> For us a normal hive is the bottom
>(brood with a bit of storage) box with 10 frames, then the 2nd (storage
>with a bit of brood) box with 10 frames. Then (...) a
>3rd box (storage) is added on to the top.
> people call a strong
>hive when they are only in the bottom box over most of the 10 frames and
>also cover about 4 or 6 frames of the second box.

Let's follow the fashion and speak mathematics!
I suppose an disagreement on the size of the unit should be considered
before discussing about "normality".
In Belgium, we meet mainly  WBC type hives, and also Dadant type.
A Dadant "body" box (brood and a bit of storage) has 12 frames about 27x40
cm (1 x 1.3 ft), the super having a different size, 12 frames 13x40 cm (0.5
x 1.3 ft). A WBC box (either body or super) has 10 to 12 frames slightly
smallers than a Dadant super box. Thus the box unit size may change from
simple to more than double... and may be the source of confusion.
 To me, a healthy Dadant hive spend winter with a full body box and is
topped in summer with one or two supers if the flow is exceptionnal. My
opinion of a healthy hive is close to Ma. / Nass valley one, only if we
speak in WBC box units. But 6 frames Dadant body box hives, and WBC one box
(12 frames) hives also survive our mild winters, where a woodpecker was the
greatest cause of rampage I ever met.

Vanessa de Behr
sunday beekeeper from Belgium
one Dadant hive, and one just dead due to moth, so surely not as good at
beekeeping as in mathematics! (and only learning the painful way...)