Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52FOCUS - OCTOBER 2016 5 to get pictures of the honey filled frames, I head over with the crazed confidence of a sleepwalker. Is this the beekeeper’s ver- sion of Stockholm syndrome, I wonder later? Not really, as the bees are entirely too busy working to really care what Jon and I are up to. It doesn’t hurt either, that Jon is dressed head to toe in his beekeep- er’s uniform of coveralls, netted hat and gloves, an outfit that almost guarantees protection when you consider that he is heading into territory where he is not entirely welcome. Jonhasalsobroughtacanofsmokewith him, a natural deterrent that he carefully puffs towards the frames before gently ex- tracting them. The bees retreat slightly and then head back to their work oblivious of our human interference. When I leave, he will take these frames home, place them in a container to let the honey drop off. Then he’ll place them in a spinner that churns out the fruit of his and his bee friend’s labour. When we were headed out to the yard, I was struck by how the monotony of beekeeping makes for a refreshing coun- terbalance to the fast-paced metabolism of every day life. At one point, Jon and I stand silently in a field near his yard and stop to listen to the buzz the bees are mak- ing, a slow hum that builds and washes over us like a breeze. It suddenly occurs to me that I haven’t stopped to watch a bee on a flower since I was five years old. More importantly, I haven’t stopped to think about my e-mails or once pick up my cell phone. It is refreshing and I understood then why Jon is drawn to this form of work. I am envious. The sweet sting of this moment will stay with me for a long, long time. Photos and story by Laura Francis, Special to Focus on Scugog The best resource for learning about keeping honeybees is from a local beekeeping club or association. Jon is a member of the the Durham Region Beekeepers Association that meets several times a year at the Greenbank Centennial Hall, the last Monday of the month. New members are always welcomed. Trophies, Awards, Corporate Promotions Embroidery • Graphic Design Engraving • Screen Printing Pineridge Impress 905-985-2839 135 North Port Road, Port Perry www.pineridgeimpress.ca Your Name is Our Business Computer REPAIRS IT and Network SUPPORT PC and Server UPGRADES 333 Major St.,Port Perry 905-985-0568 gmcmullen@majortech.ca SERVING SCUGOG & UXBRIDGE TOWNSHIPS 168 Queen St.,Port Perry 905-985-2521 www.brocks.ca T R I B A L New at Brocks!