.  Now I need to write some that are published, and which help bring home the bacon.  We also plan to go south sometime, and I have thought of going to see my family in the East.

Although we have sold about half our hives, we still have about 1,600 hives and if they do not sell soon, I will be running at least some of them again this spring.  If I have to take the winter loss and do any spring work, I will keep them.  We raised the price to $210 at the beginning of February, and if we sell any in March or later, I expect the price will be up to $250.  That's what other sellers (and they are very few) have told me. 

Okay.  I got a phone call.  Not to tell me I was wrong, exactly, but to fill me in with a bit more info.  I expect I'll get an email or two which I'll share here, but I hope you'll understand if I withhold the names, since I'm coming to understand that, in some places, those who practice free speech can be punished.  So, if you reply on this topic, I'll not reveal your name -- unless you ask me to.

I also sold a truck this morning, one of the diesel one tons.

Well, I can see that people don't know, so I'll say right now that the shortfall has been filled by smuggled queens for many years and further that Saskatchewan is getting at least 5,000 of those, from what I hear.  I've heard much larger numbers, too.  As for names and details I don't know, since I am not in that loop, but I believe what I have heard from multiple sources both in the US and Canada.

In regard to the Porcupine Plain folks, well, that is a Saskatchewan problem and has nothing to do with Alberta.  We got our mites the same way, but we decided that, rather than make our beekeepers criminals, exiles or pariahs for going about their normal business, we'd adapt.  It cost us all a bit, some more than others, but we still have our freedom and we all get along.

As for talk of the "OLD" way of beekeeping, that is the exact party line I instantly got from Tim, when I mentioned casually that not everyone was prospering in Saskatchewan's Brave New World.  "OLD" and "New" are slogan words, not words with rational meaning here.  Trading in bees is just another way of beekeeping, and one that makes the most of the natural advantages found throughout a natural trading area.

How can people in Saskatchewan expect to receive expensive breeding stock from the USDA and not even discuss fair trade with the USA and possible means by which reasonable phytosanitary concerns can be met?   That was what the request was about; buying exports from the country that developed the stock that Saskatchewan has been focusing on.  It boggles a thinking man's mind.

Not sure what you are saying about Porcupine Plain and continental bees.  As far as I can see, this is a straw man, and an excuse not to deal with the simple facts and the situation at hand because the decision is too simple.  If Sask is having trouble controlling its own population, what is wrong?  Is it Alberta's freewheeling ways, or Saskatchewan's regime?  There is still a lot of this kind of illogic in the talk coming from Saskatchewan.

I suppose I could go on and argue, but then, I think I've made my point.  Some people will get it, and some won't.   You see, I don't want to change Saskatchewan.  I, and other Albertans, would just like to see Saskatchewan -- and a few other busybody provinces controlling the national organization -- have the decency to butt out of Alberta's business.  After all, it was Saskatchewan people who broke Saskatchewan's embargo, not Alberta people, and we don't want to send anything to Saskatchewan that Saskatchewan does not want.  Why would we?

Good neighbours mind their own business and don't try to tell one another what to do.  We respect and tolerate Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan ways, and don't interfere in Saskatchewan doing as Saskatchewan pleases.  Can Saskatchewan respect and tolerate us?  I'll need more proof than I saw yesterday.

Anyhow...  Thanks for the feedback.  I appreciate the discussion. 

Okay.  I can see we have philosophical differences.  I think it may be fair to say that Saskatchewan tends to be socialist and collectivist in its thinking, and that Alberta tends to be libertarian.   In Alberta, we the beekeepers make the laws and then decide whether we need to enforce them.  Usually, we decide we don't.  We do have laws, but I cannot remember the last prosecution.  Matters are settled by group discussion, arm wrestling, moral suasion, and co-operation, rather than enforcement.  I think Medhat is going to fit right in.  He has said he does not want to be an enforcer, and I am sure his charm and powers of reason will ensure continued peace and co-operation.

I understand the decision that Saskatchewan, made and the obvious benefits that have come from it.  What is much less apparent and not a polite subject for discussion in Saskatchewan -- apparently -- is:

• the costs of that decision, in terms of lost freedom and lost profits,
• who has paid and who continues to pay the cost -- and
• at what point the embargo should end.

