Weblog & News
Introducing Our Local Honey Band and Speaking of Local Honey
Sacramento Contra Dance features Local Honey Band Tom and Mary Kay Aufrance and Bob Kastelic with Caller Susan Pleck.
For contra dance gigs, we have joined with Bob Kastelic on fiddle, and now we are the "Local Honey Band" of Tom Aufrance mandolin, guitar and vocals; Mary Kay Aufrance electronic accordion and vocals; and popular contra dance player Bob Kastelic violin. This gig was big, with a full dance floor of Sacramento contra dancers and a caller who likes fast tempo for the dancers. Caller Susan Pleck had us all on our toes and playing fast for the Sacramento Contra Dance at Coloma Community Center. Something unique about our "Local Honey Band" is that we offer vocals, so we sang our vocal duet of Tennesssee Waltz for the waltz.
Our Next Show: Reno Contra Dance
Next, it's off to Reno Contra Dance! Join the fun! Contra dancing is energetic and a Super Way Cool way to meet people!
Contra dancing is super cool and fun Out West Style! Out West, contra dancing has evolved with our West Coast influence. Dancers and callers have taken the style into a new exuberance, kicking up their heels and improvising on the well known contra dance moves. Yet, it's still contra dancing, with a bit more oomph!
A free newcomer's orientation is always offered at the start of every evening, which is great for people new to contra dancing or rusty with their dance moves. Experienced dancers are welcome to come help the newcomers learn. Plus, there is usually a potluck snack at break, so feel free to bring something to share. The dances get progressively more complicated as the evening goes on, so coming early will get you the experience and skills before the later dances.
We're really making honey, too!
For those wondering about our other local honey adventures...
The bees have been busy all summer, making honey. The hive is bountiful and Minnie has been experimenting with a queen breeding! Early in the spring, when it looked as if the hive might be in need of a new queen, Minnie tried an experiment in queen rearing!
First she put some of the frames with brood (that's beekeeper talk for larva and soon to be baby bees) in a separate little box of their own, with attending bees in the box to nurture the baby bees. After a few weeks, "queen cups" started popping up in the wax, where the bees were preparing little bee beds for new queens! The bees built about 10 queen cups and of course, little pre-queen bees emerged.
Beekeeper lore says that what happened at this point would be that the pre-queens engage in diplomacy and deceit until just one queen emerges victoriously. So, after the bees seemed content with their new order, Minnie put them all back into the big hive where all the bees have been happily-ever-after making honey - and more honey bees, too!>
Minnie's reflections on her queen rearing adventure? "Luckily the bees know what to do!"
She saved a collection of queen cups and it's sitting on her computer monitor. The variation in color and construction is interesting...
