Day #167 Screened Bottoms

Check one more thing off my to-do list! Sunday I managed to staple screening onto the bottom of the hive body that will play home to my package of bees in a couple of weeks. I haven’t been able to find any screening with 1/8” squares, so I took two layers of ¼” screening and offset them, then stapled them in place. I hope it works the way it’s supposed to.

The idea is that the various little mites and beetles that bother bees will fall out of the hive through the screening on the bottom. I can just see me going on beetle-patrol, stepping on those suckers when I find them underneath the hives. The screening is supposed to be fine enough, however, to keep out robber bees from other hives. It will also prevent mice from crawling up through the bottom.

Sunday was a busy day. I also dug up some hostas to give to my daughter and to my friend Millie, then planted buckwheat in their place. Presumably, buckwheat flowers last longer than hosta blooms, so the bees ought to be happier. It seems as if everything I do lately ends with the thought I hope this works.

BEEattitude for Day # 167:

       Blessed are those who try, for they shall succeed sometimes.

One thing Fran is grateful for right now:

       The New American Shakespeare Tavern, where I saw Two Noble Kinsman last night. One more play to go (Edward III next week), and I will have seen all 39 plays by (or attributed to) Shakespeare.      

http://www.franstewart.com

Day #144 The Complete Canon

Becoming a beekeeper has been a long process – and I don’t even have my bees yet. For some reason, this process reminds me a bit of the adventure that the Atlanta Shakespeare Company has been going through at the Shakespeare Tavern.

As of this month, they will become the third acting company in the world ever to have completed the entire canon – every play Shakespeare ever wrote. March 11^th they’ll open Two Noble Kinsmen, the story of two men who are best friends, but who fall in love with the same woman. Running in repertory on alternate evenings will be Edward III, which opens on March 17^th. The two plays will close on April 16^th and April 17^th.

Completing the canon has been a long-time dream of the ASC’s artistic director, Jeffrey Watkins. I’ve been fortunate to serve as a volunteer at the Tavern ever since I first moved to Georgia in 1993, and I've watched the dream become a reality.

The ASC gets most of its revenue through ticket sales, so – if you’ve never seen a play there (or if you’d like to see another one) – head to http://www.shakespearetavern.com/.

After TNK and E3 open, the Atlanta Shakespeare Company will join the rarified company of those two other acting groups who have performed every play of Shakespeare’s.

Ø  One of them (of course) is the Royal Shakespeare Academy in England.

Ø  The other was Willie’s very own acting company – the one for which he wrote all those plays.

Once I’ve seen both these plays, I’ll join a select group of people who have, over the years, attended every single play by W.S.

And then, in early April, I’ll join that select group of folks who live with bees in their backyard. I’m looking forward to both experiences.

BEEattitude for Day # 144:

       Blessed are those who act, for their dedication shall brighten the world.

One thing Fran is grateful for right now:

       My good friend Millie, with whom I attend the plays.   

http://www.franstewart.com