This week I had to go to a corporate Golf day sponsored by the company I work for. The past few weeks of practise has been killing me. Golf is not my natural game and just add a bit of pressure there was everyone looking on and the scoring. It was a wonderful day to be out in the countryside, manicured and clipped. Sunny and bright with a cool breeze. I finished in the bottom third but near the top of the third. So not too shabby.
When I got back to the hotel after Golf and taking the clients out I sat out on the veranda with a glass of red wine at two in the morning of a very clear night. The sky was black, no Moon, but punctuated at regular intervals with the flashing strobes lights of distant aeroplanes. From the veranda I was able to see the planes moving in and out along the flight paths of two centres just over the horizon. One was Stanstead and Gatwick.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Landys, Landys Everywhere
I got up early on Sunday last, which is unusual enough to report. I made a couple of bacon butties and a brew, one of me and one for H. The reason for this madness was a show that was staged at the East of England Showground in Peterborough. I was at the showground about quarter past nine. As I pulled into the vast, well organised and appointed car park. The content of the car park was a clue to the reason for the event. Nine out of ten vehicles in the car park were Land Rovers of one sort or another. The event was the Land Rover Owners Magazine autumn show.
Having been mugged at the ticket office I went through the showground gates. I was very impressed with the facilities at the Showground. The event was quite small or was it that showground is so vast. In any case there must have been a thousand Land Rovers. I only saw four vehicles that were not an LR or one of the derivatives. There were stalls and clubs in attendance. Some of the stalls were more like an auto-jumble. You really have to know your stuff to identify one piece of grubby metal from another. It was all scrap to me. There were army surplus stalls. Lots of things you never knew you needed and all painted green. Then the specialist stalls, off road suspension and all the individual parts. Others stalls with special stainless steel panels and exhausts. Yet other suppliers of touring tents that fold into roof racks and yet others with storage solutions to fit out the back of the landy.
Then there were all the clubs. One for every marque and interest. Individual clubs; for Series 1, 2 and 3, Defenders, V8s, Forward control 101s, Paris Dakar, Lightweights, ex-military, Freelander, Range Rover, G4 and Camel rally and monster land rovers. Then clubs based on districts or geographical areas, off roading, green laning and over landing.
Later in the day, and on another part of the venue, there was a proper auto-jumble called the Sodbury Sortout. It was a bit of a disappointing turn out. However I did get a wheel brace for less than half price. I had a list of things to buy but it was as if the list was written upside down. The things I really needed, at the top of the list, were not to be had. The low priority items were found, a hasp for the filler cap, spring clips for the trailer and, of course, the wheel brace. I just need a length of scaffold tube to be a extension handle to the wheel brace.
In the main arena there was the usual parades, a bike stunt rider and bird of pray flying display. I went round lots of times, this way and that. Everything got a good coat of looking at......twice. Perhaps the best thing I got was not a Land Rover item. One of the stall sold tools. One of the gadgets was a "finger ratchet". Imagine a the ratchet that you use on sockets then saw off the handle. It is the handiest thing. There are lots of times when the room to swing the ratchet handle is restricted or you just need the spin a nut with a socket. the finger ratchet is just the job and cheap as chips. Coming across the finger ratchet just about clinched the day to justify the cost and getting early on a Sunday.
Having been mugged at the ticket office I went through the showground gates. I was very impressed with the facilities at the Showground. The event was quite small or was it that showground is so vast. In any case there must have been a thousand Land Rovers. I only saw four vehicles that were not an LR or one of the derivatives. There were stalls and clubs in attendance. Some of the stalls were more like an auto-jumble. You really have to know your stuff to identify one piece of grubby metal from another. It was all scrap to me. There were army surplus stalls. Lots of things you never knew you needed and all painted green. Then the specialist stalls, off road suspension and all the individual parts. Others stalls with special stainless steel panels and exhausts. Yet other suppliers of touring tents that fold into roof racks and yet others with storage solutions to fit out the back of the landy.
Then there were all the clubs. One for every marque and interest. Individual clubs; for Series 1, 2 and 3, Defenders, V8s, Forward control 101s, Paris Dakar, Lightweights, ex-military, Freelander, Range Rover, G4 and Camel rally and monster land rovers. Then clubs based on districts or geographical areas, off roading, green laning and over landing.
