6/7/19
(Above: Jacobhouse to the left. Bee-hole to the right. Jacob and Wag to the far right in the background.)
Building Summary: Today I started off by bringing a piece of insulation board from old-house to Jacobhouse via Segway*. This was followed by my measuring, marking, and cutting the insulboard and then placing it into the correct orifices of Wall #6. Padre arrived shortly after I had finished the task and asked if I could check beefers / tag a couple new calves with him**, so I did.
For the second portion of the morning, I retrieved the drone from old-house, brought it to the farm, and captured some images of Jacobhouse from above as well as some close footage of the newly arrived beehive. I completed my time at the container-dwelling by neatening the whole place up and preparing/gathering materials for trim activities on Monday.
Commentary: I looked at a bee-hole today. I know it sounds wrong when I write it like that, but I honestly cannot describe it any other way. There is no ‘hive’ shape to it, for the entire colony of insects has found residence in a cavity within the old utility pole just outside of Jacobhouse. Indeed, all that is to be seen is a small section of post with bees stacked across it. That mundane description is the disturbing aspect of it all. I know that there is an enormous hole within that post, and now that hole is home to so many bees, that the mass of them are completely filling and protruding out of the post. The sheer numbers must be incredible.
As for additional comments on the task of procuring today’s footage, I do have a few. Firstly, I was impressed – just as I always am – with the maneuverability of our little drone. At a couple points, I noted the breeze was pressing the device toward the nearby post / powerlines, but I reversed its direction and the movement was instantaneous. The second comment I have in regard to the experience was the calmness of the bees. Even when I was flying about five feet away from the nest, they continued on with their typical activities***. I almost wonder if this is because the drone does not emit carbon-dioxide. Perhaps, if a person went up there for a look, there would be a different response. The third comment was an observation made by Padre. Both of us noted a large amount of dragonflies patrolling the airspace in front of Jacobhouse, and Padre wondered if they were going after the bees. My first thought was that bees would be far too robust for the dragonflies to eat, but I looked it up at home. This is the answer to our query:
Final Note: As stated a couple entries ago, I intend to play lots of Path of Exile over the coming weekend. However, I also want to maintain my pace of ‘progress every day’. To accommodate both of these wishes, I’ve decided that I will set aside some time over the next couple freekend days and make a list of all that needs to be done at Jacobhouse before I move in. Having such a list will allow me to determine the best order for all the remaining tasks, and it will help me determine what materials will be needed over the course of the next couple months.
* A rain-front was approaching from the west as I performed this task, and I must say, it was not the easiest to carry that 4×8 sheet what with the prevalent breeze and oncoming gusts. At one point, the board flapped down in front of my Segway and stopped its forward motion about as effectively as a make-shift (and accidental) parachute.
** I had partial business interest in the new calves, though I still would have helped even if I didn’t. I enjoy checking beefers while having my morning soda, and it is always good to have an additional helper when protective bovines of Brahman lineage are involved… as was this morning’s case.
*** Flying in and out of the colony fetching and carrying what I assume to be nectar.
Additional Note: I have video footage from the drone-shenanigans this morning and intend to upload them at some point in the near future. Their size, however, is something I need to learn how to trim down (the HD footage video is currently 2.37 gb).