I've been Buzzzzzzy

I felt like a grade school kid on the best field trip - EVER! A friend of mine (holla Mindy K.) keeps bees, and was gracious enough to invite me out to play. I have always been fascinated by beekeeping, and entertained the idea of having some here (oh, can you image how much that would piss off my neighbors?), but not made that jump yet.
On this day, she was taking off a full box (they are called supers), and adding a new empty super. Over top of my bee outfit (wind suit zipped up tight-tucked into socks, gloves-tucked unto jacket, helmet covered with netting-tucked into neck), I had my trusty camera slung around my netted neck...all so I could bring you the show!
Here is a panel (called a frame) that is from the full super. Click on all the pics for larger views, but in this one you can see the cells capped off with bee's wax and some uncapped full of juicy honey.

These bees were SO nice and calm. They were not aggressive, and the only ones that were on me, were on my gloves because I picked them up. Just look at how many honey bees are in this super. Just think, how many bees must be in the whole hive, that is six supers tall!

This frame being pulled is from the lower supers where the worker bees house pupa/babies. We didn't find the queen this day.

This shows one of the full frames from a super that will be harvested for honey. There are eight frames in a super, and that super will yield 2 pounds of honey - which is only about two pints! WOW! Is really is like liquid gold.
***UPDATE: my friend said the harvest brought 1.5 gallons from that full super***

My friend also has some chickens - just for laying eggs. Here is Phoebe and Clara.

This is another hen that was content to stay in her coop, but please notice the lone egg in the box to the right...

...here is a better picture of that egg! Mmmm, a farm fresh egg. Mindy also gave me homemade strawberry jam, that you see here on homemade Amish bread!

And as a final highlight of my Day on the Farm, while sipping a cool drink in the shade, this fluttering beauty joined us.

What a great new summer day memory!