Moreover, it seems that Saskatchewan somehow feels so smug and superior that its values and laws should influence what Albertans do in their own province. In Alberta, we decided to go a different path and share the costs and benefits differently.  Who is/was right and who was wrong is not a meaningful question.  Our values are just different.  We've handled everything that has come along so far and we believe we can handle anything else that is on the horizon, if we can work with our American partners.  We are free traders and fair traders.  We just wish to be -- as our constitutional allies, the Quebecois, say -- "maitres chez nous".

I suppose at this time, it might be a good idea to mention the existence of the Canadian Commercial Honey Producers Association and to suggest that those Western Canadian beekeepers who feel that CHC is working against their interests and violating their provincial rights, consider joining and supporting this new group.  Here's what the CCHPA says:

"What we hope to accomplish through this organization is to turn the attitude of the honey producing /pollinating industry into a “striving for prosperity” mode verses the current “striving to survive” mode." 

The new group held a meeting in Saskatoon, I think, last fall, and I have not heard the outcome.  I was away, and did not attend.  Although Brent and I spent some time together at Niagara touring wineries, I neglected to ask about that.

I have not thus far joined the CCHPA personally, but am now reconsidering diverting my support from the CHC to CCHPA.

Today..Becoming mainly sunny this morning. Wind light. High plus 2. Tonight..Partly cloudy. Wind light. Low minus 9. Normals for the period..Low minus 14. High minus 2.

Monday 3 February 2003
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We've sold off enough hives now that I am not worried about the rest.  We still have a few, plus trucks and forklifts, to sell.  I have a buyer coming tomorrow to make a deal on 200.  That takes us down to 1,600.  We can let more go, but the pressure is off.

As for about 800-1,200 of the remaining balance, it looks as if we will set up a new company, take on a partner and step back to simply managing the business during transition.  We're working on the details -- but assuming this works out, it'll be the best of both worlds.  I'll still be involved in the business, but be able to step back over time from the day-to-day.  The deal is, of course, not completely put together, and subject to all the usual last minute problems, but it appears likely to fly.

If we are approached for more hives before the deal is cemented, we may sell more now, for cash, but we'll see.  We have options.  It is looking more and more as if there will be a feeding frenzy coming up as beekeepers discover that honey prices are rising, not falling, and that they are short of bees.

I don't know if anyone has tried the Panda online scan at the bottom of this page, but I highly recommend it.  It does not cost, and, of course, I do not get anything out of your using it.  It is just an excellent free service.  I'll bet it finds something on your machine.  I'm curious.  Please let me know.

FWIW, here's the report from the first scan I did on this new computer!

Incident Status Location

Bck/IRC.Ricker Disinfected C:\Documents and Settings\Allen\My Documents\New Files\registry.exe

Bck/IRC.Ricker Disinfected C:\Documents and Settings\Allen\My Documents\New Files\Sequoia.exe

EICAR-AV-TEST-FILE Disinfected C:\P2\DC\Test.___________

W32/MTX Disinfected C:\P2\DC\Windows\Profiles\allend\Application Data\Mozilla\Users50\allend\jvpsngl0.slt\Mail\mail.i n t e r n o d e .net\Outlook Mail.sbd\Personal Folders.sbd\Deleted Items[HANSON.SCR]

W97M/Marker.AO Disinfected C:\P2\DC\Windows\Profiles\allend\Application Data\Mozilla\Users50\allend\jvpsngl0.slt\Mail\mail.i n t e r n o d e.net\Outlook Mail.sbd\Personal Folders.sbd\Inbox.sbd\Apicultura[Vaselina.zip][Vaselina I.doc]

W97M/Marker.AO Disinfected C:\P2\DC\Windows\Profiles\allend\Application Data\Mozilla\Users50\allend\jvpsngl0.slt\Mail\mail.i n t e r n o d e.net\Outlook Mail.sbd\Personal Folders.sbd\Inbox.sbd\Inbox History[timetabl.doc]

W97M/Marker.AO Disinfected C:\P2\DC\Windows\Profiles\allend\Application Data\Mozilla\Users50\allend\jvpsngl0.slt\Mail\mail.i n t e r n o d e.net\Outlook Mail.sbd\Personal Folders.sbd\Inbox.sbd\Inbox History[timetabl.doc]

Exploit/iFrame Disinfected Local Folders\Inbox\Re: Ismap alt

Some of these files were in imported archives from an old machine, and only the iframe exploit was active, but I thought that this is pretty darn good... and the scan disinfected the files too.  I was a bit sad to see the EICAR test file disinfected, but what the heck.  The scan is thorough, I'll give it that.

