Giving the Honeybees a New Life

This has been a hard winter for Honeybees in this area. I thought I was the only one who'd lost lots of hives. Turns out my Bee Buddy, with close to 100 hives, is down to 35, ten of which are strong enough for splitting. I told him I'd give him my 7 (?) hives for 5 hives at the end of the summer. This summer is going to be busy, especially during splitting and swarming season, so he'll split from my hives and build them up, using my incoming queens and pollen, and give me back 5 regular size hives either this fall (preferable for him) or next spring (probably splits), in my equipment. I'm paying for his labor with my queens and pollen, and he's returning me to where I started. I shed the worry and he can, hopefully, do OK with the bees. It will be a shot in the arm for him, helping him to build up his numbers, and a relief to me.

Frustration

I'm working non-stop on the itinerary to Asia. It'd be so easy to just call the Travel Agency and say "Book It". But, Noooo! I have to do my own research, etc. Just like I have to figure out my own taxes.
I'm pretty sure we'll go with United Airlines, but getting a response from them is very slow. They're good with taking orders, but this is outside the normal clerk's comfort zone, and they have to send it to the pricing desk. They'll hold the seats for 24 hours, but the pricing desk can't get back to you for 72 hours. Go figure. So, once I get a price, I'll know if I can buy their tickets, or if I need to go somewhere else. I guess this is so you can't compare prices.
I can't book rooms until I have the flights, can't book tours until I know when and where we'll be.
Meanwhile, I can recite the flights in and out of most SE Asian airports: BKK, DPS, CNX, KIX, PEK.

Planning for the Trip proceeds

We're looking at all the options for the trip to Asia. So far we are considering Beijing, Kyoto, Bali, Chieng Mai, Angkor Wat, Bangkok, Delhi, Kathmandu, Bhutan, Kashmir,Varanasi (Ganges), Istanbul, and maybe returning through Vienna. The bold names are under serious consideration, the rest may work out. The dates are getting less solid, since GT has to get some critical paperwork done before reporting to MCV on June 23.