I guess, everyone is wondering, why is Allen pressing the
question of the economic viability of Dee's operation?

It is simple. Just over ten years ago Joe and I visited Dee and Ed.
We had a wonderful visit. Dee is a great cook :) and a good friend.
Ed was a really cool guy.
See http://honeybeeworld.com/Lusby/

With Dee's permission, I wrote a series of articles about that
visit and they were published in a major US beekeeping magazine.
http://honeybeeworld.com/diary/articles/DesertStorm.htm

People read it and the believers believed.  That was never my intent.
I just wrote a good story, not a catechism, and the proof was ten years off.

That is now.

In 2005, Joe, Oene and I plus our pal, Charlie went back.  Ed had
suffered a stroke and could not speak, but was alert and on
the ball.  Dee had cared for him faithfully through the illness.
They were buying the place at Aravaca Junction. Nice spot.

Well, when I wrote the original series, we did not know how things
would work out. Lusbees were fairly mild and they were on top
of things, breeding queens and fighting AHB.  The Tucson lab
was not even Africanized.

In 2005 it was.  Definitely.  I and Tommy warned me before I
went an lifted lids. Things had changed. Gracias amigo.

I did not comment on the Lusbees at the time. Ask Charlie. He is a bee
expert.  I'm not.  He does not say much, but every word is golden.

Anyhow, a lot happened along the way, and I don't know all the
details.  Back in 2002, we did not know what would happen.  If Ed
had not been ill, maybe Dee could have held off AHB, but judging from
Deanno's films she did not.

However, IMO, the whole matter deserves a rethink.

Some see this as a battle of adversaries, but I see it as a family
matter.

Beekeepers are all family and we all care for one another.

Have a good new year.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm