Page 2 - Microsoft Word - Final draft

A new beekeeping angel has appeared to me in the form of Keith. Keith is a large
statured elderly gentleman, who I am informed is quite adept at catching
swarms, and has therefore been particularly busy lately given it is swarming
season. Upon my introduction to him at the latest bee meeting, he has assured
me he will be in contact the moment he hears of a swarm to be caught. I am
thrilled, both at the prospect of a swarm, but also in having a
mentor to guide me through this previously
unchartered territory.

Many months later I would realise that Keith, although
a fantastic mentor, was not a kindred spirit in the
literary sense of Anne of Green Gables. Two spare hive
boxes, which I had given to Keith so he could do a
hive split for me, came back with large numbers on
them – hive 1 and hive 2. Although practical, these
hive identifiers were far less romantic than the
ones I had thought of. My list included: Green Gables,
The White House, Honeycomb Homestead
Crackeduptobee Cubby, Beesting Bungalow, Mead

Manor, Slumgum Shack and the Beezneez Bunker.

But back to the meeting, where there was also discussion about what plants are
flowering at the moment. There is concern that, because it has been dry, some
plants are not flowering at all, whilst others are only flowering for a short period
of time. And now that the rain has started, there is further worry that the nectar
will be washed out of the flower. We sound more and more like farmers – we are
never happy.

Waking this morning and trotting outside to the garden, I got the impression
that some sort of voodoo spell had been cast. One of the goldfish in the pond was
floating on its side, evidently past the place of no return. I buried it in the
compost, the now white body limp upon the worm infested soil. The goldfish’s
friend remained in the pond, and although not on its side yet, it looked decidedly
unwell with its mouth and fins motionless. I had been removing a lot of slime

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