We have swarmed

We have swarmed. We have left our nest in Bristol, started a new colony (of two) in the countryside and the Queen is ready to lay.

Men. I don’t advise moving with a pregnant woman. If, at the best of time we have to do the heavy lifting, when your wife is six months pregnant you have to do all the lifting. Somehow the utilities and changes of addresses fall in my lap too. I do Heidi a dis-service. The Queen Bee was able to hang “cute” baby clothes in the child’s room and she has done an amazing job in the kitchen. She has definitely been as occupied as me … I just don’t know what she’s been doing exactly.

My parents and sister came round to have a look. They all look horrified when I said I had been banging in nails to hang up paintings and the like. Dad looked extremely worried, “nails?”. “Don’t worry everyone, I meant pins. Picture hooks with those skinny pins”. There was an audible sigh of relief. I mean, a 39 year old man, banging in nails …

I got Dad round to hang up the mirror. It needed heavy duty screws and wall plugs and hence drilling. I have drilled two holes in my life. Both are the size of 2p pieces. I started on a third. When it started looking like a 5p piece I got the Old Man up the ladder to show me his stuff. He advised me to practice in the garage. Yes! I have a garage. And Heidi wants me hang my “art” in there so I’ll give drilling a go. I’ve also got a small but wild garden. My first one. I haven’t a clue what to do, but there are plenty of bees in it. Now I am living 30m from my hives I know that some of these bees are mine (not that ownership is important or indeed the right word to use).

I went to harvest my honey last weekend but more about that in my next post …

The garage – good place for bee stuff and putting up my posters