Top Bar, Top Guy!

Look at this!! LOOK AT THIS!!!! No, it's not a coffin...there have been no murders at Much Malarkey Manor. It's a top bar hive! Andy made it. This weekend. Once he got going, he was like a craftsman possessed. He made it properly. From wood 'n' stuff. With your actually measuring and cutting and planing and swearing like a real carpenter.

And here is Andy, brow furrowed in concentration. I took this photo surrepticiously through the kitchen window whilst he wasn't looking, because if I'd said, 'Andy, pose like you're really, REALLY concentrating on your work,' he'd have pulled a face like Rik Mayall, or done a bizarre impression of Ronnie Corbett.

And here are the Malarkey Bees, headed by Queen Mildred herself, busy bee-ing in and busy bee-ing out at 3.30 on Sunday afternoon. 3.30 seems to be an optimum time for bee returns on a sunny day. I think it's because the sun is shining fully on the hive at this time, and the extra warmth gets 'em going big time.

It was late yesterday evening before I realised I hadn't watched any TV at the weekend. We were so busy! Building hives, gardening, planting up the pots at the front of the Manor with more bee friendly plants, starting off more herbs, giving the hens a good clean out. And then we had a friend to dinner on Saturday, and family to dinner on Sunday, so there was much baking and entertaining to be done on both days. Including a very nice lemon tart, if I do say so myself.

It was great! But then there was nothing on TV over the weekend anyway. Football, did I hear you say? Really? What football would that be then?

Around fifteen children said to me today, 'Did you see the football on Saturday, ma'am?'

'No,' I said. 'I have no interest in football whatsoever. In fact, I didn't watch TV at all this weekend.'

Children stared at me, agog.

'What were you doing then?' they wanted to know.

'Living my life,' I said.