Bee happy

Last Sunday I had my first taste of what beekeeping was all about. I joined a group of people at the West Norfolk and Kings Lynn Beekeeping Association's apiary at Blackborough End to " get a really good look at bees." It was a coolish day so not ideal for bees as they do not like the cold. We donned our bee suits and made sure that every bit of bare flesh was covered, particularly hands and feet. Barry, the apiary manager showed us three hives. The first hive looked healthy and the bees were busy working away on the foundation frames. There was a pest control tray at the very bottom to spot the dreaded varroa mite which destroyed half our bee population in the last few years. Then we were shown the brooding chamber where the queen hatches her larvae and on top were placed the supers or honey making chambers. Each of these chambers contained thousands of busy honey bees making honey with the pollen which they collected, brought back to the hive to convert into honey and to then store in sealed beeswax combs on the foundation frames. We were shown the queen bee in the second hive by her distinct striped tail and larger size, compared to the smaller worker bees. Then there were the drones which were larger than the worker bees and darker in colour. I saw some brown cells on one frame where larvae were hatched. Judy, our tutor explained that each hive could only have one queen bee and she would mate with the drones to produce worker bees. If another queen was hatched, then the beekeeper would have to be vigilant to remove the second queen by splitting the hive. The hive centres on the queen and if she dies or is killed by the another queen then the hive is de-stabilised and the bees could swarm and leave the hive. Not good news for any bee keeper! I was fascinated by the way bees worked and the dynamics of their community. Lastly, Barry showed us a top bar hive where bees are kept in as natural a habitat as possible - without man-made foundation frames, sugar feeders and pest tray. These bees made their own foundation and the shape of their honey comb would be as found in nature; several small cells together hanging down in the shape of a triangle. Amazing! I thought I might be frightened of the bees in their large numbers but seeing how they worked, smelling the beeswax and feeling the warmth of their activity has whetted my appetite to learn more about bees and beekeeping. They are such clever little insects with a capacity to produce the most natural food that has been known never to perish given the right conditions. Apparently honey has been found in the tombs of the Pharoahs in Egypt, in good condition and even edible! So if I can partake in the making of honey and promote the well being of bees and their ecosystem, I will certainly try, the next step is to go a bee keeping course and talk to my friend Brian, the beekeeper. Can't wait!

Holey moley!

Did you know that there are no moles on the Isle of Man? Just like the fact that there are no snakes in Ireland. Information of no consequence except when one has a problem with moles or snakes. Here in sunny Norfolk ( yes it has been ridiculously warm for the past two days)we have had moles in our garden. Moles are really quite cute creatures except that these little critters are a menace where gardens are concerned. They go about their little ways, burrowing under the ground and make mole hills all over the place and what was once a beautifully kept lawn looks like the moon with craters of uplifted earth scarring the landscape. So we got in our friend, Phil the mole catcher to catch these little blind, furry creatures by setting traps for them; traps which unfortunately kill them. I do not like to use that K-word as far as animal life is concerned but we humans have to draw the line somewhere when it comes to " not in my backyard" syndrome. Sorry Mr Mole, I know you need to have a diet of earthworms but please could you get your dinner somewhere else? Phil managed to trap two fat moles the other day and our newly cut lawn now looks pristine. Today I spotted two little mounds of earth on the other side of the garden....Mr and Mrs Mole ( RIP) appear to have left some offspring who are carrying on their legacy as children are wont to do. Have you heard about Tom and Jerry? Well it sounds to me it might be Phil and Moley now. The saga continues...

Tassie travellers

Yesterday we had two visitors from Tasmania to stay. Sue and Geoff originate from Burnie in the north west coast of the island. They told us that they recently retired, both just turned 60 and were now looking forward to enjoying life and seeing the world. They talked about their travels within and across Australia and now were doing Europe. They struck me as such great adventurers who have the zest to see and enjoy the world around them now that they are free from work and family responsibilities. They were in good health and happy in their own skin. It was such a pleasure to have them stay and share our lives with them for the short overnight stay that they spent with us. Travelling is not always easy - bring far away from home for a length of time, missing loved ones at home and being out of our comfort zones can be challenging. However, having the opportunity to see new places, experience new things and meet people from different walks of life all add to the total travelling experience. Most of all the opportunity to visit people in their homes and to spend quality time, learn about their lives and share each others' history and experiences is a great bonus. We all love our own space but if one can share our space with like-minded individuals and get excited about their travels, they leave an indelible mark and a lasting memory of happy times together. It was wonderful to share a simple dinner of salmon, new potatoes and salad, local rhubarb for pudding and a selection of my favourite Norfolk cheeses, followed by Geoff's Islay single malt whiskey to end the evening. The next morning was Sue's birthday and we were the first to wish her a happy birthday before she received phonecalls from her family and friends in Tasmania. The sun was shining when Sue and Geoff set off on the next leg of their UK holiday...to a wedding in Devon. Happy holidays and happy travelling, Sue and Geoff, our new friends from Tassie.

