I almost didn't make this film

I almost didn't make this film, not because I didn't want to, but because I was only in LA for a day, and had to be at the film festival at 4 pm. But like most things that are "good" in my life, they are never convenient and almost always sound crazy to the part of me that is like, "yeah, that's crazy."

That's my litmus test. If I think it's crazy, it's probably something I need to do. I flew into LA around 1 pm on a Sunday from Austin. It was a simple flight, but I brought all my gear as carry-on. Which again, crazy. I got a new Prius as a rental car and made my way to the place I was staying, got some good food I miss since I don't live there anymore, and headed back to prep gear and get some rest. The morning was a 6 am rise since I wanted to be at The Hive at 8 am to make sure IF the sunrise was right, I would be able to get it. It was right, I shot some footage of a place we used to boulder, Stoney Point, and grabbed some coffee and a hard-boiled breakfast at a local Starbucks. The sunrise didn't make the cut, but it was nice.

I met Danny around 8:30 am, and we jumped in right away. "What is the goal of this?" he asked. "To show that you are real folks doing good work, tell a little of your story, show how you care and work with the bees." "Okay, sounds good. What do you want to do first?" He took me on a tour of the grounds, which include three businesses: The Valley Hive, The Topanga Nursery, and the Just Vibes Cafe truck.

All are awesome and have grown since my last time in town. It's great to see, since post-COVID things were uncertain for us all. Glad to see they've not only weathered the storm, but have expanded and are still expanding. After seeing their new spaces, a lounge, a cafe area, a dense jungle nursery, which all act as a third space for the community where folks can gather, enjoy the outdoors, the peace of the grounds, and share some community without having to spend a dime, it's refreshing to say the least.

Once the air heated a little more from the early-morning sun, we put on our bee jackets and veils and went back to check out how some of the hives were doing. Danny is a master of many arts, but seeing him with the bees is special. He has been a beekeeper since the early 2000's, when a beehive infiltrated the wall of a home he was rehabbing, and from there he had the bug.

Danny tells great stories. He really has a way with words and a connection that is unlike anyone I have ever seen. He's so connected and engaging, you'd listen to him read the phone book, but when he tells the story of how the bees found him, there is so much care, charm, and reverence that you can't help but listen.

The first time he told me this story was when my wife and I went in for a job interview. He started the interview and then just stopped right off the bat, took a moment, and asked, "Can I tell you a story?" From that moment, I was hooked on bees. Hearing his story about how the bees found him in that house while he was fixing it up. How after the beekeeper he called to come remove them took them out with no problem or hassle, "he put his hand on the drywall and was like, What do you feel here vs other places on the wall...well it's a little warmer here... He found the queen, brushed her into his bee box, and like magic 40-50,000 bee's followed her right in to the box...I was like, I can't believe what I just saw. And that's what happened, I went home and told my wife. Did you know there's a bee club in Los Angeles (LACBA)? Been there since the 1800s? So we went to our first meeting, and there is where I met my business partner, Keith Roberts, who was vice president at the time...and from there we started The Valley Hive."

I cannot be happier with how the shoot turned out. On a business trip to LA for a film festival screening, we squeezed a business brand film in the middle and made it back safe and sound. Enjoy the film and keep doing "crazy stuff" (also known as living a full life). - Sean Stone Field Notes | 4/25/26 | Los Angeles, CA