A family history I didn't know I had...

[SgtMaj]

I called my grandma a couple days ago just to chat, and was telling her about how my hives are comming together.  This was the first time I had told her I was planning to keep bees.  Well she then proceeded to tell me about how my grandpa, and both sets of great grandparents used to keep bees, and how she still eats honey every morning on her toast.  She said that they had kept bees right up 'til a couple years ago when their hives died out when grandpa was too tired from the congestive heart disease to work them (he passed away last year).  She told me about how grandpa would gather swarms, and get them to settle in the hive by beating on a pan.  I never saw the hives when I visited them because they apparantly kept them on my uncle's property.  I had no idea that beekeeping was in my blood.

[indypartridge]

She said that they had kept bees right up 'til a couple years ago...

So does that mean there is some bee equipment lying around somewhere?
I'm sure your grandpa would want you to have it!

[SgtMaj]

Probably, but I'm equally sure my uncle would charge me more for it than a new one would cost.  That man squeezes every penny 'til abe cries out in pain, and if you loan him anything, plan to buy it back from him when he's done with it.     He's really a great guy though. 

Besides, it's all sitting several hundred miles away.  Might be something to pick up next time I visit... though my uncle may have already started new hives in it. 

I hadn't really thought about it, but it would be cool to get some of that vintage stuff (and I will guarantee you it would be antique, my grandpa probably didn't buy anything the last 30-40 years of his life, except for his truck and grandma's cars that she kept tearing up while clearing the roads of excess deer, everything he had he just took good care of.). 

[BeeHopper]

I called my grandma a couple days ago just to chat, and was telling her about how my hives are comming together.  This was the first time I had told her I was planning to keep bees.  Well she then proceeded to tell me about how my grandpa, and both sets of great grandparents used to keep bees, and how she still eats honey every morning on her toast.  She said that they had kept bees right up 'til a couple years ago when their hives died out when grandpa was too tired from the congestive heart disease to work them (he passed away last year).  She told me about how grandpa would gather swarms, and get them to settle in the hive by beating on a pan.  I never saw the hives when I visited them because they apparantly kept them on my uncle's property.  I had no idea that beekeeping was in my blood.

Wow, I would have fallen off the chair. Great story, now you just have to call more often