I was fortunate enough on Friday to get to see Los Tigres del Norte play in Richmond and, through the graciousness and generosity of Gilbert Reyes of Hohner accordions and the invaluable Reyes Forum , got to see it standing in the backstage area where I had an unimpeded view of the stage and great sound too. It was really a lot of fun. Like a fool I forgot my camera. The soundsystem was so insanely loud--as Norteño shows almost always are-- that standing on the side made it just overpowering rather than deafening. The music sounded good and the band was really tight. Los Tigres are such pros that they were really a marvel to watch them perform. I've seen them before a few years ago, but I was far off in the back of a large outdoor rodeo concert in Manassas. Standing just behind the sound man really gave me an appreciation for how tightly they ran the show, with roadies handing off instruments in highly choreographed maneuvers and virtually no break between songs for hours. Ed...
Posts
Between dealing with the aftermath of my accident, editing my book, spending a great week at the Tocqueville Institute at the University of Richmond , and preparing to go to Mongolia, Nunal has definitely suffered for attention. The days before I leave are going to be nuts as I go to Chicago to see my folks and help my dad split a beehive, to Madison for the SHAFR conference (and as an added bonus to see old good friends and play some music), and then to New Orleans for a rapidfire bender with a friend of mine turning 40 who runs bars there...all before leaving for Ulanbaatar in a week and a half. Somehow it is all going to happen I know, but it ain't going to be pretty. I'll leave you for the time being with this description of possible annoyances in Mongolia. It invites some interesting speculation. I also like the suggestion of how to recognize drunks: "Being out late at night is not advisable, especially if you are alone. Avoid ger districts and other poorly lit a...
saving the wild hives
This is a cool project: an attempt to map feral bee colonies by something called the Feral Bee Project . Feral bees have been surviving without intervention from people and so may indeed hold some critical secrets for survivability. "Feral" in this sense means not managed by a beekeeper. It does not mean they are any meaner or wilder. If you are wondering how to find one, there are some beelining tips on the page too. I definitely hold to the theory that the feral colonies hold the secret to the future of bee survival. It is one reason I like to get swarms as much as possible. Ialso have four of my hives that I have never done anything to and VERY rarely even inspect, maybe once or a few times a year. They have thrived, made honey, and requeened themselves year after year, six years running. No chemicals at all, no medications, nothing except some very occasional powdered sugar dusted on them. I use these strong hives as sources for nucs and propagate these queens si...