Swarm-a-rama!

Today when I went out to do some work in the garden, I heard a tremendous buzzing nearby.

Not the usual and by now I know what this means....another swarm.

This is the post they decided to land on....

before....

...and after...

So I phone the beekeeper and he comes out a few hours later, happy to see that the bees have stayed put...for now. We have learned much about honey bees and are not bothered by this occurrence.

I ask him about how close you can get to them....me with my selfish motives for taking pictures!

This picture should explain it quite simply....

A little closer?...

There's about 30,000 bees in this swarm.

As long as you move slowly, you can put your whole hand inside the swarm.

I will honestly tell you that I'm not there yet.

Bob tries to coax them into a new box with some artificial pheromones...

 The scouts come out to check it out and will hopefully go back to the swarm and 'tell' everyone to move...

Slowly they start to check into their new digs...

But things are slow and the sun is going down so the bees are tired and quite happy and warm on the post.

They stay here for the night.

The next day Bob comes to try to get them into a new box but they decide to swarm AGAIN...

This time they go about 50 feet away into the Linden tree and stay there until Bob comes just after sunset.

He sets up his operation from the back of his truck...

The box is set up under the cluster and Bob shakes the branch and about 8 pounds of bees go into the box...

It takes a while...

here are some stragglers making their way up towards the box...

Bob explains that the bees decided to do this about 2 weeks ago and have been preparing to fly away by putting the queen on a bit of a diet so she's light enough to travel.

It is after dusk when he finally gets them into a few boxes.

The cost of losing a swarm like this is not only worth about $250, but also the cost of the amount of honey they can produce in order for Bob to make his delicious mead and wild flower honey.

The life of a bee keeper can sometimes mean long hours and it was good to hear from Bob that tomorrow he is taking off with his family for 2 days of canoeing and camping...

 A rest well deserved!!

The bounty!

Out into the fields again...

 Past the old farmhouse...

 down through the orchard...

Out past the tractor...

These little beauties are easy to find...

A few little surprises along the way...

This time of year is heavy with the bounty of fruit!

We were like kids in a candy shop...

The delicate raspberry ready for the picking.

They don't keep long but just imagine...

In the middle of winter you go down into the freezer and grab a few cupfuls to eat with cream and sugar...

Or pop open a little jar of jam for your toast on a frosty December morning...

It will be that sweet perfume of a summer day...

The sun, the blue sky and chattering amongst the rows...

song for Friday....aahhh...summer!

 To me, this song says summer....

 beach towels

watermelon

AM radio

popsicles

flip flops

drive-in-movies...

Hope you have a sunny weekend!

Who's there?

5:38 A.M.

Tom has just left for work. Griffin and I still snoozing away, when....

Rumbling on the back porch...

Griffin goes ballistic....

I jump out of bed and see, without my glasses, what I think in my 5:38 A.M brain, is a big black dog.

Then I remember where I am and grab my camera...

This is what I see.

I let him get away a bit before releasing the hound. Griffin chases him away while I clean up the Rubbermaid bin which contained dog food. I bring the bin in the house.

We have had this locked lid container out here for 6 years and have never had any wildlife come to try and get into it.

We go back to bed.

6:00 A.M...

He's back.

This time I let Griffin go straight away.

The bear takes off out back and up a tree for a few seconds, gets down has a good rub against the tree and down into the woods he goes...

This kind of visitor is NOT welcome.

This bear is getting too close to the houses around here and he is only going to get himself killed.

With children and livestock around, it is a dangerous thing to have him around.

Unfortunately, part of the problem is development. Loss of habitat.

Even more disturbing though is people who don't take precautions with their garbage and those who actually feed wildlife.

The people who live on the property which borders ours think it's 'sweet' to feed the deer.

Well, it's not only the deer who come around now but ravens and bears, raccoons and possibly cougars when no one is watching.

I will have to make a call to the Conservation Officer this morning.

I will not only report the bear but also my neighbour. It is unwise to feed wildlife, illegal and dangerous.

I don't like to make this kind of call but this bear and possibly others are getting too close for comfort.

In the fall they come around to take fruit from the trees which is not good either but understandable.

Coming onto the back porch is NOT GOOD!

I hope this little bear has taken off into the woods and finds a deep shaded spot.

Hopefully Griffin's barking has given him the warning signal to stay away.

taking the time....

In between the the drives to and fro...

The hunt for a missing running shoe...

The never ending slam of the screen door...

The plea for cold drinks...

And "what's for supper?"...

We still make time for a ramble alongside an old homestead...

Collecting wild sweet peas....

 Favorite leaves....

Playing hide and seek in the grass...

And an afternoon of a ride on the horse....

Sleep comes easy for these girls at night....
As it does for myself, as well!

Song for Friday...it's a good thing!

 Yes the world is in trouble.

Yes there is evilness all around.

People are starving.

People are dying.

But.....

I look at that glass which is half full.

I don't ignore these things or belittle those facts of strife.

What happens for me is that I keep the faith.

I see the light.

I KNOW there are like minded people such as myself.

And I believe this to be a beautiful life.

Perhaps, if we all make that little bit of beauty in a small way, it will shine above the darkness.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

A perfect rose...

And Macy Gray...

The queen has left the building....

This morning I noticed some odd behaviour around the bee hives...

A lot more action than usual and the buzzing was akin to the noise at a World Cup soccer game.

There's a big cherry tree close to the hives and as I took a closer look, I noticed this...

A swarm about 5 feet long.

This is what happens when the hive gets too crowded, so they breed a new queen and the old one leaves with the first batch of her kingdom.

Swarms of honey bees are NOT aggressive and are only concerned with staying where the queen is.

Unfortunately if the apiarist is not able to come straight away, the swarm may be gone. 

That was the case today.

After about an hour I noticed the same activity above the hives and went to have a look at the front of the bee yard...this is what I saw...

The hives are definitely prolific and getting crowded so Bob will come in the morning to add more boxes.

The good news is that there will be LOTS of honey this year!

Anybody for a bee beard?