It's noon, and it is snowing.  Paulo came in earlier and went to Meijers to sample all the drums that Dennis had failed to sample when we they were filling them.

I've recently reduced my involvement in BEE-L, and I've taken my comments about my experience at the Saskatchewan meeting off this page.  I'm beginning to understand something I never could quite understand before, and that is why the rational people and those with the most knowledge and background and experience -- and who actually understand the issues --  often (usually) stay out of the public side of industry debates.  I've seen this on BEE-L and I've seen it at meetings, and been puzzled by that fact.  I think I have it figured out now.

Leroy is coming tomorrow to buy some hives and so Ellen & I decided we'd better go take a look first.  I'd hate to take him out and have a big surprise.  The only hives I've looked in in the past month are several that were left behind when we sold a yard and moved it out, and the ones that are in the north yard and were made up from honey house window bees.  They hadn't looked too wonderful, so I was starting to wonder (worry). We drove to three yards and every hive of the twenty or so we looked into were absolutely top notch.  None of them are all the way up yet,  so they have lots of feed.  It breaks my heart to sell them, the bees are so good, and the value of the honey in them alone is almost worth the price.  Many are wintering on honey, since they did not take much feed last fall.  One cluster was a bit small, but I could tell by looking at the bees that they are just fine.  We did see one dead hive, but it had been marked as dead last fall.  I suspect it was only a handful of bees when it was wrapped.  At any rate, we were quite cheerful on returning home, assured that, unless something happens, we are looking at normal loss or less.  Right now I can't see more than 1%, but by May 10 to 15% loss is normal. The hives shown here are made of expanded polystyrene.  We transferred the bees into them very late last fall.  I was a bit concerned about disrupting them that late, but we simply inverted the brood boxes,  pushed the entire mass of frames out of each box, and slid the new box down over, then set them upright and placed them on the new stands.  So far they look good, and clusters might be just a little looser than in the wooden boxes.

Almonds are blooming in California.  Here's where to go to follow the bloom.

Speaking of Oz, here's a nice feedback note I got from down under Tuesday February 04, 2003 12:20 AM Hi Allen, Took your advice, and scanned my computer hard disk using Panda......enormous number of files checked.....no viruses found. Then ran scan on my email. 9 viruses found and disinfected....all in deleted items. (2 were in BEE-L mailings) . I'm sure most of these were detected by AVG at the time in attachments and I received a warning, which is why I deleted them. So why are they still in there? As you can see I'm no computer whizz, ( I'm a beekeeper...I have to use that excuse frequently these days!). So how does one actually delete items so they are totally gone, and not lurking around in the background somewhere, waiting to surface when one least expects it and crash the system? I enjoy reading your diary, because its SO different to the beekeeping we do here in Western Australia. I was alarmed to read your report about finding varroa in packages from Oz when you first noted it and again when you mentioned it again recently. You may not have elicited any public response, but believe me we all scurried off to look for the little critters!!! Found nothing and still finding nothing.  Your comments re Hygienic bees have been taken to heart here in the west, and some of us are trying hard to lift our game in selecting for these characteristics. The logistics are somewhat more difficult for us I suspect, but we'll get there. Hope you enjoy your retirement, but from recent entries, it doesn't sound like a real retirement to me!!! Thanks, mate Appreciate the feedback.  As for those items, I think AVG quarantines them, but lets you decide if you want to flush them.  There is something called the 'virus vault', where it segregates them.  You can go there from the  Program | Virus_Vault menu and look at them -- and kill them, or just run Panda again with the 'Clean' check box checked. (I think). I'm glad you did not find varroa.  You don't need it.  I've been pleased to find that they have not been nearly as bad as expected here, but maybe it is just dumb luck. As for HYG bees, I'm glad you are working in that direction.  The bees I got from Aus have mostly been great, except in that one regard.  A few generations of selection should work wonders.  Not only should you get rid of the chalkbrood (I had up to 30% in some Aus stock), but it will be the real keystone in eliminating AFB forever.  Your overseas customers will enjoy the benefits too.  We're seeing much more HYG here in domestic and Hawaiian stock, and much less AFB.  I suspect that with universal attention to that trait, that AFB may become a rarity, even in this part of the world. As for retirement, it terrifies me as it gets closer and closer.  I may cut back, but I cannot imagine getting completely out. Thanks for writing. allen

We drove to Drumheller and joined Oene and Joe at the 'Fred and Barney's' (Chinese) restaurant for supper .