Later in the day, and on another part of the venue, there was a proper auto-jumble called the Sodbury Sortout. It was a bit of a disappointing turn out. However I did get a wheel brace for less than half price. I had a list of things to buy but it was as if the list was written upside down. The things I really needed, at the top of the list, were not to be had. The low priority items were found, a hasp for the filler cap, spring clips for the trailer and, of course, the wheel brace. I just need a length of scaffold tube to be a extension handle to the wheel brace.
In the main arena there was the usual parades, a bike stunt rider and bird of pray flying display. I went round lots of times, this way and that. Everything got a good coat of looking at......twice. Perhaps the best thing I got was not a Land Rover item. One of the stall sold tools. One of the gadgets was a "finger ratchet". Imagine a the ratchet that you use on sockets then saw off the handle. It is the handiest thing. There are lots of times when the room to swing the ratchet handle is restricted or you just need the spin a nut with a socket. the finger ratchet is just the job and cheap as chips. Coming across the finger ratchet just about clinched the day to justify the cost and getting early on a Sunday.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
25 things in 21 days
It has been a while since I blogged. I just have not had time since came from holidays. So here is an an abbreviated catch up.
- I had to do an all nighter at a client site, implementing a new server. It's a big deal.
- Stayed at a odd, but nice place, in the West End
- Took a look at the lottie. French Beans and Squashes have gone mad
- The Potatoes where blighted whilst I was away and the weeds have gone berserk
- Checked out the bees. Huzzah the new queen is viable and busy
- Checked the other hive. It will die off.
- Harvested the onions and shallots
- Harvested some Honey and extracted it
- Outing to the Railway Inn to organised the summer bash at he lottie
- Started to lift the spuds
- Attended the Summer bash. Very good if a trifle staid
- H and Miss L had to go a Brownies bash. 100 years of Girl Guides.
- Went to Steve's after the summer bash, much better
- Went to a seminar in Manchester then went to see Mum and Dad
- Checked out the bees. One hive is thriving and one is dead
- Cleaned up the dead hive
- It was our 23rd wedding anniversary at the end of August, so we had a nice meal
- Went Fencing on the 1st Sept. It was the first day back after the summer break
- Saw the farmers and now have permission to have a few more hives in the meadows
- Went to the lottie to weed, tidy up and to harvest the last of the onions and the garlic
- Cleared out the greenhouses. Lots of Toms
- Went to the Land Rover show in Peterborough
- In between times I have getting out on the bike whenever I have 35 minutes spare
- I have to go to a corporate Golf day in few weeks so I have been getting out on the driving range.
- I got a sun burned back on Saturday whilst digging the spuds
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Holiday time
I have been on holiday for the past few week. Week one of the holiday was H and me walking the Cumbrian Way [click HERE] for a information courtesy of Dik. H will update her blog in due course. Miss L spent the week in Manchester being spoilt rotten by the grand-parents. The second week we spent together in a cottage in Cornwall. It was a classic journey. Solid traffic from a hundred miles out, eight hours sat in the car.
We toured about checking out the towns of Cornwall. We have never been in that neck of the woods before. We went all the way down to Porthen Leven which is right on the very end of the Cornwall, next stop America. We found a smashing restaurant called Kota [Click HERE] Very fresh food in stylish surroundings. Most of Cornwall seems to be pub food and Fish & Chips. Kota was different. Another evening we got the makings of a picnic, a nice bottle of wine and went to Trebarwith Strand. We sat on the cliffs and watched the surfers in the tide as the sun slowly sank in the west. It was a moment. I long moment but a moment. H wants to go back, that says it all.
At the end of the week we dropped Miss L off in Tiverton with her cousins to spend a week. H and I went back to work. Just before I went on holiday I decided that I needed to get aerobically fit and maybe lose a bit of weight in the process. Work has been getting in the way of Fencing and it has been telling. Whilst away I ate smaller portions and lots of fish. Well Cornwall is the place for fresh fish. I got a push bike just before my hols and whilst away bagged some cheap cycle shoes, pedals and cleats. When I got home it only took quarter of an hour the fit everything to the bike. I go out every evening for a six mile circuit. The first circuit was a killer. Luckily I need to stop to adjust the cleats, "a hem". Since then it has got a little easier.
Wednesday evening was the first warm evening with free time since I got back. H and I went up to the apiary. H installed herself by the river in the shade of the Willow tree with a book and left me to the bee fettling. It has been weighing on my mind whether or not the new Queen, introduced just before the hols, is viable. I happy to say she is. I was really chuffed. The other hive is in poor shape. I had put the clearer boards on to isolate the honey in the super before the holidays. I was able extract the honey and with a bit of luck there might be some more.