Contentment

The other day I spent time with my friends Brian and Marian who showed me what contentment meant. We all lead such busy lives that we often don't have the time or inclination to sit back and reflect on our lives. I went to see Brian's sheds in his garden as I was going to write a piece about garden sheds. He told me that the wooden garden shed he bought to replace the original one was demolished by the great storm of 1987, was now being used as storage for his beekeeping equipment. I looked in it and it smelt of honey and beeswax - it was a lovely old fashioned smell of wood, wax and sweetness. Then we moved on to his current 'shed' which is the garage because he needed more space to store larger items for his beekeeping,(honey jars, beeswax and candle making containers), an old beehive, his garden tools, his work bench which comprised woodwork tools, drills and other tools which I was not familiar with. The shed garage had a cooker and a trunk freezer in it and various furniture. The furniture was used to store Items which previously belonged to Marian's grandfather such as a ration book, old papers of historical interest and other odds and ends. It seemed to me that the garage shed was also the place where Brian spent a lot of time because it was his space. His own space where he pottered and mused and worked...every man needs a shed and this was Brian's private place and what a wonderful place it was. It epitomised Brian and what he is - his work, his life and his beekeeping hobby.

Apart from his shed, Brian showed me his greenhouse where he and Marian were growing their vegetable seedlings and other plants. It was a well tended greenhouse which he was very proud of. Everything was in its place, waiting to be planted out when the season was right. Every thing in the garden seemed to tell a story and had a history of its own - the vegetable patch, the apple trees, the garden shed, the greenhouse and the summer house. All these add up to tell a story of Brian and Marian and their contented lives, in a cottage where they brought up their family and where they spend many happy hours in the garage shed, in the greenhouse, in the summer house and in the garden; planting, weeding and tending their plants and vegetables and enjoying tranquility and calm that go hand in hand with the way they lead their lives. The many birds and wildlife that visit their garden daily join in to celebrate with Brian and Marian a life of contentment. A way of life that does not ask for much. This was seen in the joy and delight when Marian and I sat in her summer house watching the beautiful contours of the apple tree in blossom and listening to the quiet as its blossom fell gracefully on the grass, blown down by a gentle breeze. Aaaahh!

Dinner party reflections

Last night we had friends round for dinner. Nothing spectacular one would say except that the evening was an achievement for me in terms of making everyone who came feel that they had a good time. Two couples already knew each other but one couple were new to the other four people. The evening flowed well and people were relaxed and got to know each other better as the evening wore on. As the cook and co-host, I sat back and watched my guests enjoy my cooking, drink, talk and laugh with each other. All my angst and worry about cooking for eight people dissipated when I realised that the main thing was bringing people together and sharing our lovely home with them. I worked hard to plan the menu, shop for ingredients, prepare the starters, main course and trimmings, dessert and the table setting. I learnt that preparation was the key to having a successful dinner party. The other thing I learnt was that the mix of people is important and the chemistry depends on the people, mostly. Pete and I just laid the setting out for a social, making sure that guests were looked after but at the end of the day it is the responsibility of each individual to contribute to the ambience. This may not be rocket science but organising people together can have different outcomes and each of us has a part to play - the dynamics of relationships and the interplay of gender, status and personality of each of our guests was a large part of the evening. As far a Pete and I were concerned we were there to cheer and cajole people on as well as to steer away from any controversy if there was any. Yes, having a co-host and partner is an essential part of having a party because we work together to ensure that our guests get on and enjoy being together. Pete is the support and foundation, providing the backdrop to make the men and women feel complementary and equal in discussions and to give the male perspective and balance between men and women within the dynamics. So my conclusion was that I was very pleased with myself to have been able to carry this dinner party for eight people and now feel more confident in my abilities in entertaining several people at home. When all is said and done and there is a pile of washing up and clearing up to do; all that matters is that people had a great time and we have gathered people together and strengthened friendships and relationships. That is what life is all about - having fun and being happy!

Mobile on the move!

There have been all sorts of opinion about the merits and demerits of mobile phone devices. I was told that in China, 800,000 people own a mobile phone which is phenomenal. How did this tiny piece of equipment jammed against a person's ear have so much impact in such a short time? People are always talking on their phones in all kinds of situations; at home, on the move in buses, cars, taxis, trains and even planes. There is no hiding or evasion from communication through the airwaves and even if one does not answer the phone, the GPS will locate where you are. Such is the omniscience and pervasiveness of the mobile talking machine in everyday life. There are very few public places where mobile devices can be avoided apart from cinemas, churches, hospitals and quiet train carriages. For those of us who continue to resist the tide of technological change I say to you, embrace it because these mobile communicaton devices are a thing of th e future. Communication via Facebook, Twitter, Google+ all have iPhone, IPad, blackberry, android connections through the airwaves. The viral nature of information pathways such as Facebook, Twitter etc are all the more extensive because of mobile devices. Security and privacy over the airwaves have been known to be compromised so unless you want to remain totally anonymous, my advice to you don't bother because Big Brother is watching you! The thing to do is manage the information and only put information and photos you want to share, otherwise delete, delete, delete and never ever use the Internet! It may be too late as cloud computing is going to take over every aspect of information in time. That is the way it is and that's that!