The Making of a Bee Documentary
(I am on my way back to Europe, but found a forgotten post from a few days ago when we were still in North Dakota. And since I have nothing interesting to report from too many fruitless hours spent at JFK, I might as well throw this in as a little supplement…) In the state-of-the-art [...]
On June 25, exactly three months after the first entry, we have had a 1000 visits on this site. It’s a bit too early to evaluate the whole blogging endeavor, but we do feel encouraged by this. Thanks to all of you!
Die Mandeln in Kalifornien sind zur Zeit etwa halbreif und warten auf die Ernte im August. 795.000 acres (ca. 322.000 ha) Mandeln werden in Kalifornien angebaut – über 80% der Weltproduktion. Und für jede einzelne muss eine Blüte bestäubt werden. Das stellt man sich so einfach vor: Baum – Blüte – Biene – Mandel. Aber [...]
… I came through Bozeman again. Those thunderstorms we were fortunate enough not to have on the helicopter day? This time they were there. And mightily so. Saw many beetrucks heading east again and looked out for “ours”. They are doing their last run this week. Then migration is over until fall, when the bees [...]
I apologize, but I have to disgress from the bee-topic once more. While in Gackle (population 335), we strongly depended on the warmth and good food of Dee’s Diner. When people heard that some of us were from Germany, they told us the most unexpected story: A girl from Gackle is now living in the [...]
When in Gackle, you don’t lock your car or your doors. When in Gackle, on the next morning, you’ll find more in your car than you had left in it the night before. Sweet. When in Gackle, the only other pedestrians are pelicans and caterpillars. They will both, eventually, fly away. When in Gackle, every [...]
Once in North Dakota, the hives are allocated to smaller beeyards for honey production. To keep track of some 240 bee yards, you have to be extremely well organized. You also have to maintain good relations to the landowners, not quite 240 of them, but enough to keep you busy. The currency is honey, of [...]
One of the rare moments where the chase-car actually got ahead of the trucks. Imagine a beautiful sunset, somewhere in western North Dakota. If you can’t, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for the film to see it.
Okay, so you think a filmmaker’s life is glamorous and adventurous and exciting. Well, I guess you are right. Except for the glamour. That’s a myth. And the adventures are there, but they are what you most decidedly hope to avoid. And excitement – well, it’s all a matter of dosis. Over the past week, [...]
Loading and unloading usually happens at night when most of the bees are in. Over 500 hives per truck, in less than an hour. A ballet of forklifts – choreographed by need and experience.
