Molly Bee Good: Tracktown, U.S.A. & A Place Down By The River

  As we roll down I-5 towards Eugene the sun is headed for the western horizon quickly. Our bikes hum along and it feels as if we have been doing this forever. The air is crisp and heavy with moisture. I slow my breathing down to keep my face shield from fogging up. Our good friends have offered to put us up at their home and have dinner waiting for us. Molly Bee has known them since going to school at the University of Oregon. They are as unlikely a couple as Molly and I in so many ways and I think it proves the theory that opposites attract. As we pull into their driveway he exclaims surprise at the motorcycles and the missing dog.
Normally, when we visit them, Casey comes with us. Molly has raised him from a puppy and he is one of the most handsome dogs you will ever meet. He is both regal and gentle. Conflicted because we love seeing our friends and it occurs to me that we will not be seeing him for many, many weeks. We sit down to dinner and the conversation is lively. We find out that a local elementary is interested in possibly having us visit. The schools is very small and continues to shrink. Our friends fear that soon the school will close and the kids will have to bussed out of their community to attend classes. Underfunded. A word heard far too often from administrators at rural schools it usually bodes well for our chance to speak to the students. You see, underfunded schools are grateful to have free educational programs like ours come to them. Our eyes get heavy and we call it an early night.
Morning comes early and we sit and have breakfast and coffee on the back deck watching hummingbirds compete for feeder space. My honey sweetened coffee tastes even better with the river flowing by and all the birds buzzing about. We decide to get a workout in before we head over to Glory Bee Foods. The have a special connection to our family because Molly Bee's dad has been buying supplies from them since they were a tiny outfit selling out of a garage. The workout proves to be a tough one. If you've never heard of cross-fit, let me say this, anytime I've participated in some of these workouts before and am thankful to make it out without losing my lunch. We are reminded of the importance of keeping our bodies strong if we want to keep doing trips like the one we're on.
Fortunately, the sun is shinning and our ride to Glory Bee's facilities dries us off and invigorates. They have asked us to come early so that we may be able to meet with the owner and founder. It seems, he has taken a special interest in our project and wants to speak with us personally. We arrive refreshed and excited and the greeting we receive is so warm we can tell that this place is special. Richard Turanski has  turned his passion into an amazing company with the help of many throughout the years. You can tell he is passionate about what he does and something tells me there is more to the story. As we sit in his office and he asks us questions about Molly Bee Good his face gives nothing away. He listens intently and you can tell that he is absorbing everything you have to say. My nerves try to get the best of me and then he begins to grin. His grin grows into a smile because I believe he recognizes us as like-minded people. He tells us the origin story of Glory Bee and it is different than I expected.
He tells us of a medical condition that plagued him and how he was completely dependent on certain medications. He mentions how his faith led him to look for a better way to live and how the honeybees helped him find health. His story was one that I hope we hear repeated in so many ways. A man humbled and in need of salvation who found health through honeybees. He understands how amazing these creatures are. How lucky we are to have them on our planet and he wants others to discover the benefits offered by the hive. He wants it so much that he has established a program to teach others in Africa how to find their path and utilize the gifts of the honeybee in that journey. His story reminds me of something I once read:

"When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such moments there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back. A week is more than enough time for us to decide whether or not to accept our destiny." -Paulo Coehlo

I know there is a lot more to his story and I look forward to being able to tell it to you, our readers. I have a feeling his son, Alan Turanski, also has a story but these stories will have to wait for now. We are headed off to lunch with some of the employees at Glory Bee Foods. Molly Bee Good marches on.