Peace and quiet

Saturday was the trailer run only a little later than usual as I had to run Miss L to work. That was because H had gone up the Manchester to take part in a charity walk called shine. Click HERE for their website. The walk is in aid of cancer charities. H elected to do the whole course, 26 miles over night, in memory of my Dad. Once Miss L was delivered I went off to do the trailer and on returning I went off to see the Bees. It was to be the first time I had opened the boxes this year.

Having parked up at the apiary I got the smoker going, no easy task and put the bee suit on. A bee suit is not a black and yellow stripped suit but a cotton overall with a zip on veil. It keeps the bees on the outside when working the hives. I checked the feeder first and found it almost empty. I then took off the eke then went through the top super. The bees were working the middle frames. The top super set to one side I look through the lower super. That too was being worked. There is not a lot of honey in the hive so I think it was a close run thing whether the colony starved. I think putting the feeder on two weeks ago was timely. The queen has been very busy. There is lots of seal brood and brood at other stages which bodes well this early in the season. When I checked the hive in the winter there were many bees dead on the floor. I had thought to clean them off when I checked the box. However I should have known the bees would clean up the hive. There was not a single part of the bee much less a whole bee to be found on the floor. I reassembled the hive and topped up the feeder.

It was a beautifully warm day and there was not really time to go back to the lottie. I spent a little time mentally recording what was in the hedge row. Mainly I was spotting the Quickthorn or Sloe which its other name. The bees, Honey and Bumble, were busy in the Quickthorn blossom. If the weather stays fair we should get a good fruit set and that will be good for the Pears which are in flower soon and the Apples a little later. I was trundling off the farm when I saw a gate that is not normally open. I drove into the field and down the rivers edge. The river was a couple of feet deep and flowing swiftly over gravel beds. I had a little time to kill before collecting Miss L so I sat by the river side and wrote in my journal. It is noticeable that there are no planes flying. It is my view that even the high flying ones create a background noise. Sat on the grass, the river babbling along, the occasional plaintive baaing of a lamb and the birds song makes me hope that the volcano in Iceland keeps pumping ash into the air then we may have peace and quiet for a little longer. When the weather systems move on no doubt the air traffic will resume.

I made tea for Miss L then she went off to an 18th birthday party.