"Mother Nature's Honey Recipe"

When we first began beekeeping in early May 2006 we soon realized friends and family will turn up all sorts of bee-related collectibles.

One especially lovely gift was sent to us from my long-time friend, Stephanie, who now lives in Northern California. It's a small, very fun and kitschy tapestry which reads:

Mother Nature's Honey Recipe

Ingredients: 1 Busy Bee, 2 million flowers, 1 beehive

Directions: Take 1 busy bee and travel approx. 55,000 miles to gather nectar. Return to 1 bee hive. Repeat previous steps 2 million times.

Makes 1 pound.

I read this "recipe" every day to remind myself how much work these tiny creatures do in the span of their short lives. To me they are alchemists, and always completely fascinating.