I had to go to Bournemouth on business on Thursday and was treated to lunch on the prom and to watch part of the air display of the Bournemouth air show. I was able to get back in time to meet Steve and Dave P to meet them in the Railway for the chat and a pint.
Saturday was a drag. We had to collect Miss L from Devon. We were to meet my brother and sister in law at Gardano services, on the m5 at a Avonmouth, to pass over Miss L. Brover and Ali were going to see U2 at Cardiff so it was should have been straight forward. However on the way down we discovered the M5 was suffering heavy traffic south bound due to an accident. We changed plans via the mobile to meet at Magor services on the M48, just a few miles from Newport. Our drive down the M50 was easy but the "A" road from Monmouth to Chepstow was beautiful. H was moved. The journey that should have took brov and Ali 45 minutes took more than two hours. The M5 was suffering from holiday makers going and returning from Devon and Cornwall, the "V" festival and 80,000 folk going to U2. The drive home from Magor was in heavy traffic but it was at least it was moving. We set off at 10am and get home at 18.00 so another eight hours in the car. As an antidote to the travelling we had been invited to a "do" at our neighbours Sheila and Graham on Saturday evening. Miss L's young man was invited too so the "love birds" were inseparable all evening, sweet really. We had a great time. I caved in at 1am. H came home much later but paid the price the next day.
On Sunday afternoon I had decided to exchange the contents of one the hives as it was on loan and has to go back soon. Fettling the bees on Sunday meant driving Degsey. It is a treat every time I have a spin in it but thank god I don't have to travel in it all the time. Max speed 40mph and vague steering and we will say nothing about the fuel consumption.
A quick thanks to Steve for watering the Toms whilst I was away.
We toured about checking out the towns of Cornwall. We have never been in that neck of the woods before. We went all the way down to Porthen Leven which is right on the very end of the Cornwall, next stop America. We found a smashing restaurant called Kota [Click HERE] Very fresh food in stylish surroundings. Most of Cornwall seems to be pub food and Fish & Chips. Kota was different. Another evening we got the makings of a picnic, a nice bottle of wine and went to Trebarwith Strand. We sat on the cliffs and watched the surfers in the tide as the sun slowly sank in the west. It was a moment. I long moment but a moment. H wants to go back, that says it all.
At the end of the week we dropped Miss L off in Tiverton with her cousins to spend a week. H and I went back to work. Just before I went on holiday I decided that I needed to get aerobically fit and maybe lose a bit of weight in the process. Work has been getting in the way of Fencing and it has been telling. Whilst away I ate smaller portions and lots of fish. Well Cornwall is the place for fresh fish. I got a push bike just before my hols and whilst away bagged some cheap cycle shoes, pedals and cleats. When I got home it only took quarter of an hour the fit everything to the bike. I go out every evening for a six mile circuit. The first circuit was a killer. Luckily I need to stop to adjust the cleats, "a hem". Since then it has got a little easier.
Wednesday evening was the first warm evening with free time since I got back. H and I went up to the apiary. H installed herself by the river in the shade of the Willow tree with a book and left me to the bee fettling. It has been weighing on my mind whether or not the new Queen, introduced just before the hols, is viable. I happy to say she is. I was really chuffed. The other hive is in poor shape. I had put the clearer boards on to isolate the honey in the super before the holidays. I was able extract the honey and with a bit of luck there might be some more.
I had to go to Bournemouth on business on Thursday and was treated to lunch on the prom and to watch part of the air display of the Bournemouth air show. I was able to get back in time to meet Steve and Dave P to meet them in the Railway for the chat and a pint.
Saturday was a drag. We had to collect Miss L from Devon. We were to meet my brother and sister in law at Gardano services, on the m5 at a Avonmouth, to pass over Miss L. Brover and Ali were going to see U2 at Cardiff so it was should have been straight forward. However on the way down we discovered the M5 was suffering heavy traffic south bound due to an accident. We changed plans via the mobile to meet at Magor services on the M48, just a few miles from Newport. Our drive down the M50 was easy but the "A" road from Monmouth to Chepstow was beautiful. H was moved. The journey that should have took brov and Ali 45 minutes took more than two hours. The M5 was suffering from holiday makers going and returning from Devon and Cornwall, the "V" festival and 80,000 folk going to U2. The drive home from Magor was in heavy traffic but it was at least it was moving. We set off at 10am and get home at 18.00 so another eight hours in the car. As an antidote to the travelling we had been invited to a "do" at our neighbours Sheila and Graham on Saturday evening. Miss L's young man was invited too so the "love birds" were inseparable all evening, sweet really. We had a great time. I caved in at 1am. H came home much later but paid the price the next day.
