The bees will live again.

My children did a very embarrassing thing: they pitched in and raised money for me to buy new honeybees. It was a kindly thing. But it was embarrassing. Still, they gave me the impetus to start over again, so I ordered two packages of bees from R. Weaver Co. The anticipated ship date is April 24. Weavers sell 3 lbs. packages, while most breeders only send 2 lbs. What this means is that in addition to a proven queen bee, there are 3 lbs. of worker honeybees in the package. More bees means they can gather nectar and pollen faster, build comb sooner, and raise more young bees. The result should be fast build-up of the new colony and a chance (slim) of some surplus honey this year. "Surplus" honey is what the beekeeper steals for his own use.
I was able to save some comb the bees can use to raise their new bees, which will be a plus for them. Most packages are installed into new hives where the bees have to make the new comb before raising young and storing honey. These bees will have a head start, IF the old comb doesn't still stink so bad from being in the muddy water that they reject it. If they reject the comb, they will probably fly away and find a new home with more friendly surrounds. That would be bad, but: "You never know about bees" (quote from Winnie the Pooh and The Honey Tree.) I have found wild bees living in an old 5 gal. gas can that still reeked of gas fumes.

On another note, Liz and I bought a new bed sans box springs. I have long held the opinion that box springs are a money waster left over from the days before modern materials. I have wanted to build a torsion box bed foundation. We didn't do that, because Liz is convinced it would squeak. Instead, we bought a steel frame to hold up a 12" thick memory foam mattress. There is more than average storage room under this frame, but not quite enough for the bins Liz wanted to put under it. I solved that problem by cutting some rounds of wood to lift each leg up 2 1/2" above the carpet (see below.) The trouble was that the legs tended to slip off the rounds, which then made the bed go all ahoo (technical term from my Marine days.)
Yesterday, I bought 2X4's and made new supports that are more solid, and have recesses to hold the legs firmly in place.
I rounded the ends of the supports to minimize toe stubbing.

On the floor, you can see one of the rounds that previously raised the legs. Behind the new supports are the bins. Among other things, the bins will hold the non-Christmas holiday decorations.



This is the bed as it looks when you enter the room. The height is nearly the same as it was with the old box springs, and a skirt hides the storage.