NEIGHBORHOOD BUZZ . . . Linda Rathburn

BURGH BEES COMMUNITY APIARY :: Grand Opening Picnic

Sunday afternoon at the Apiary: good neighbors and good friends joined Burgh Bees members and volunteers to celebrate the Grand Opening of the country's first community apiary. And this may have been the best bargain in Pittsburgh this weekend - for a $5 donation (to a buzzworthy cause) guests enjoyed a potluck picnic spread under the food tents, Scott Smith's inimitable East End brewski, live music and poetry readings, a raffle ticket for one of several baskets of beekeeping items, a tour of the apiary - and the best company in town.
~ click on photos for a full-screen view

1 Robert and Steve check out the truckload of plants-for-sale Barb and Randa brought along as donations from Mildreds' Daughters Urban Farm

2 Good eats!




3 Joan is always on hand to give a hand
4 Beekeeper Frank McNutt and Woody discuss the differences among seasonal honey varieties
5 Plants donated for sale by Barb Kline and Randa Shannon, our friends from Mildreds' Daughters Urban Farm, proved to be a popular and profitable fundraiser
6 Robert tends bar - a keg from good neighbor Scott Smith of East End Brewing Company (conveniently right across the street)


7 Guests arrived early and stayed late - and the rain - for once - stayed away
8 The Two Joes


9 Musicians Luci Tedesco, Valery Pinchuk, and Ken Haney made dining alfresco - delizioso!
10 Hot as it was on Sunday, Ron turned up the heat on the grill and turned out the summer's best burgers - THANKS, Ron!



11 Meredith introduces the crowd to the Burgh Bees Directors - - -
12 - - - and the Burgh Bees Apiary Committee


13 Jenny and Joe assist Little Joe in drawing one of the winning raffle tickets
14 A $5 donation bought guests a tableful of picnic food, good music (and poetry!), good company, good beer - and maybe a basketful of beekeeping goodies



15 Steve gets ready to give the apiary tour to our guests - including Pittsburgh Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak
16 Meredith and Alex trade stories with The Bee Hunter - whose goal is "to take good bees out of bad places . . . and give 'em to good people!"


17 Charmaine McDonald and family, celebrating her birthday with the bees!
Top row: Tannie, Earl, Teeahja. Bottom row: Tisha, Teeonna, and Birthday Girl Charmaine
18 Tanya Todd graced the gathering with a beautiful reading of poems by friend and local poet Joda




19 Open air poetry - only at the Apiary
20 Joda shares his poems (and we've shared a copy below)


21 Joda and local artist Lucia M. Aguirre discuss today's readings
22 Burgh Bees Directors Jennie Wood and Robert Steffes say THANKS! to everyone who made today's celebration such a success

Of Human Bonding and Trust
- a poem by Joda

Kind words and deeds are an important
part of the nucleus on Human Bonding.

Of equal importance, ingredients, such as
communication, listening, understanding,
sincerity, and consistency are the glue
and the cement that connects and combines
the love and the respect, that each one can
bring with them and share.

It will also help to improve and make stronger
the friendship, endear the trust, as well as the
spiritual belonging, and to show that we care.

Allow it to flow naturally; observe and behold;
and we will be able to see the beauty as it unfolds,
right before our very eyes. Indeed, what a pleasant
surprise! Peace. Brother Joda