Thanks Lisa. After I saw him up close, I really wished I'd gotten another black one instead of the red and white one. I just might order a couple more...

Hello Bob, can you tell me if your bees are still fine in july? I have SAD bees (Stress Accelerated Decline) in a control hive (a hive no treated with vaseline and thymol). It is a higyenic hive, no doubt, (early in the morning you can observe dead pupa at entrance, later is removed), drones larva have not many varroa (five varroas in a frozen drone frame of layens), and I have harvested 20 kg of early spring honey. But I have observed that this hive is not harvesting pollen, it is harvesting nectar, only nectar, other hives are working eucaliptus pollen. I think that collapse is near (despite high population). I´m going to split (thymol works better in nucleos), add a pair of capped brood with nurses, and finish with this "bee inmune deficiency". By the way, I have read that inbreeding does not produce perfect bees, the larva is eaten by the nurses bees before six days old.

Welcome and it is so nice to see a new Cooking Forum addict! To give you a little idea how our cooking club works.... For the first meeting I chose the book to get us started then each month we choose a cookbook for the next months meeting. A few people will suggest something and since we are hosted by a local indy bookstore we vote for something they have in stock and can order easily for us. While we are deciding we can pass and preview thw book before it is selected. Quite often if it isn't a cookbook a I want, someone else who does want it will share it so there is no pressure to buy every cookbook either. I wasn;t at the last meeting and it seems there was a new person who was very vocal about chosing the Jamie Oliver book that everyone ended up disliking. Oh well - it happens. Anyway, we start an email chain 2 weeks before the next meeting and "claim" a recipe to make for meeting night. If something comes up and a member can't make a dish, it is no biggie, that person will usually pick up a bottle of wine or a great loaf of bread or something easy that will compliment the feast. We avoid duplicating recipes that way and it seems we get a really good balance of apps, main dishes, sides and desserts. I can't tell you if that is by luck or design, because no one is assigned anything, you just look through the book and if the recipe isn't claimed it is open to make. On meeting night we gather at the bookstore and take turns discussing the cookbook (pros and cons) and the recipe in particular and taste taste taste. There is ALWAYS wine since even if no one brings any, the bookstore has a couple of boxes available if we need them. The owner also (graciously) gives members 20% discount on any books purchased the night of a meeting. It is a great way to support our local indy bookstore and I have made some great friends at the meetings. The bookstore does the advertising - meetings are open to anyone - and I maintain a blog of the meetings for anyone who missed one or just wants to see what we made. Alexa

I have a little box for you too. Been having car issues so not been to post office yet. Hugs to all of you! Trish