Today..Cloudy. 30 percent chance of flurries. Wind light. High minus 1. Tonight..Mainly cloudy. Wind becoming north 20 km/h. Low minus 7. Normals for the period..Low minus 13. High minus 2.

Tuesday 4 February 2003
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Leroy and Jerry came by this morning, and Leroy looked over the hives he is buying.  We did the deal today, and he'll pick them up in March, after the chance of a major cold snap is lower.  We're concerned that they might be damaged if they are stimulated by moving, then immediately subjected to nasty weather.

We had a good visit and lunch, then they were on their way.  Our price is at $210 each for doubles, as-is, where-is.  We'll remove any obvious duds at this point, but otherwise, buyers take all the hives in the yard.  I'm told the price in March/April others are asking is $250.  We'll see.  Next month -- assuming we still want to sell some -- we expect to be asking $230.

Today..Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of early morning flurries then a mix of sun and cloud. Wind northwest 20 km/h. High minus 1.  Tonight..Mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries towards morning. Wind northwest 20. Low minus 4.  Normals for the period..Low minus 13. High minus 1.

Wednesday 5 February 2003
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I've since heard from Rob that the above report is pretty much all based on misunderstanding and I will publish Rob's comments if I get permission to do so.

Today..Occasional snow. Wind north 30 gusting 50 km/h giving blowing snow in open areas. Wind diminishing to north 20 this morning. High minus 1 this morning then temperature falling. Tonight..Mainly cloudy. 60 percent chance of flurries. Wind light. Low minus 8. Normals for the period..Low minus 13. High minus 1.

Thursday 6 February 2003
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This page is getting HUGE.  I need to take time from it and get a life. 

Thing is, though, I love writing and thinking, then rewriting and rethinking.  In the process of writing and sharing the writing, I learn a lot about myself.  I remember back to when I started, I was awful.  when I re-read my work a while later, I'd shudder.  But...  practice makes perfect, and now, when I look back on what I've written, I usually feel a little pride.  Not all the time, though.  Often I find logical holes or bad syntax.  Sometimes I just rip it up.  Nonetheless, most of the time, I'm saying what I want to say, the way I want to say it.

That's not to say that I do not write and rewrite.  I rewrite constantly.  Without a word processor, my work would be gibberish.  I truly often wonder how I am able to make myself understood when I talk, when I consider how carefully and how often I have to refine and revise what I write to make it say what I truly mean, and no more.  As an example, I just rewrote that last sentence and modified it at least ten times just now, and I may revise it again tomorrow.

Not only that, I can't type.  I did learn years ago, then got a Commodore Pet in the late seventies it had a 'Chicklet' miniature keyboard and my typing has never been the same.  Dave Green watched me typing at the ABF meeting in Virginia a few years back and marveled that I got anything written at all.  He described watching me as 'painful'.

Yesterday I started exercising again.  I did a mile on the treadmill and some weight training.  It can be hard to get started, but once underway, exercise is invigorating; I can notice a change of mood and increase in energy during, and for some time afterwards.   I've been less careful what I put in my mouth lately, and am starting to pay the price.  I'm at 242 when I weigh and my belt is out two notches, plus I'm noticing some joint pain.  I think the latter is diet-related.  I suspect white flour, but I know that alcohol has an effect on my immune system.  The occasional drink does not seem to matter, but, with all the meetings lately, I've been less temperate than I like to be.

Paulo has been coming in to work this week, tidying and sampling honey and wax drums.  We have a load and a half here still, and also 60 drums of wax and cappings.  They have to go somewhere sometime soon.  I'm planning to send the wax to Paradis Honey.  We haven't called Dennis in, since we  are to busy to spend time in constant supervision.  As for Dave, we have not heard from him since December.

Today..Sunny. Wind light. High plus 5.  Tonight..Partly cloudy. Wind northwest 20 km/h. Low minus 5.  Normals for the period..Low minus 13. High minus 1.

Friday 7 February 2003
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Ellen discovered some broken frames yesterday and we brought in Dennis today to get that job done.  Hopefully he and Paulo will be able to get all the wax ready for pickup early next week.

