Back in November, I applied for a photography scholarship offered by WorldNomads.com.
The requirements were that each applicant submit a photo essay of 5 photos that tell a story of a place we’d been – near or far – with captions. The prize? A 10-day, all-expense paid trip to Mongolia where the winner will be personally mentored by Richard I’Anson, renowned travel photographer and Canon (camera) Master.
There appear to be somewhere in the ballpark of 8,000 applications for the coveted spot. Here is mine.
Backyard Beekeeping in the American Midwest
On a cold spring morning in early April, suburban beekeepers in Southwest Ohio arrive to retrieve a shipment of bees newly arrived from Georgia. Here, the supplier presents the captive queen to her new keeper. It is vital for the success of the hive that the queen is alive and well.
A typical “Bee Bus” weighs 3 lbs. (1.4 kg) and contains roughly 10,000 bees. Inside, the bees form a cone around a can of sugar syrup suspended from the top of the box. This syrup supports them during their arduous journey north.
The beekeeper checks the hive in the height of the summer honey boom. At this stage, there are nearly 100,000 bees in the hive. The beekeeper will test and treat them for any invasive pests and examine the queen’s brood pattern to determine her effectiveness and the overall health of the colony.
The reward at the end of the season: frames filled with honey ready for harvesting. The beekeeper inspects each frame in preparation for processing.
The honey harvest has begun. Here, the beekeeper uses a warm knife to remove the wax cappings that seal the honey in the comb. The frame will be inserted into the centrifuge behind him, and the honey will be flung out to drip down to the bottom where it will be filtered and strained into jars.
The results are scheduled to be posted (here) on January 22, 2020, and I am waiting with baited breath to find out if I’ve been chosen – or shortlisted, which (while it doesn’t come with a prize) would be a huge honor.
