Hard work

As the forecast was good for today, when I woke up I thought I must check my bees who have been sorely neglected since I started working at a bee farm - cobbler's child is poorly shod etc. Once I'd walked the dog and put the bunny back (she'd finished excavating the tunnel under the run...!) I started the round of circular and difficult phone calls about outstanding marital debt which put me in a marvellously stressed frame of mind to start rounding up the hens before leaving for Latin, exacerbated by Amber and Rosie who seem determined to qualify for Olympic gold medals in Pointless Bickering.

The hens were in the field and in gathering them in, I heard an ominous buzzing from the hedge at the same time as T said "Ooh there's a swarm". Arghghghhgh dammit! I galloped in, donned beesuit, grabbed small hive and plonked bees in. Took off beesuit, shouted copiously at the children and roared off to Eastbourne.

Got back to find bees back in hedge. Plonked bees in small hive again and stuck it under the hedge.

Stay!!

Went for cup of tea with Laura, came back and there were still loads of bees flying around and I discovered another swarm in the hedge outside the back door:

Handy

Meanwhile I had checked the other hives to work out who had swarmed and decided to unite two other hives so there were bees absolutely everywhere:

Seriously, bees everywhere

Especially when the bees in the hedge by the back door mobilised and decided to go back to the hive in the absence of anywhere better:

Waste of time that was

They probably won't be allowed back in by the bees in the hive and when I checked at dusk there were quite a few hunkered down under the floor of the hive. They'll probably swarm again tomorrow but I've nowhere to put them so they'll have to take their chances in the outside world.  Luckily Charles took the swarm under the hedge after a much-needed drink at the pub.

I am absolutely exhausted! :-)