Spring arrived late this year. We finally got the yard cleanup done other than the lawn maintenance which we've put off until the very last, and wouldn't you know it, that's exactly when the much-needed rain decided to make an appearance. I'll tell you what I haven't been doing, and that is finishing the tealeaves cardigan. There's just been too much excitement around here over our new guests... our little sister bees!
The girls seem to have settled in nicely. I've been diligently following the schedule provided by our local beekeeping association to make sure everything is on track. There are eggs, larva, and capped brood in the hive - right on schedule. In fact if I were to check inside today, I would expect to see the first baby bees chewing their way out of their little wax covered cells to totter around a bit before taking their places and pitching in toward the goal of the colony, which is soley to reproduce enough worker bees to be able to gather enough honey stores to survive the winter. They literally work themselves to death to this end (sad). I don't expect to harvest any honey this year; this is a brand new hive, and I want to make sure the colony has enough stores built up for itself.
Oh the fascination of watching these little creatures organize and work so incredibly hard. I can literally spend hours sitting at the hive entrance watching their comings and goings, their little pollen pouches bursting with precious wares collected from miles around. They are oblivious to my intrusion in their single-minded focus. They are beautiful.
"Go to the bee and learn how diligent she is,
and what a noble work she produces,
whose labours kings and private men use for
their use, she is desired and honoured by all,
and though weak in strength, she
values wisdom and prevails."
***
Proverbs 6:8 (Septuagint)