6. Bees!

This photo is taken from our balcony. This is the second hive to find its place here. Last year about this time a swarm of bees made a hive at this same spot, but several months later they left. The hive eventually fell. Then not more than two months later, another swarm (or perhaps the same) made another hive in the exact same spot. They've been here ever since.

The bees don't bother us, and they really only swarm at night. I sometimes wake up and can hear them buzzing around the windows and the doors to the balcony. It's pretty creepy.

We have had some humorous moments because of the bees. Once, when Reba's friends were visiting, the bees decided to swarm the morning that they had to leave for the airport at 5 a.m. Well, it was a sight to see. Everyone was using their suitcases for cover and dashing down the stairs to the waiting taxi.

Unfortunately, about eleven (we counted) bees made their way into our living room because they were headed toward our lights. Well, you can imagine. Rebecca and I, only half-coherent at five in the morning, were trying to kill the bees before we could go back to sleep. It was hard to just get them with our shoes so we got out a can of odor neutralizer (the only thing we had on hand). I sprayed them until they were drunk and flying around in a daze. Reba then smacked them! It was pretty funny. We can't help but laugh about it.

Recently, the same sort of thing happened in Kaitlin's room. A maintenance guy left her door to the balcony open while he was repairing her fan and then left it open when he was done. Later, she went to her room...bees. I wasn't here for this one, but they tell me it was much like the morning Reba and I swatted down the eleven.

When the hive first appeared, we asked our builder that is around everyday what he was going to do about it. His reply, "Nothing! I am going to get the honey! Bees are very auspicious (lucky)." Bees? Lucky? Yeah right. Lucky if you're not allergic.