Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Harriet of the Blogsphere

Hello Harriet!

Thank you so much for the lovely bee pin you sent last week. It arrived on Saturday and I am, as always, touched by your thoughtfulness.

I have an online blog, a little journal, that I am keeping about my bees and beekeeping adventures. Perhaps you'd like to visit it:

http://pleasantlaneapiary.blogspot.com/

I wrote a little something about you and your bee. If you think the posting is too revealing and would like me to obscure your privacy more completely, I can do that at once. Only a handful of my friends read the blog at the moment, but it is on the internet and your privacy and feelings of well-being matter very much to me.

Read it when your time permits and let me know if you want me to change or delete that entry about you.

Thank you again, Harriet! I'll be in touch when we extract our first honey of the year. The bees have been flying and they are finding a beautiful golden yellow pollen from somewhere!

With fondest thoughts~

* * * * * * *

I'm delighted to be mentioned in your blog. I've never been in a blog and I like your style of journal very much. Within a short space I know about your St. Patrick's Day breakfast, the baskets on the rear legs of your bees, your neighbors, your great cat survivor, and I say hearty congratulations on the general well being of your hives. I hope your Spring keeps you busy as a bee.

You chose a great occupation and I hope you enjoy wearing the pin.

Wishes galore,
Harriet



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Monday, March 17, 2008

Beannachtai na Féile Pádraig

We drove up to Thomas Ward's Publick House this morning to celebrate the day with a traditional Irish breakfast. We raised a pint of Guinness each (our annual treat) to the old snake-chaser Himself, to departed friends and family, to the good people of Tibet, and to the "ladies" of Pleasant Lane Apiary. It was a bright, blustery morning and the hearty, delicious meal really warmed and filled us!

Home again and as the day warmed a little we were surprised and delighted to see clouds of bees around the entrance of the hive. The winds were still strong and quite cold so the bees were buffeted about as they tried to arrive on the landing board of the hive, the baskets on their rear legs bulging with bright yellow pollen! It was a beautiful sight. It means this hive hasn't starved or frozen to death, hasn't collapsed or absconded for any reason yet. It will be awhile longer, though, before we relax into thinking they've survived another winter.

I'm not certain what plant is offering up this golden pollen in the final days of winter not far from the cold Atlantic ocean, but I am very grateful as this remarkable cycle begins again.

Slán go foille from all at Pleasant Lane Apiaries.

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Harriet's bee


You might not realize it if you saw her on the street or in a cafe, but Harriet is a really remarkable woman. I cannot recall just now how long I've known her, but she is one of my favorite clients and one of the most delightful, exceptional people I know.

When she first learned about my beekeeping endeavors Harriet was full of questions. We were supposed to be talking about her as it was her appointment, after all. So after our meeting, I tried to answer as many of her questions as possible. Some time later, when we extracted our honey in August, I made sure we sent a jar to Harriet. She wrote the most endearing "thank you" note, addressed to me by first name only, "...and Her Bees." The nice people at my post office told me they really enjoyed sorting the mail that morning.

Early Saturday we headed off in a driving rain to survey our new outyard. On our way, we stopped to collect the post, stored it safely in a dry plastic bag, and ran the errands of a busy day. Sunday morning, I sorted our mail out of the bag and found a manila envelope from Harriet. In it was a tiny yellow gift box and a note written in Harriet's unmistakable hand:

March 11, 2008


My boss returned from Moscow with two suitcases filled to the brim. She gave me this pin which I wore for a few days. Then I said, 'this is [your] pin because she and her bees are vital workers.' I hope you and yours...are very well. Hoping we meet again down the road.

My best to you,
Harriet


Once again I am touched in the depths of my heart by Harriet's gentle sense of fun and generosity.

Harriet works part-time in a boutique on the Connecticut shoreline. It has a Russian theme, including a tea room that I hope to visit before the gardening and beekeeping season begins in earnest. The photo here is of the lovely pin she sent. And I am so pleased she wore it: I like to think of this little amber bee carrying some of Harriet's energy to me. That makes me smile and I will wear this pin often and with fondest thoughts of her.

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Sunday, March 16, 2008

The other "queen bee"


The last of my four beloved cats, this ancient feline is the "queen bee" of our home. Dallas enjoys gardening and beekeeping, but the latter from a respectful distance. At nearly 18 years old, she is the benevolent ruler of our household and does whatever she likes with her days.

This photo of her was taken at the end of February. The days were beginning to grow longer again and we were dreaming of a new season of working in the gardens with our honey bees.

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Surveying our first outyard



They're good people, Deb and Butch. I've known them both a long time. Deb and I had a telephone conversation early in the winter about installing a beehive in their garden. This is a win-win situation for all of us and for gardeners within a three to five mile radius from them. And hopefully a great place, too, for the bees.

At our current location we can comfortably keep two hives but no more. The area is much too residential and I feel there's far too much chemical treatment going on all around us for the health of our bees. During our visit to their garden yesterday Butch assured me his treatment is strictly as nature intended--he uses nothing more than cow manure to enrich his soil and fertilize his plants.

I don't know whether these photos accurately indicate the size of their garden. It's big! Though we don't know for certain, Mike and I think it might be about 1/4 acre in size. Butch seemed genuinely excited about having our honey bees working along side him and Deb this Summer. I feel good about having our "girls" sharing a sunny garden with such a nice couple. I wish us all a very happy and productive growing season!

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Thursday, March 6, 2008

R. I. Beekeepers Association's website

The Association's website has been redesigned and its forum reorganized.

Since the summer of 2007 RIBA volunteers have been attempting to devise a dynamic and user-friendly website and cyber discussion group for its members.

There's informative content about the association at RIBeekeeper.org

The discussion groups' threads, a calendar of events, and a colony count data base are currently found at RI Beekeepers Discussion Group

Both websites are constantly being updated so visit them often!


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The new RIBA class at East Farm



The East Farm school completed its second week last night and the room has been filled to capacity with 45 attentive and enthusiastic students. The classes have been enjoyable and informative under the leadership of volunteer instructors Mark Robar of Trail's End Farm, and Louis Chasse of Arson Alley Apiary.

For last night's gathering RIBA member and one of this year's presidential candidates, Everett Zurlinden, assembled a power point presentation to accompany Mark's lecture. Louis donated his materials and expertise and led the students in a hands-on frame-making demonstration. It was so much fun to watch the students work with Louis that Everett documented the session with these photographs taken on his mobile phone.

Beekeepers Celeste and Ed have also generously offered their assistance during the classes, too. And it's been great fun to see them there!

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