21st September-Yellow Trousers and Winter Coats.

The day started grey and a little misty. When I went out to see the hive first thing it was pretty cold, only about 12 degrees Celsius and there was hardly any activity. The same really could be said for my own hive. Both sons were fast asleep after a late night of celebrations and farewells.

Bob kindly cooked our farewell breakfast and eventually everyone joined us, bleary eyed at the table. The departing boy's bedroom was about hip deep in packed boxes, suitcases and late remembered necessities. Of course he hadn't had a shower and was only just grinding beans (Ethiopian Yirgacheffe-a complex single estate coffee with floral aromas apparently, should you wish to try) for his coffee. The manual grinder was slow and in the end he only managed to grind enough for one cup which he shared with his girlfriend.

Eventually everything was packed.  The day was warming up slightly and I looked out on the bees before we departed. The hive was buzzing noticeably and there was a little more activity, mostly around the entrance.

Evidently bees are sensitive to change. During the 1st world war many bee keepers would keep their hives appraised of world affairs and it is normal for births, deaths and marriages to be communicated. I rather suspect this has something of Shirley Valentine talking to the wall about it but conscious of tradition I let them know older son was leaving.

As we prepared to leave I had asked him if there was anything he could think of that he might have left behind. I won't bore you with details but we joined the annual duvet convoy up the motorway, joined a queue to park, joined another queue for his keys and documents, joined yet another queue for the lift and finally installed the boy in his rather palatial university accommodation. Eventually we'd done as much as we could to help him settle in and waved goodbye. For the first time he'll be gone more than a couple of weeks.

As I prepared to leave him behind he said...."er...you know my coat?" "yes love?" "erm...its on the banister at the bottom of the stairs...at home. Could you post it?"

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Back at the ranch I found my husband bleeding from a chicken wire incident and our neighbour up a ladder drilling the second 4 inch hole in his wall. Apparently he'd got the first one a foot too far to the left. This is what happens when husbands are left to their own devices.

The day was significantly warmer at around 21 degrees in the shade, bees were heading back to the hive. When I looked closely lots of them appeared to have bright yellow trousers. I looked this up and it is the pollen they've collected in their pollen baskets, little receptacles on their legs specifically for the purpose. They seem to have had a very busy day. My husband said at one point he could hear the buzzing from the back door-this is only about 25 feet away but it's still pretty loud for such little creatures. Clearly there's power in numbers.

I need to go and make up another batch of sugar syrup to keep the hive happy. We're off out this evening and I need to be sure it will be cool before we go.

Au Revoir

xxx