On Sunday afternoon I had decided to exchange the contents of one the hives as it was on loan and has to go back soon. Fettling the bees on Sunday meant driving Degsey. It is a treat every time I have a spin in it but thank god I don't have to travel in it all the time. Max speed 40mph and vague steering and we will say nothing about the fuel consumption.
A quick thanks to Steve for watering the Toms whilst I was away.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Happy Birthday Times Three
I could not go the do the bees too early as the air temperature would not be high enough for what I had in mind. I had to do the trailer duty and the lottie first. The trailer duty gave me some bad news. Ali, one of the horses that provided the contents for the trailer has had to be put down. Sad but she had been very poorly and in terrible pain with a damaged hip and back for several months. Nevertheless trailering needed to be done. Her companion is still producing.
The lottie got a good hoeing and I planted some more Peas, Beetroot and Swede. I harvested some more spuds and cabbage. The onion look like they are ready to come up as is the garlic. I pulled one and it is really fat. A good year for Onions and Garlic. I pulled a few cabbage that had gone over and chopped them up into the compo bin. It is quiet soothing chopping cabbages with a machete. The French climbing Beans are looking good as are the Sweet Corn.
Next off was the Bees but you will find all about that if you read the blog entry "Queens in the Post". I am holiday next weeks so holiday preparation has been in full swing for a few weeks. The car was serviced last week and this week was a good cleaning of the interior. The interior was a real state. The mud from the winter and straw from the bees were allover the inside of the car. Having finished with the bees and grabbed a quick bite to eat I positioned the car on the drive and took out everything that was not bolted, screwed or glued down. Every surface was hoovered within and inch of its life. Then it was out with the polish. Again everything was scrubbed and polish within an inch of its life. I even did a bit of polishing with the lemon scented Mr Screen so the car smells nice too. All the mats got a good going over before refitting. Tools were rubbed within an oily rag to clean and protect them before being returned to their sub floor hidey holes. I even dusted the first aid kit and its hidey hole. That done I one more thing to do.
H's friend Luba is fifty and she does not care who knows it. She has embraced her birthday. Her party started at 3pm but I was still several hours from finishing my jobs. I managed to get everything done by 6pm and went for a shower. I took Luba a bagful of spuds. An unusual birthday present I grant you but I knew she would approve. Luba is mad about veg growing. She has a small greenhouse and grows a few Sweet Corn and Pumpkins in the boarders. Luba only lives at the other end of the street from us so travelling was not a problem. H and Miss L had gone over about 4pm. H rang me to chivvy me along so I did not miss the Salsa dancing! Luba's household is very cosmopolitan. Luba is Ukrainian, married to Antonio who is Venezuelan. Did I mention Luba grew up in Oldham near Manchester so her accent is a bit varied. All the aunties, uncles, brother, sisters, cousins, with the other halves and the kids, neighbours and friends all piled into Luba's garden party. A Venezuelan friend of Luba runs Salsa classes. You guessed it, we had a Salsa session. It was really fun. The cake came out so we sung Happy Birthday, first in English, then in Spanish and finally in Ukrainian. Then rounds of toasts, no, not the crispy bread sort, the ones that end in cheers. The evening was warm but as the evening drew in and party dispersed the usual suspects remained. We pulled all the chairs together and sat round chatting. Luba's brother, Roman, kept us plied with drink and food. As he topped up our glasses he would remind us that it was a Ukrainian tradition, Drink and Food!
It was lucky it poured down for most of Sunday. I was a little sensitive. However by 3pm I was on an even keel and ready for the Moto GP on the TV, live from Donnington Park. Another masterful display and a win for Rossi. As usual the British weather had a hand to play in the result.
The lottie got a good hoeing and I planted some more Peas, Beetroot and Swede. I harvested some more spuds and cabbage. The onion look like they are ready to come up as is the garlic. I pulled one and it is really fat. A good year for Onions and Garlic. I pulled a few cabbage that had gone over and chopped them up into the compo bin. It is quiet soothing chopping cabbages with a machete. The French climbing Beans are looking good as are the Sweet Corn.
