For me the keeping of bees is one of many hobbies. My royal standard English dictionary (1813) and my Merriam-Webster (2022) defines the word hobby as what we passionately like and a pursuit or interest engaged in for relaxation, respectively. When I think of about the hobby, I think about the end of the scout-oath “to keep myself physically fit, mentally awake, and morally straight”. Three vultures that I think any bee-master would say are needed for successful bee-keeping. I think it is these three vultures that draw so many people to the craft. I have a couple mentors in business and bee-craft to whom I look when I need advice or guidance that, without coincidence, all look 25 years younger than they say they are. In their own way they are living the scout-oath through the keeping of bees and in turn in the rest of their lives.
So, when I am asked, “how much time do I need to have to be able to keep bees, as a hobby”. I am unable to answer because it is the wrong question. We should smash our TVs and unsubscribe to the endless streaming dis-services and get into a hobby that grows us physically, mentally and morally. It these merits that the HarBee School is build. Join of a day or get into the hobby I want you to learn. The hobby is a beautiful thing and the paths you are put when you start are endless. I have in my collection, of books, Clock repairing as a hobby by Harold C. Kelly (1972). It is described as the illustrated how-to guild for the beginner. You might think “what a weird hobby” but look closer, look closer at a clock and see the mathematics, the craftsmanship, the history, and the shared human experiences that all of us have with the circle that is evenly divided into twelve even parts. Actually no! do that with honey bees and watch the first of many videos.