Summer's End

Here at Barters Island Bees, it seems like I write a blog post with each season.  It makes sense as each season with the bees is distinctly different.  And yet, today, I saw a post in Facebook that made me think of endings in general...and, to be honest, running Barters Island Bees in our 70's...definitely in 'old age' to most! Here's the quote:

Growing, ripening, aging, dying — the passing of time is predestined, inevitable.
There is only one solution if old age is not to be an absurd parody of our former life, and that is to go on pursuing ends that give our existence a meaning — devotion to individuals, to groups or to causes, social, political, intellectual or creative work. In old age we should wish still to have passions strong enough to prevent us turning in on ourselves.
One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, compassion.
~Simone de Beauvoir
(Book: The Coming of Age https://amzn.to/4cSnaAJ
I was awe-struck by this quote…We get such enjoyment out of this ‘accidental’ honey business. Accidental because we never had a master plan to create Barters Island Bees… we just wanted bees and it grew from from there. The quote is about the best explanation I’ve seen of why we still enjoy doing it, despite the physical and mental work it requires, especially at our age!  But I wake up every day thinking of my day ahead with anticipation and excitement about of what lies ahead, the people I love and those I’ll meet at the markets… I am grateful for all who have helped Barters Island Bees grow, bought our honey, and especially for our friends who’ve been there every step of our journey.  

Right now, our bees are starting to prepare for cold weather.  They are beginning to create 'winter bees' as opposed to the bees that were produced during the spring and summer season.  These winter bees live longer and will tend to the queen who lives several years, over the cold Maine winter.  It's not  long until all the male bees, the drones, are kicked out of the hive so that they don't drain the precious resources over the winter.  The bees have stored honey to eat, and as beekeepers, we have to be responsible in making sure that we leave them enough honey to survive, and supplementing their food source when they don't  The hives must be physically protected because they are exposed to the elements in ways that forest hives are not.  We wrap them and put in special boards to absorb the moisture and make sure that they can get in and out.  We check on them throughout the winter, even taking infrared pictures that tell us about the conditions in the hive.  We take care of them, and they have provided us with the most amazing journey that we wouldn't have imagined when we got those first 3 hives only a few years back.  In gratitude...

Donna

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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