Next off was the Bees but you will find all about that if you read the blog entry "Queens in the Post". I am holiday next weeks so holiday preparation has been in full swing for a few weeks. The car was serviced last week and this week was a good cleaning of the interior. The interior was a real state. The mud from the winter and straw from the bees were allover the inside of the car. Having finished with the bees and grabbed a quick bite to eat I positioned the car on the drive and took out everything that was not bolted, screwed or glued down. Every surface was hoovered within and inch of its life. Then it was out with the polish. Again everything was scrubbed and polish within an inch of its life. I even did a bit of polishing with the lemon scented Mr Screen so the car smells nice too. All the mats got a good going over before refitting. Tools were rubbed within an oily rag to clean and protect them before being returned to their sub floor hidey holes. I even dusted the first aid kit and its hidey hole. That done I one more thing to do.
H's friend Luba is fifty and she does not care who knows it. She has embraced her birthday. Her party started at 3pm but I was still several hours from finishing my jobs. I managed to get everything done by 6pm and went for a shower. I took Luba a bagful of spuds. An unusual birthday present I grant you but I knew she would approve. Luba is mad about veg growing. She has a small greenhouse and grows a few Sweet Corn and Pumpkins in the boarders. Luba only lives at the other end of the street from us so travelling was not a problem. H and Miss L had gone over about 4pm. H rang me to chivvy me along so I did not miss the Salsa dancing! Luba's household is very cosmopolitan. Luba is Ukrainian, married to Antonio who is Venezuelan. Did I mention Luba grew up in Oldham near Manchester so her accent is a bit varied. All the aunties, uncles, brother, sisters, cousins, with the other halves and the kids, neighbours and friends all piled into Luba's garden party. A Venezuelan friend of Luba runs Salsa classes. You guessed it, we had a Salsa session. It was really fun. The cake came out so we sung Happy Birthday, first in English, then in Spanish and finally in Ukrainian. Then rounds of toasts, no, not the crispy bread sort, the ones that end in cheers. The evening was warm but as the evening drew in and party dispersed the usual suspects remained. We pulled all the chairs together and sat round chatting. Luba's brother, Roman, kept us plied with drink and food. As he topped up our glasses he would remind us that it was a Ukrainian tradition, Drink and Food!
It was lucky it poured down for most of Sunday. I was a little sensitive. However by 3pm I was on an even keel and ready for the Moto GP on the TV, live from Donnington Park. Another masterful display and a win for Rossi. As usual the British weather had a hand to play in the result.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Queens in the Post
A couple of weeks ago I discovered that one of my hives had lost it Queen. I have been on the horns of a a dilemma over the past few weeks. Do I let the bees organise themselves and live with what they decided to do, even if it means they die off, or to intervene. I could not be sure that the Queen in the other hive was strong enough so I have let that hive continue to develop. I decided to intervene.
Believe it or not but you can buy a Queen. She comes by post with a few attendants. I placed the order on Tuesday for delivery Friday. H said the posty was amazed and had been showing all his posty mates what he had to deliver. H was not overly impressed with being collared by the posty to take delivery of a small package with a big yellow label announcing "Live Queen Bee". I asked H to bring the Queen to my office so I could look after her, the Queen Bee not H. H's face was a picture when she handed over the package. She had summoned all her strength to bring the little package in the car and pick it up to give it to me.
I was chuffed to receive the packaged and opened it carefully. I knew what to expect. H and Eddie, a colleague, were not so sure. Inside the envelope was a wooden box with a mesh front. Behind the mesh a Queen and a few attendant worker bees. At one end of the wooden cell some sugar fondant as food. The Bees were buzzing about but settled down once the cell was out of the envelop and sheltered from the bright lights in the office. I was distracted for the rest of Friday. I had decided that the Queen would be introduced to her new home that evening but the rain but paid to that plan. I would have to wait until Saturday.
Saturday afternoon, after lottie fettling I went to the apiary. I checked both hives. The blue one is OK but the cedar one definitely struggling. Lucky I had a Queen in my overalls pocket. I rearranged the frames so the frames with most empty cells were near each other. I shook the bees off the frames to stir them up a bit then when the brood box was reassembled of sprinkled a generous helping of sugar syrup over the frames. The idea was that the bees would start to fan the hive scent, as they always do when disturbed, as signal to collect the flying back to the hive. Slopping sugar syrup starts the bees tidying up by licking the syrup from the frames, comb and each other. The Queen would be covered in syrup to and to act of cleaning up would spread her pheromones throughout the hive. I dosed the Queen in syrup and opened the wooden cell. The Queen flew onto my finger for a moment. My heart stopped but before I could react she dived for the "safety" of the dark space between the frames. I a moment she was gone. I put the hive back together and sat in the long grass front of the hive for a worry. Would she be accepted or would she be killed and expelled from the hive. Both bad results since it would be a waste of money and the queenless hive would remain.
