Bits and Pieces

Today, we added a super to the hive. After a week of hot weather, where the bees have been busy from six in the morning to gone nine at night, I had my suspicions that when we did our hive inspection today, we would find the brood box full to bursting and indeed we did!

From 10,000 bees four weeks ago, I reckon we are nearly up to complete capacity, nearing 40-50,000 bees. So we added a super and will be agog with anticipation until next weekend when we can have a peep at how productive the ladies have been with the super. They are certainly working very hard indeed. Oh, and we saw a baby bee being born today, which is just the most exciting thing and weirdly cute, too.

On another stingy insect note, Pandora and Phoebe both managed to get stung by the same wasp this afternoon. I was in the garden hanging out washing, when I heard a nasty buzzing. I thought, hang on, that can't be a Malarkey bee pestering me, surely? I'm far away from their hive, and even in this heat they are being remarkably placid - we managed to do the hive inspection sans smoker today, which is just as well because it went out within 5 minutes of being lit. The buzzing didn't stop, so I thought I'd step inside a while until the wasp, for that's what it was, buzzed off.

Unfortunately, said wasp persisted in following me into the house, then out of the house, then back into the house as I leapt in and out of the back door like a loon trying to maintain an air of calm so as to avoid being stung. And even more unfortunately, Pandora decided to help by pouncing on the wasp, catching it between her paws where it promptly stung her on her kitten cheek. And then, as she rushed off not quite knowing what to do with herself, Phoebe wandered into the fray and got stung on the paw. Tybalt came to have a go, too, but lucky for him he isn't hard enough. By now, my inner calm had given way to outer shrieking which brought Leane and Kayleigh, who were visiting, into the kitchen to see what all the fuss was about.

'Into my writing room,' I yelled, which is where all the cats had dashed towards in varying amounts of pain, and I bundled them both, and me, into safety, slamming the door behind us and leaving Andy in the kitchen to deal with the intruder.

There was a bit of shouting, and then the shouting stopped so I opened the door a crack.
'Has it gone?' I called.
'No!' Andy resumed the shouting. I felt I ought to go and assist so I dashed through the door and between us, we managed to manouevre the wasp behind the kitchen blind and out of the window.

Phew! Andy then had to nip to his surgery to get some medication for Pandora and Phoebe, and my dislike of wasps grew even more, because now I am fretting there is a renegade mob of them holding out in a nest somewhere waiting to rob the Malarkey bees of their honey stores in the Autumn.

But I shall be there, ready to defend our bees in whatever way I can. Although I suspect the cats will be way, way behind me.

Meanwhile, beans and tomatoes are growing flowers, as are the potatoes. I think we'll be having a lettuce glut in a couple of weeks' time. And Mrs Slocombe's lady-bits are now where they should be and she's been welcomed back into the flock by Mrs Pumphrey towering over her, wings akimbo, and saying, 'Just watch it, you!'

On the 'Denise's New Career Plan' front, I have purchased two pairs of uniform trousers (wide leg linen jobbies to allow for comfort and felxibility), and three relaxation CDs. I listened to one of them this morning, and it went okay until someone started singing, or rather chanting in a 'umm, diddle, ummmmmmm, ummmmm,' way. Which I wasn't keen on, because personally, if I was having an aromatherapy massage, or reflexology treatment, any ummmm diddle umming would tick me off something chronic. I hope the other two CDs prove devoid of the human voice.

I have been reading a 'How to Set Up An Holistic Therapy Business' book, which is fascinating, exciting and a little bit scary. I have found three courses to sign up to, and it seems I can register with the Federation of Holistic Therapists because of the qualifications I have already.

And now I am trying to think of a name for my business. I have three so far - The Poppy Field, Forget-Me-Not and Daisy Daisy. There's a bit of theme happening here vis a vis one of my favourite things of all time (flowers, people; come on keep up!), but I'll bide a while for some divine inspiration before I get the business cards and leaflets printed.

Busy weekend so far. Hope yours is busy too, in the most satisfying, productive and non-waspy knid of way.