Bill mentioned the other day that Opera 7.01, the final release version, is now out for free download.  I had quit using Opera after the 7 beta came out and I found it was not quite like the Opera 6, which I liked.  I went back to MSIE for a while.  Yesterday, I downloaded the release and installed my key (I purchased Opera some time back).  Wow!  It is fast and good.  I love the interface, but I did change the skin to a compact button set.  The factory skin is a bit big and clunky.  I haven't finished testing the java and javascript yet, but so far it looks good -- far better than before.  I was finding MSIE very slow, and Opera is blindingly fast compared to IE.

Today..Increasing cloud. 60 percent chance of flurries this afternoon. Wind increasing to north 30 gusting 50 km/h. High plus 3 then temperature falling this afternoon. Tonight..Cloudy with occasional snow. Wind north 20. Low minus 7.  Normals for the period..Low minus 13. High minus 1.

Saturday 8 February 2003
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The RCR snow report just arrived via email.  At 5:25 this AM (now) there are 20 cms (8 in) fresh snow overnight at Nakiska.  Excellent.  I feel like going to BC and Nakiska is along the way, BUT I have some fairly pressing things stacked up here to do, and I still have some procrastination to finish before I get to them.  What to do?

I went back to bed.  I'll get a few things done here today.  promise!

The market for honey slowed for a while, and I guess the Argentine crop is still unknown; Feb 8 in the Argentine is like Aug 8 here, and still early for a good estimate. Nonetheless, prices continue firm. A broker told me yesterday that he had turned down an offer to purchase at $1.60 US in expectation of higher prices. Meanwhile, a number of Canadian packers are meeting in Ottawa and I'm told that, among other things, they are trying to figure out how to limit and reduce the prices paid to beekeepers. Over this past season, the offers from those in that group have been amazingly similar from one to another, but I know they would not be price fixing, because that would be illegal.

With better communication between beekeepers, buyers are finding it tough to fool the beekeepers and it is worrying them. Some of these buyers still manage to find a few beekeepers who are out of touch and buy cheap -- I've seen it happen -- but with the internet and hotlines like the Mid-US hotline (1-763-658-4193) more beekeepers know what the market price is, and the old tricks do not work as well.

Claims of retail buyer resistance made by some packers' are not being met with much belief or sympathy, either, since beekeepers can find out the facts. As always, some accounts are changing hands, and some, like MacDonald's, are switching from honey to something else, but this last item is due to concerns about honey quality in the wake of the Chinese chlorampenicol recall (caused by their own policy of buying the cheapest), not price. Apparently some packers are losing business, but others are doing just fine. While some packers are complaining about the price, these others are realizing that the (revenue) size of their business just doubled! Margins may not be what they were, but the profits are still there for the smart ones and will creep back up.

The current price bump is due to quality problems with Chinese honey. In the near future, we are going to see increased demands for quality assurance and smart beekeepers are starting to think about better record keeping and diverting some of the windfalls of this past season towards improving facilities and moving in the direction of HACCP. When the current countervail actions wear off, the only factor that will keep prices up for the beekeeper is quality assurance. Volume buyers and packers -- and their insurance companies -- are going to want proof that what happened with Chinese honey does not happen again.

In five years, I predict that beekeepers who cannot provide convincing documentation of their management and handling practices may not be able to sell honey in any developed country.

I spent the day working at my desk and tidying.

Today..Snow tapering off this morning. Further accumulations 1 to 2 cm. Wind light. High minus 1. Tonight..Snow redeveloping overnight. Wind north 30 km/h. Low minus 5.  Normals for the period..Low minus 13. High minus 1.

Sunday 9 February 2003
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I spent the day looking for some good investments and doing other research  When we sell all our bees, we'll have to invest the retirement funds. seems that there are not a lot of secure, high paying investments out there right now.

I also read some of Dewey Caron's Africanized Honey Bees in the Americas.  It's an excellent book; a half-hour with the book easily answers questions that years on the internet have not satisfied. 

I have been planning to go snowboarding and then out to BC and the coast for a trip.  When to go is the question.  I was thinking of leaving first thing tomorrow morning, but may leave later in the day or Tuesday.

Today..Cloudy with flurries. Wind northwest 20 km/h. High plus 1. Tonight..Cloudy with flurries. Wind increasing to north 30. Low minus 6. Normals for the period..Low minus 13. High minus 1.

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