5 APRIL 27-MAY 3, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | As she stepped into a bee hut at Capella Ranch, Kristen Yarmey smelled cedar along with a light, unfamiliar odor, and listened to the mesmerizing buzzes, taps and clicks the bees made as they performed their tasks in four hives underneath the pentagon- shaped hut. She laid down on a bench and took it all in. The buzz of the bees’ wings, the crackling as they worked away at the wax, and the vapors from the antioxidants and pollen in the hives combined to create a meditative experience. “There’s a really pleasant warmth,” she says. “It’s that deep sense that all is well, that everything is going the way it should be, that the Earth is alive and that you are safe.” Yarmey visited Capella Ranch last sum- mer, during the inaugural period when the huts were open for six weeks and people had a chance to safely get up close and personal with the bees. In countries like Germany and Slovenia, inhaling the aerosol created by bees in an api- ary, or collection of beehives, is an authorized treatment for respiratory diseases. But in the United States, there are only three places that offer the experience: one in Georgia, one in Michigan, and this one in Lafayette at Capella Ranch, which just opened for its second season. “I’m going to be out here all summer, talking to people and enjoying them and hearing their stories,” says Carolyn Peterson, matriarch of the Peterson family, which owns the ranch.”They’re going to come stressed out, and then they’re going to leave relaxed.” The Petersons’ journey to opening an apiary began seven years ago, when they were living in Superior and adopted a dog named Olive from 4 Paws 4 Life Rescue and Boarding, adding to a household that already had two dogs. Then 4 Paws 4 Life sent Carolyn’s hus- band, Charlie, an email asking if the family would be interested in fostering some dogs. Charlie forwarded the email to Carolyn. The family already had an aquarium, and their two daughters had kept various hermit crabs, gerbils, ham- EVAN SEMÓN continued on page 6 Carolyn and Charlie Peterson at Capella Ranch.
