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Author Topic: Hello from Northern Virginia  (Read 2559 times)

Offline Javin

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Hello from Northern Virginia
« on: August 03, 2011, 12:05:16 am »
Hello!  New to the forums, and both an old, and "wanna-bee" bee keeper. 

When I was a kid I was crazy into insects, and diagnosed with premature rheumatoid arthritis.  My grandfather (hard-core cowboy) insisted that bees were the cure to arthritis.  I found a hive in an abandoned house across the street, built my own super, and thus started my bee keeping "career" (short lived as it was).  Fortunately, this was well before the AHB problems.  (I was in Oklahoma at the time.)  And yes, the arthritis went away well into my twenties.  (I got stung a LOT).

Once I turned 18, I joined the Army as a 91T (imagine someone in the veterinary field who does the surgeries, prescriptions, euthanasias, and has to clean the kennels, while the officer takes all the credit for sitting in her office talking to her boyfriend... This was my life.)  After several years of this, I couldn't handle doing the euthanasias anymore and put in for a transfer to medical research.  I ended up at NAMRU-3 in Cairo, Egypt for a year and a half working in animal medical research, and even designed the (admittedly primitive) database to track millions of medical samples that got them through Y2K.

I got out of the Army in 2000, just in time to watch Y2K do absolutely nothing interesting, and went a completely different direction with my civilian life doing computers.  (Everything from building them, to running networks, to programming.) 

This entire time, I've never lost my love for bees or my knack for research, and have even spent a good amount of time researching bees, CCD, and various methods of raising/treating/harvesting/etc.  Finally purchasing my first house, the first and most important feature will be the location, and the acreage, specifically I'm looking for a place that is ideal for the bees.  It's time to put my years of research to the test.

My intention is to start by creating some of the more standard bee-hives (with how-to videos!) Starting with the Kenyan Top Bar, and various flavors on that, then the Warre Hive, and of course, the Langstroth.  Finally, I will be attempting a build of my own design (that is little more than all the best bits of the Warre and Langstroth put together with a couple minor modifications). 

So that's the plan, anyway... Probably should find a house first.  :roll:

I tend to be a bit "rough" when I chat, so please, PLEASE don't take me personally.  My girlfriend tells me I need to work on my "fluff factor."  I warn you in advance that the way I write will read in a much harsher tone than I intend it.  I do get heated in debates, but I do not hold grudges.  Please don't let me offend you.

Soooo, I think that's enough rambling for now.  That's me!

Offline specialkayme

  • Field Bee
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Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2011, 11:57:16 am »
Welcome to the site!

Offline Judy in in

  • New Bee
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  • Posts: 35
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Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2011, 12:11:12 pm »
Javin,

We can handle "not fluffy."

Welcome to the forum!

Offline AllenF

  • Galactic Bee
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Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #3 on: August 03, 2011, 12:17:22 pm »
Welcome to the forum.

Offline indypartridge

  • Queen Bee
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  • Posts: 1131
Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2011, 06:42:12 am »
Hello and Welcome!

Be sure to check out the tutorials on the main Beemaster page. I also recommend getting involved with a local club. Clubs are great places to find mentors and get connected to nearby beekeepers:
http://www.virginiabeekeepers.org/map/node

Offline mikecva

  • Field Bee
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  • Posts: 983
Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2011, 09:13:06 am »
Welcome to the forum.  :cheer:

I am also in VA, out near Leesburg. What part of VA are you in?

Luckets is having a Fair later in August and several Loudoun Beeks will be there as reps. from their club. -Mike
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Listen to others but make your own decisions. That way you own the results.
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Please remember to read labels.

Offline Javin

  • House Bee
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  • Posts: 157
Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #6 on: August 04, 2011, 09:49:54 am »
Sweet!  I'd like to get the details on that, though we won't be in a house by then.  Still, I've not had any fresh local honey for years.  I'm in the Farifax area right now, but we're looking at moving to Stafford.

Offline mikecva

  • Field Bee
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Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #7 on: August 04, 2011, 12:05:34 pm »
Lucketts Bluegrass at The Lucketts Fair
Saturday & Sunday, August 20 & 21 - 10 am to 5 pm

http://www.theluckettsfair.com/the-lucketts-fair-sponsors.htm

-Mike
.
Listen to others but make your own decisions. That way you own the results.
.
Please remember to read labels.

Offline Javin

  • House Bee
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  • Posts: 157
Re: Hello from Northern Virginia
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2012, 11:41:13 pm »
Oh my how times have changed!

So here's what's happened since that posting:

1.) I now have a house.
2.) I have my bees, and they're doing incredibly well! (The experiments have begun.)
3.) The girlfriend mentioned is now my fiance!

Been awhile since I've been on, no?

 

anything