She's free and the hive looks great!

Didn't get back to the hive here till ~2:00 pm. Sunny, temperature about 80 F, lots of activity at the hive. Anxious to see if the queen has been freed and what the inside of the hive looks like. Made up 2.5 qts of sugar syrup for the top frame feeder, started the smoker, protective gear on, and off I go. Charlotte is following me out, and staying at a safe distace she's taking some pictures of me with the hive. I am anxious to take a look inside and see the queen, but, not nervous all about being stung. Approaching the hive from the rear, I puffed the smoker at the front entrance on both sides. I lifted a corner of the top cover and smoked a few puffs there too. Completely pulling off the top cover, I can see where I squished 2 bees a week ago as I put the cover on - must be more careful this week.

Not much syrup left in the feeder. It's a good thing I prepared some fresh syrup for them.

I removed the feeder, pulled off the inner cover, I had the space side down which had left room for bees between the top of the frames and the inner cover, this is now totally covered in bees ... I'm smiling to see them all there!

Smoke the top of the frames ... great buzzing hum coming from the hive body!

I can see the queen cage, some burr comb is to either side of it ... a good sign! As I remove the cage, there is no queen ... she's freed! I carefully pull out a frame, and quickly catch a glimpse of the marked queen before she scoots out of the daylight. This frame is beginning to have the comb built out on it.

I hold the frame up and carefully look at it, I can see the pollen stores, at least 2 different shades of yellow. I can see what I assume is sugar water stored in numerous other cells. I didn't notice eggs; but, then again, I didn't look very hard ... just thrilled to see all looks OK. I carefully put that frame back in place and pulled out the one next to it. It looks nearly identical, comb being built out on both sides. I scrape off as best I can the excess burr comb before placing it back in the hive. All told it looks like 4 frames have comb being built out.

The feeling of holding the frames with multiple hundreds of bees on each side is hard to describe. There is an inner calm that comes over me as I am standing there. This is nature at it's rawest form. I am part of saving the bees ... feels pretty good too!

So I carefully put everything back together, fill the feeder with syrup. I am careful this time placing the top cover back on. Done. Now, let them alone for perhaps 2 weeks depending on the weather. I might open the entrance up a bit; but other than that I'll just sit there with my binocs or camera.