Sunday 25 June 2017

More bee talk๐Ÿ

So, with my new found lack of fear of bees......heard a buzzing outside the bedroom window. After a couple of days I investigated. In the top of the dormer window in the space of the cheek were some bees. I watched them moving in the furniture, lots of activity. They are mostly black with a white rump and look like bumble bees. I was able to google them and discovered they are tree bumble bees. Not aggressive unless challenged.
Him indoors was worried about having bumble bees sharing our space but once he realised they will mostly be outside he was ok. They will only be there for the summer as once we go into Autumn the queen will emerge and bury herself in the earth to stay warm and safe over winter. The rest of the colony will die off. She will emerge next Spring and start a new colony. I find this rather sad as they are such beautiful creatures. They have a pale ginger saddle that can only be seen close up and are fluffy in that bumble bee way!
It is a measure of how far I have come that I feel hugely privileged to have these bumble bees living so close. One was on the lounge floor yesterday looking in a bad way. I put it outside on the water butt and gave it sugar syrup. This it ate and after a while flew back to the nest! It had run out of fuel!
I say good morning and good night to them each day.
I do the same with my honey bees as they like to know what is going on?
The world outside seems very agitated just now but here in the first and last house in Normandy all is peaceful.
It turns out I have just one broody hen and she has around ten eggs. She is now separated in a protected house and run ready for when the eggs hatch. This also stops other hens laying their eggs in the house which would confuse the hatch times! I do so love seeing the chicks hatch and watching them grow. I know it means increasing the cockerels but that is ok.
Work on the second Gite is going well. So close to finishing it!
Our bookings on Le Tertre Rouge have gone well this year. 15 weeks! It seems people prefer to book last minute now so we must remember this next January when we begin to worry! Flexible booking is also preferred. People do not want to arrive just on Saturdays! It creates more work keeping calendars up to date but is the way things are now!
Still busy making crochet blankets,  a new one is in progress! I have a couple more waiting in the wings that are granny squares, something I have not tried before. I am excited to try this having found how much I enjoy learning new things.
I never know what is around the next corner which is good really!

2 comments:

  1. Variety is the spice of life ...or so they say. You have it in spades! What an interesting life you lead - new things always just around the corner!

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  2. It really is a voyage of discovery!

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