To distract myself I tidied up then took a walk up the meadow, found a spot and watched the river Mease rush by with the Damsel flies flitting this way and that way. Forty minutes had passed by so I went back to the hive and dismantled it. I pulled out the frames I thought it likely she would be on. To my dismay I saw a cluster of very agitated bees. The ball of bees was a clear sign they were killing something. Another frame another bee cluster. I brushed the bees aside with my finger to find at he centre of this ball of twenty bees was a very unhappy worker. She was different to the hive bees so I took her to be one of the attendants. I checked the other cluster, another worker as its centre. Having pulled a few frames out I saw more dead and dieing bees on the hive floor. The mortuary bees were heaving the bodies to the hive entrance. I all this chaos I did not find the Queen. I pulled out a few more frames and found a big cluster of several hundred bees under one of the ledges. I brushed the bees aside even so gently and caught a fleeting glimpses of the Queen. She was not being mobbed so I figure the workers were clustering as they do when they swarm. I am hopeful that when I check the hive midweek I will find eggs. That will mean she has been accepted. Fingers crossed.
Believe it or not but you can buy a Queen. She comes by post with a few attendants. I placed the order on Tuesday for delivery Friday. H said the posty was amazed and had been showing all his posty mates what he had to deliver. H was not overly impressed with being collared by the posty to take delivery of a small package with a big yellow label announcing "Live Queen Bee". I asked H to bring the Queen to my office so I could look after her, the Queen Bee not H. H's face was a picture when she handed over the package. She had summoned all her strength to bring the little package in the car and pick it up to give it to me.
I was chuffed to receive the packaged and opened it carefully. I knew what to expect. H and Eddie, a colleague, were not so sure. Inside the envelope was a wooden box with a mesh front. Behind the mesh a Queen and a few attendant worker bees. At one end of the wooden cell some sugar fondant as food. The Bees were buzzing about but settled down once the cell was out of the envelop and sheltered from the bright lights in the office. I was distracted for the rest of Friday. I had decided that the Queen would be introduced to her new home that evening but the rain but paid to that plan. I would have to wait until Saturday.
Saturday afternoon, after lottie fettling I went to the apiary. I checked both hives. The blue one is OK but the cedar one definitely struggling. Lucky I had a Queen in my overalls pocket. I rearranged the frames so the frames with most empty cells were near each other. I shook the bees off the frames to stir them up a bit then when the brood box was reassembled of sprinkled a generous helping of sugar syrup over the frames. The idea was that the bees would start to fan the hive scent, as they always do when disturbed, as signal to collect the flying back to the hive. Slopping sugar syrup starts the bees tidying up by licking the syrup from the frames, comb and each other. The Queen would be covered in syrup to and to act of cleaning up would spread her pheromones throughout the hive. I dosed the Queen in syrup and opened the wooden cell. The Queen flew onto my finger for a moment. My heart stopped but before I could react she dived for the "safety" of the dark space between the frames. I a moment she was gone. I put the hive back together and sat in the long grass front of the hive for a worry. Would she be accepted or would she be killed and expelled from the hive. Both bad results since it would be a waste of money and the queenless hive would remain.
To distract myself I tidied up then took a walk up the meadow, found a spot and watched the river Mease rush by with the Damsel flies flitting this way and that way. Forty minutes had passed by so I went back to the hive and dismantled it. I pulled out the frames I thought it likely she would be on. To my dismay I saw a cluster of very agitated bees. The ball of bees was a clear sign they were killing something. Another frame another bee cluster. I brushed the bees aside with my finger to find at he centre of this ball of twenty bees was a very unhappy worker. She was different to the hive bees so I took her to be one of the attendants. I checked the other cluster, another worker as its centre. Having pulled a few frames out I saw more dead and dieing bees on the hive floor. The mortuary bees were heaving the bodies to the hive entrance. I all this chaos I did not find the Queen. I pulled out a few more frames and found a big cluster of several hundred bees under one of the ledges. I brushed the bees aside even so gently and caught a fleeting glimpses of the Queen. She was not being mobbed so I figure the workers were clustering as they do when they swarm. I am hopeful that when I check the hive midweek I will find eggs. That will mean she has been accepted. Fingers crossed.
Monday, July 20, 2009
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