When my grandmother passed away, the bee brooch was given to my mom, and for the rest of my teenage years I had the promise that one day the bee brooch would be mine. In my early 20s my parents’ house was broken into and the brooch was one of the items stolen. It had no monetary value, but to me, it was a loss that has kept me on an unsuccessful hunt for the last 30 years to find its replacement. And that, my friends, is where my love of bees, and my hunt for bees began.

Because of that brooch I always knew that I wanted to “keep” bees, but throughout my adult life it never seemed to be the right time to pursue the hobby. Fast forward this story to 2010 and my family’s move to Austin, TX where we bought a few acres and a run-down house and decided to live the country life. I knew we finally had the “room” for bees, but I needed some time to research and learn and study about bees before I decided to jump right in, right? Nope!

When talking to a neighbor one day he told us he had just gotten a package of bees in the mail, and blah blah blah I didn’t hear anything else he said, and my heart skipped a beat! I told him I had always wanted to get bees, and maybe he could give me some tips one day, and he told me I should just go for it and order some bees today and he’d help me put them in the hive, and that I could learn all I needed from Youtube, and no big deal, just get some bees and just do it.

So I did!

A week later he came over, helped me “install” my first hive, put the lid on, and BAM, I was now a beekeeper! To be specific, I was not a beekeeper in any way, I was a terrified owner of bees!

Over the next few months my bees became my greatest hobby. I worried about them morning, noon, and night. I watched Youtube tutorials, read books, signed up for a beekeeping class, and joined some Facebook pages on the subject. I would take my lawn chair out to the yard to just sit and watch them come home with “pockets” full of colorful pollen. And I would think of my grandmother and her brooch.

At some point over the next few years I decided I wanted to know as much as a Texas Master Beekeeper knew, so I joined their program. It took 3 ½ years, but I finally fulfilled all the requirements and passed all the exams and became one! (I’m still in their program, working on the “Master Craftsman” Beekeeper title.) And do you know what I learned the most? The more you learn about bees, the more you realize how little you know about bees. No matter if you just want to protect the bees in your yard, or if you want to become a professional beekeeper, honey bees will never fail to keep your interest.

My beekeeping career has brought me through some amazing adventures. I’ve been swarmed by africanized hives, I’ve spent time in a lab inseminating virgin queen bees, I’ve taught hundreds of new beekeepers how to manage their own hives, I’ve worked with my county officials, helping fellow Texans keep bees using the land valuation process, and I’ve watched in awe as a brand new baby bee emerged from its cell and joined her sisters in complete acceptance.

I’m sure I never told my grandmother about all my feelings about her brooch, but I have shared this story with thousands, and I’m sure she’s smiling down, happy her impact in my life lives on.

Beekeeping Gallery

smoking the inside of the hive

always wear a full-coverage shoe or boot