JULY 14, 2011 FIRE ISLAND BEES

"Be respectful of others by letting them walk their own Path, while we walk OURS."

Every individual has their own destiny and path. You have your own. You might not agree with or understand another individual's path whether friend, loved one, or family member, but you cannot change their path. You must 'let go' of their path and concentrate on your own life path. Some might not understand your path. Some individuals do not understand my path with nature and beekeeping. Some might even think that 'I have lost a marble or two'. I have not! I have only realized that life is too short not to do what I dreamed of when I was a lot younger. I didn't even think Rick understood my life path at the beginning. With an open mind and an open line of communication he clearly sees my path. My path is part of his path and vice versa. I wouldn't be able to have a life path if I didn't have the love, support, and encouragement of him. Rick's considerable spirit, lightheartedness and frank candor is a joy to behold, and am thankful for the opportunity to share this with you. My spiritual meditative path has led me here. This path is a healthy dream come to reality.


So, bees make me happy. As a child, bees made me frightened. I know it was not the honeybees, but the yellow jackets, the hornets and carpenter bees.

If you have never been around a hive, try it one day! On my first adventure of checking the hive my heart skipped a beat or two! I was sweating as I was wearing a protective suit and I didn't know what to do when honey bees were flying all around me. Did I pray? NO. Was I nervous? YES. I did close my eyes and started talking to the bees. Yes, I started talking to the bees. I started to respect bees.

I remembered what physician CC Miller did when he started working with bees. Do you know who CC Miller is? I didn't when I started beekeeping. At the time, the only 'CC' I knew of was Bette Midler's character, CC Bloom, (Cecilia Carol) in the 1988 movie "Beaches".

I started to visualize the words in CC Miller's book, Fifty Years Among the Bees. The bees came to Miller in 1861 while swarming. They landed on his porch and the rest is history and a love story between Charles C. Miller and bees. He gave up medicine to keep bees and write about bees. I do NOT think I am reincarnated but I do know I must include bees and honey in my personal and professional life. He actually wrote 4 books about beekeeping.

In 1886 he wrote a part memoir book entitled A Year Among the Bees. This book discussed his life and making honey for a business rather than medicine. In 1903 he wrote Forty Years Among the Bees.

I am still trying to acquire these original texts. In 1911, his classic book, Fifty Years Among the Bees was published. I have read this text. It is truly magical. You can't help but imagine this man with his a wide smile as he talks about his bees. Miller was always looking for something else to stimulate his intelligence, Music and teaching were not enough. He was not in the best of health so took to fresh air when the bees landed in his life. The bees came to him. I believe whole-heartedly that Beekeeping was his GOD chosen profession, as healing is mine.

In 1917, three years before his death (at almost 90) he published A Thousand Answers to Beekeeping Questions. I do not have this book in my personal apiclutural library. He was a regular column contributor to the American Bee Journal.

Charles C Miller was the original beekeeper. His own personal beekeeping library was donated to the University of Wisconsin. Their apicltural library has been renamed in honor of Charles C Miller. He is not related to the Miller's mentioned in the The Beekeepers Lament.

Until tomorrow...