killer bees?

Our season ended without a climax last week: We arrived in Guasave to play our final concert (Holst's Planets), but when we got to the hall we found the interior air thick from a recent fumigation. A security guard had opened the hall earlier for us, and found a swarm of african killer bees had infested the entire building! Bizarre, indeed, but the worst part is that guard was actually attacked by them, and died later at the hospital. We did not play that concert. Instead, we waited around for an hour for them to bring us our customary "box lunch" (stewed pork, beans, warm tortillas) and then we got back on the buses and drove the 2 hours back to Culiacan.

We said our goodbyes to people, and the season was over! Everyone was thankful for the concert being cancelled, but my heart goes out to that officer's family. I wonder what it was like to find those bees. Did he know what they were? Did the operators of the theater know they were there? Did the bees suddenly smell fresh meat entering through the back door, and then instantly swarmed and attacked him before he could leave? It's a really strange scene to imagine. I would hate to think it was due to lack of preparation/communication that he went there unprepared. Later in the week, an officer here in Culiacan apparently was attacked and killed by similar bees in the shade of a tree. He died later as well.

Remind me to stay indoors today. Anyway, tomorrow we go to Queretaro for C and I's wedding. After that, it's off to Seattle!